Category Archives: NRI’s / PIO’s

INTERNATIONAL: SUSTAINABILITY: 07-year-old Indian-origin Girl Moksha Roy Wins UK PM’s ‘Points of Light Award’ becomes World’s Youngest Sustainability Advocate

Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British PM Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.

A seven-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl, who started volunteering for a United Nations’ sustainability initiative against microplastic pollution when she was just three, has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award.

Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.

Moksha has been recognised for volunteering for several sustainability campaigns, including raising funds to help children in need.

“Moksha has set an excellent example in her work championing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has gone to significant lengths to have these included in the school curriculum and has been in communication with leaders all over the world to encourage them to consider this,” said Dowden.

“Her school no longer uses plastic glitter, confetti or plastic art supplies – this is a testament to her strong beliefs and ability to change those around her to create a better world,” he said.

Moksha has also assisted in educational sessions for deprived schoolchildren in India.

“I am very happy to receive the Points of Light award. I hope both children and adults get to understand that caring for the planet and its people and making small changes to everyday life should not be just for a few. It is just like brushing our teeth,” said Moksha.

“We brush our teeth to care for them and avoid pain; similarly we can take care of the planet not for anyone else, but just us, to be safe. Each and every one of us can do small things in our own lives, work and community to combat the big challenges such as climate change, pollution, poverty and inequality,” she said.

Her parents, Ragini G Roy and Sourav Roy, said their daughter’s efforts prove that even the youngest in society have a role to play in combatting climate change.

According to Downing Street, the Points of Light awards recognise outstanding people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others towards innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIAN WOMEN: Four Indian-origin Biz Leaders on 2023 Forbes’ 100 Richest Self-Made Women List

Four Indian-origin women, including Jayshree Ullal and Indra Nooyi, have made it to Forbes’ list of America’s 100 most successful self-made women.

Four Indian-origin women, including Jayshree Ullal and Indra Nooyi, have made it to the Forbes list of America’s 100 most successful self-made women, with a combined net worth of a whopping USD 4.06 billion. Building supply distributor Diane Hendricks, with a $15 billion net worth, retained the top spot for the sixth year in a row. This year’s list has eight entrants, including television producer Shonda Rhimes and Insitro CEO Daphne Koller.

“Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, they are cumulatively worth a record USD 124 billion, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago,” Forbes said last month at the release of its ninth annual list.

Jayshree Ullal

Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks, ranked 15th on the list, the highest among Indian-origin business leaders. Arista Networks, a publicly-traded company, recorded revenue of nearly $4.4 billion in 2022. Ullal, 62, owns about 2.4% of Arista’s stock, some of which is earmarked for her two children, niece and nephew, according to Forbes. She is also on the board of directors of Snowflake, a cloud computing company that went public in September 2020. She studied electrical engineering at San Francisco State University and engineering management at Santa Clara University.

Neerja Sethi

Neerja Sethi, with a net worth of USD 990 million, has been ranked 25th on the list. Sethi, 68, along with her husband Bharat Desai, co-founded IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel in 1980. French IT firm Atos SE for $3.4 billion in October 2018 bought Syntel in 2018 and Sethi got an estimated $510 million for her stake.

She did her Bachelor of Arts/Science and Master of Business Administration from Delhi University and Master of Science from Oakland University. Sethi met her husband, Desai, in the US while working for the pioneering IT firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and attempted to emulate it. They started the business with an initial investment of just $2,000.

Neha Narkhede

Narkehe, co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO) of cloud company Confluent, is ranked 50th on the list with a net worth of USD 520 million. The 38-year-old software engineer-turned-entrepreneur helped develop the open-source messaging system Apache Kafka to help develop LinkedIn’s massive influx of data. In 2014, she and two LinkedIn colleagues left to found Confluent, which helps organisations process large amounts of data on Apache Kafka.

