As Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs at the US State Department from 2013 to 2017, Nisha Biswal One of the most visible Indian American faces in the administration of the then US President Barack Obama, Now as chairman of the high-profile US-India Business Council and senior vice president for South Asia at the United States Chamber of Commerce, his role is to provide strategic guidance on several key areas, including global security, sustainability and climate. Biswal, who has a wide range of experience as Senior Advisor to the Albright Stonebridge Group; Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and staff member on Capitol Hill and the US House of Representatives spoke to TIMESOFINDIA.com on a range of topics from the growing number of Indian Americans in the Biden administration. To trade as the next frontier for India-US relations. Edited excerpts of the interview.
There are a large number of Indian-Americans in the Biden administration; What challenges do they face; Especially women of Indian origin who are in senior positions?
We have certainly seen a very strong presence of Indian Americans in both the Obama administration and now the Biden administration. Indian Americans were well represented in trump Administration too. This is because tremendous attention has been placed on bringing a variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the US government to reflect the American population and its composition. For Indian American women and all women of color, the challenge comes from our institutional systems and prejudices that may well be at a disadvantage. But I would also say that women are making great strides in our government institution, and are probably making more progress in government than in other institutions. However, sometimes women of color who come into government don’t have the experience or network that can help them work. I was fortunate enough to have over a decade and a half of experience on Capitol Hill. And I had very deep ties to Congress, which really helped me when I was in government, being able to build Congress support for the issues I was working on and being able to tap into my network. . The experience I got working in the political field also helped. Building alliances and negotiating results are important skills; And I think sometimes when they come from academia, for example, practical experience and networks are something that women of color don’t have. We have to find ways to strengthen and support them.
How has your experience in the US Congress and House of Representatives helped you in your future assignments?
I have what can be described as a somewhat inspiring work history in which I have traveled to many different fields and had different experiences. My father once said, ‘You know, Nisha, you changed jobs like people change their hair’. For me, whether I was working overseas with the American Red Cross or I was working on Capitol Hill [seat of US government], I was always driven by curiosity about learning and especially in trying to understand how and why the policy was formulated. So, for example, when I was working overseas for humanitarian relief, I wanted to understand who decided who went what and why and how much. In Washington DC, when I was in the executive branch, I was very curious about how Congressional priorities and priorities are set and why. Then I went to the NGO community in front of public policy, I worked towards making advocacy more effective and practical. When I joined the Obama administration, I came across this diversity of experience, which I think helped me become a more effective diplomat because not only did I know how to build coalitions in the US government across different issues and perspectives Rather, I knew how to connect with people with different views. My goal was to find the areas of convergence.
You have said recently that India-US relations are ready for the next frontier. Will business, perhaps, be that limit?
India-US trade relations are on a very positive trajectory; Back when I was in government, we were knocking $100 billion in two-way trade and investment and now we’re over $150 billion. So, it is definitely moving in the right direction. But the question is, is it ambitious enough for the world’s two largest economies? And I would definitely say that it is not. We know that the potential of US-India trade is much greater than it is today. This requires both governments to be far more ambitious and aggressive and willing to negotiate and compromise. Trade negotiations are especially difficult for democracies like ours because when you open trade with each other, there are winners and losers. You are accommodating each other’s industries to grow the overall pie and this creates a lot of discomfort among those who feel that their markets are open to global competition and investment rather than to their domestic producers. Better to protect. And that’s a challenge for President Biden and the prime minister Modi, And yet no country can ignore the two-way economic partnership and the bigger challenges that have to be addressed. What I mean is that the next in US-India relationship is border trade and we need to work towards a free trade agreement.
We saw that there were many high-profile Diwali Celebrations in America this year. Do you think this is a sign that the Indian American community is growing stronger?
I think Indian Americans are involved in every aspect of American cultural, educational, economic and political life. You see Indian Americans as leaders of some of America’s most prominent corporations in the arts and scientific fields, and of course in the corporate sector. It is natural that as Indian Americans gain prominence across the country, Indian culture and traditions also become more mainstream. A lot of attention is now being paid to celebrating Diwali in many school districts across America. Children are given days off, as you can see for Hanukkah or Christmas. And it is a recognition of the importance of the Indian American community in American life. It’s all part of a classic immigrant story, the first waves of immigrants keeping their heads down. They focus on securing the livelihood of their family and do not necessarily include the society as a whole; But as successive generations take root in American soil, their ideas, traditions and culture also take root in America. Some of the most amazing Diwali celebrations were held in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey.
