Indian-origin tech leaders and entrepreneurs in the USA in high hopes about PM Modi’s visit
A roundtable conference on India-US ties organized by NID Foundation and Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF) at California
CHANDIGARH, India and SAN JOSE, Calif., June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — “This is the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States of America (USA) and it will open new gateways for the Indian and US companies to work together,” said Joe Johal, CEO of Wendy’s of the Pacific, as the Indian-origin corporate leaders in the USA are excited ahead of the PM Modi’s state visit to the country which begins on June 21.
Terming it an opportunity that will take the bilateral ties to new heights, Joe Johal, who was an engineering manager at Hewlett Packard from 1983 to 2003, said, “The work PM Modi has carried out over the last nine years has given us the opportunity to take our presence to the new heights and make a big difference in the world in various fields.”
Based in Modesto, California, the Wendy’s of the Pacific Inc. operates as a fast-food restaurant chain. Joe Johal and Dr. Dalvir Pannu, CEO of Pannu Dental Group in California along with the Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF) and NID Foundation organized recently a roundtable conference on ‘India-US partnership: A key to New Word Tech-Order’ in San Jose, California. The India-origin tech leaders of Silicon Valley showed an overwhelming response as 54 prominent tech leaders took part in the event, which was held in the run-up to PM Modi’s visit to the USA to strengthen coordination between India and the US.
While the conference was presided over by Rob Bonta, the attorney general of California, USA, Chief Patron NID Foundation & Chancellor Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu was also present during the conference. Sandhu termed the event as an effort to carry the voice and opinion of the Indian diaspora from Silicon Valley to PM Modi.
Speaking on behalf of the Indian diaspora and the tech leaders and entrepreneurs of Indian origin, Joe Johal said that the Indian-origin corporate leadership in the USA is in high spirits and has high hopes for the upcoming visit of PM Modi to the country. “The Indians started working in the USA almost 100 years ago but today Indians are one of the most influential ethnic groups in the United States. We are looking forward to this journey as Modi is visiting us and giving us the opportunity to work jointly across the aisle with the organizations here and opening a gateway for the Indian and the US companies,” said Joe Johal.
Johal is also the founding board member for Tri-Valley Bank, founding board member for Old Fashioned Franchise Association (franchise association for Wendy’s), founding board member of Service Station Franchise Association (Arco BP Franchise Association), founding board member for American Petroleum and Convenient Store Association and Board member of Alameda County Fair Foundation.
Indian-born Silicon Valley CEOs are also part of a four million-strong minority group that is among the wealthiest and most educated in the US. Dr. Dalvir Pannu, CEO of Pannu Dental Group in California said that he has seen the Indian diaspora growing tremendously in the USA in the last decade especially. “There has been a huge sense of pride among Indians because India has been doing so well on the global stage and a lot of this has to do with the lot of hard work of PM Narendra Modi. Now the Indians’ say is considered important in the US government and is respected as well,” he said.
“We took the initiative to organize this roundtable conference. We are satisfied with the outcome of the event and the support was overwhelming,” he said, adding that Indian-origin CEOs and tech leaders who attended the event conceded that there has been an upswing in the bilateral trade-ties between India and USA as they are on a historic high and are hopeful about the growing relations as a boost to the Indians working in the USA.
Meanwhile, Chief Patron NID Foundation & Chancellor Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu thanked the organizers for their support to make the event a great success. “This was an initiative to take the ideas and opinions of the Indian-origin corporate leaders in the USA to PM Modi. We are overwhelmed by the response from the community of Indian leaders in the USA. They expressed the thrill and excitement about PM Modi’s visit to the country,” said Satnam Singh Sandhu.