The USD 586 million (2022 revenues) company went public in June 2021 at a USD 9.1 billion valuation; Narkhede owns around 6 per cent, Forbes said. In March 2023, Narkhede announced her new company, fraud detection firm Oscilar, where she is co-founder and CEO.

Indira Nooyi

Nooyi, the former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, retired in 2019 after 24 years with the company, half of which she spent in the top job. The 67-year-old has a net worth of USD 350 million and is ranked 77th on the Forbes list. Her fortune stems from stock she was granted while working at PepsiCo.

Nooyi, who grew up in India, received an MBA from Yale before becoming one of corporate America’s few female CEOs in 2006.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIANS ACROSS THE WORLD: Canada’s First Turbaned Sikh Police Officer Baltej Singh Dhillon Appointed Chair of WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors

Baltej Singh Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer for more than three decades, working in critical investigations, including the 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing task force.

Baltej Singh Dhillon, a veteran Canadian Sikh police officer who was a part of the team that probed the 1985 Kanishka Air India terror attack, has become the first South Asian chair of an agency that promotes safe and healthy workplaces in British Columbia province.

Dhillon, the country’s first Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer to wear a turban as part of the uniform, was appointed to chair the WorkSafeBC’s board of directors for a three-year term, effective June 30, the British Columbia government has announced.

WorkSafeBC is a provincial agency promoting safe and healthy workplaces across British Columbia, a province of Canada, and Dhillon has been a member of its board of directors since 2017.

A recipient of Queen Elizabeth II Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals for community service, the veteran officer “made history by being the first RCMP member to wear a turban as part of the uniform,” an official release said on Friday.

Dhillon had a distinguished career as a police officer for more than three decades, working in intelligence, special enforcement, protective services, and critical investigations, including the 1985 Kanishka Air India bombing task force.

On June 23, 1985, a bomb exploded on Air India Flight 182 en route from Toronto to London and then to its final destination Bombay, England killing all 329 people aboard, most of them Canadians.

To this day, the Air India bombing is still the worst terrorist attack in Canadian history blamed on pro-Khalistan elements.

“Baltej was a veteran police officer who brings expertise in law enforcement and six years of experience as a director at WorkSafeBC. He will be committed to WorkSafeBC’s role in investigating serious workplace incidents to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” said Harry Bains, Minister of Labour.

Dhillon takes over the role from Jeff Parr, who served as Board chair from August 2020 to June 2023.

“We look forward to working with him in this new role, alongside our Board members and our stakeholders, to help achieve our vision of a province free from workplace injury or illness,” Anne Naser, president and CEO of WorkSafeBC, said in a statement.

“I look forward to taking on the role as chair of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors,” Dhillon was quoted as saying in the press release.

“I am committed to working with our key stakeholders to improve workplace health and safety and help ensure that workers get home safely at the end of the day. I am excited to begin working as chair with my fellow board members and WorkSafeBC staff to continue making progress in improving the workers’ compensation system to meet the needs of workers, employers and others throughout the province,” he said.

According to WorkSafeBC’s website, the agency serves more than 2.6 million workers and close to 270,000 registered employers in BC and partners with workers and employers to save lives and prevent work-related injury, disease, and disability.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / DIPLOMACY: PM Modi releases Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on May 22 released the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language to bring the Indian thought and culture closer to the people of this southwestern Pacific nation.

Modi arrived here on May 21 on his maiden visit to Papua New Guinea, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the country. He co-hosted with Marape a key summit between India and 14 Pacific island countries to boost bilateral ties.

Tok Pisin is the official language of Papua New Guinea.

“Indian diaspora keeping alive connect with the motherland! PM@narendramodi & PM James Marape launched a translation of the Tamil classic ‘Thirukkural’ in the Tok Pisin language of Papua New Guinea,” the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

Co-authored by Subha Sasindran and Governor Sasindran Muthuvel of West New Britain Province, the book brings Indian thought and culture closer to the people of Papua New Guinea, it said.