There are a large number of Indian-Americans in the Biden administration; What challenges do they face; Especially women of Indian origin who are in senior positions?
We have certainly seen a very strong presence of Indian Americans in both the Obama administration and now the Biden administration. Indian Americans were well represented in trump Administration too. This is because tremendous attention has been placed on bringing a variety of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds to the US government to reflect the American population and its composition. For Indian American women and all women of color, the challenge comes from our institutional systems and prejudices that may well be at a disadvantage. But I would also say that women are making great strides in our government institution, and are probably making more progress in government than in other institutions. However, sometimes women of color who come into government don’t have the experience or network that can help them work. I was fortunate enough to have over a decade and a half of experience on Capitol Hill. And I had very deep ties to Congress, which really helped me when I was in government, being able to build Congress support for the issues I was working on and being able to tap into my network. . The experience I got working in the political field also helped. Building alliances and negotiating results are important skills; And I think sometimes when they come from academia, for example, practical experience and networks are something that women of color don’t have. We have to find ways to strengthen and support them.
How has your experience in the US Congress and House of Representatives helped you in your future assignments?
I have what can be described as a somewhat inspiring work history in which I have traveled to many different fields and had different experiences. My father once said, ‘You know, Nisha, you changed jobs like people change their hair’. For me, whether I was working overseas with the American Red Cross or I was working on Capitol Hill [seat of US government], I was always driven by curiosity about learning and especially in trying to understand how and why the policy was formulated. So, for example, when I was working overseas for humanitarian relief, I wanted to understand who decided who went what and why and how much. In Washington DC, when I was in the executive branch, I was very curious about how Congressional priorities and priorities are set and why. Then I went to the NGO community in front of public policy, I worked towards making advocacy more effective and practical. When I joined the Obama administration, I came across this diversity of experience, which I think helped me become a more effective diplomat because not only did I know how to build coalitions in the US government across different issues and perspectives Rather, I knew how to connect with people with different views. My goal was to find the areas of convergence.
You have said recently that India-US relations are ready for the next frontier. Will business, perhaps, be that limit?
India-US trade relations are on a very positive trajectory; Back when I was in government, we were knocking $100 billion in two-way trade and investment and now we’re over $150 billion. So, it is definitely moving in the right direction. But the question is, is it ambitious enough for the world’s two largest economies? And I would definitely say that it is not. We know that the potential of US-India trade is much greater than it is today. This requires both governments to be far more ambitious and aggressive and willing to negotiate and compromise. Trade negotiations are especially difficult for democracies like ours because when you open trade with each other, there are winners and losers. You are accommodating each other’s industries to grow the overall pie and this creates a lot of discomfort among those who feel that their markets are open to global competition and investment rather than to their domestic producers. Better to protect. And that’s a challenge for President Biden and the prime minister Modi, And yet no country can ignore the two-way economic partnership and the bigger challenges that have to be addressed. What I mean is that the next in US-India relationship is border trade and we need to work towards a free trade agreement.
We saw that there were many high-profile Diwali Celebrations in America this year. Do you think this is a sign that the Indian American community is growing stronger?
I think Indian Americans are involved in every aspect of American cultural, educational, economic and political life. You see Indian Americans as leaders of some of America’s most prominent corporations in the arts and scientific fields, and of course in the corporate sector. It is natural that as Indian Americans gain prominence across the country, Indian culture and traditions also become more mainstream. A lot of attention is now being paid to celebrating Diwali in many school districts across America. Children are given days off, as you can see for Hanukkah or Christmas. And it is a recognition of the importance of the Indian American community in American life. It’s all part of a classic immigrant story, the first waves of immigrants keeping their heads down. They focus on securing the livelihood of their family and do not necessarily include the society as a whole; But as successive generations take root in American soil, their ideas, traditions and culture also take root in America. Some of the most amazing Diwali celebrations were held in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey.
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