Anand Mahindra, Banmali Agrawala, Ellen Lord named USIBC directors

Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director, Mahindra & Mahindra, Banmali Agrawala, president & ceo, South Asia, General Electric and Ellen Lord, president & ceo, Textron Systems have been appointed directors of US India Business Council.

The appointment of the three was announced Thursday after the annual spring meeting of USIBC, the largest bilateral trade association in the US comprised of 300 of the top-tier US and Indian companies promoting India-US commercial ties.

"Anand Mahindra, Ellen Lord, and Banmali Agrawala bring an excellent combination of both business and civic leadership experience to this position," said USIBC chairman and MasterCard president and ceo Ajay Banga.

"They will undoubtedly provide valuable leadership to USIBC and its members."

As members of the board of directors, Mahindra, Lord, and Agrawala will help promote the policy advocacy priorities of USIBC and advise members and senior USIBC staff on a wide range of topics, the announcement said.

They join a prestigious list of CEOs and executives on USIBC's board of directors.

"The US-India Business Council and board of directors remain committed to advancing the partnership between the United States and India," said Banga.

"We stand dedicated to the lifting of FDI caps in important sectors like insurance and defence, and enhancing energy security," he said.

"Outstanding issues such as clarity on tax policies, protection of intellectual property, and ensuring a clean US immigration reform bill that allows for the free movement of skilled professionals, should be addressed by sitting down at the table as partners and engaging in meaningful dialogue," Banga said.

Mahindra, who was appointed chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, India's leading producer of tractors and off-road vehicles, in 2012, initiated a comprehensive change programme to make the company an efficient and aggressive competitor in the new liberalized economic environment in India.

Agrawala, who is responsible for all of GE's operations in South Asia, is a veteran in the energy domain. He has over 29 years of global experience having served in several senior leadership roles in the Wartsila Group and in The Tata Power Group.

Lord, who was named to the top job at Textron Systems in October 2012, is also a member of Textron's executive leadership team. She previously served as senior vice president and general manager of Textron Defence Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems Corporation (TSC).