USISPF hosts roundtable discussion with Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), in conjunction with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), hosted a roundtable discussion with Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan along with U.S. business leaders.

The roundtable served as a forum for discussing investment and partnership opportunities in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

USISPF President Dr. Mukesh Aghi opened the roundtable and introduced Mohammed Suleman, the Principal Secretary of Commerce, Industry and Employment in the Government of Madhya Pradesh, who delivered a presentation on Madhya Pradesh's growth and investment potential.

The Minister, along with his delegation, described various sectors of interest to investors including: agriculture, automobile and engineering, textiles, tourism, information technology, healthcare, skill development, pharmaceutical, renewable energy, and defense industries.

The conversation specifically focused on agriculture and defense investment in Madhya Pradesh, which has the highest agricultural growth, averaging 20 percent in the country for the last three years and has major defense manufacturing sites already located in the region.

In addition, Madhya Pradesh, with its central location and rapid growth, is quickly becoming a leader in rural and urban development for India.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeks to build two million houses for the poor and has led various initiatives to provide clean water access, along with building women's empowerment and education opportunities.

He has been extremely active in carrying out Prime Minister Modi's initiatives including: Digital India, Make in India, Startup India, Stand-up India, and Smart Cities. There are 7 smart cities located in Madhya Pradesh alone.

USISPF is committed to providing its members with an opportunity to engage with various state governments in India as to gain a competitive advantage on understanding issues and partnering on various opportunities that exist in the states. The organization will do this by bringing government and business together to facilitate an exchange of ideas.

Sumani Dash, Director and Head of CII North America, ended the roundtable by thanking all of the guests for coming to the event and Dr. Mukesh Aghi closed the event by praising the state "as both a destination for investment, as well as tourism.