“In Papua New Guinea, PM James Marape and I had the honour of releasing the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin language. Thirukkural is an iconic work, which provides valuable insights across different subjects,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, political and economic matters, and love, is written by Poet Thiruvalluvar.

“I would like to commend @pngsasi, Governor of the West New Britain Province and Mrs. Subha Sasindran for their effort to translate the Thirukkural in Tok Pisin. Governor Sasindran has done his schooling in Tamil while Mrs. Subha Sasindran is a respected linguist,” he said in another tweet.

Prime Minister Modi has previously released a translation of the book in his mother tongue Gujarati.

He has praised Thirukkural on many occasions.

In one of his speeches, the Prime Minister said, “Thirukkural is not only a literary masterpiece but an extraordinary guide for common living. It shows us the path of righteousness and inspires us to lead a selfless life.” He also stated that Thirukkural “remains relevant even today and can serve as an inspiration for the present generation.” The prime minister has often quoted Thirukkural in his speeches and tweets and even gifted a copy of the book to the late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in 2014.

“Thirukkural is a treasure trove full of inspiring ideas that youngsters all over the world can read and benefit from,” he had said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: LEADERSHIP: Indian-origin CEO Udai Tambar on Racial Justice Advisory Board in US

“It is crucial that the Racial Justice Charter Amendments ensure that BIPOC New Yorkers live in a society where they can achieve their fullest potential,” Tambar said.

 Udai Tambar, an Indian-origin CEO involved in youth development services in the US, is among 15 experts appointed as members of the newly-formed racial justice advisory board in New York City.

Tambar, the CEO and President of New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL) was named as a member of the advisory board on implementation of the Racial Justice Charter Amendments, launched last week by Mayor Eric Adams and Mayor’s Office of Equity Commissioner Sideya Sherman.

The board will help ensure that New York City continues to lead the nation in innovative, racial equity work and carries out the city’s newly enshrined charter changes, according to a statement by the Mayor’s office.

I am excited to partner with the new Advisory Board to represent NYC’s most resilient communities,” Tambar was quoted as saying in the statement.

“A majority of the families we serve at NYJTL are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) New Yorkers, and it is crucial that this new racial equity infrastructure ensures that they live in a society where they can flourish and achieve their fullest potential,” he added.

According to the statement, the amendments were voted into law during the November 2022 general election and are the first of their kind in the nation.

“These added a statement of values to the city’s charter; required the city to establish a racial equity office and commission, as well as racial equity-focused plans; and called for the city to measure the true cost of living for city residents,” the statement said.

Tambar most recently served as Vice President of Community Health at Northwell Health and is currently the President & CEO of NYJTL, the largest nonprofit youth tennis and education programme in the US.

He has devoted much of his career to serving youth, including serving as Chief of Staff and Director of Youth & Children Services for the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and as the Executive Director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community, the statement said.

Tambar graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts and received a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University.

He most recently attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program and received a certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL AWARD : STATISTICS : Indian-American Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (C.R. Rao) Wins Top Statistics Award, the ‘ 2023 International Prize in Statistics ‘ – a look back at his pioneering work

Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

The Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is statistics’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was established in 2016 and is awarded once every two years to an individual or team “for major achievements using statistics to advance science, technology and human welfare.”

Prof. Rao, who is now 102 years old, is a ‘living legend’ whose work has influenced, in the words of the American Statistical Association, “not just statistics” but also “economics, genetics, anthropology, geology, national planning, demography, biometry, and medicine”. The citation for his new award reads: “C.R. Rao, a professor whose work more than 75 years ago continues to exert a profound influence on science, has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics.”

What was Rao’s 1945 paper about?

Rao’s groundbreaking paper, ‘Information and accuracy attainable in the estimation of statistical parameters’, was published in 1945 in the Bulletin of the Calcutta Mathematical Society, a journal that is otherwise not well known to the statistics community. The paper was subsequently included in the book Breakthroughs in Statistics, 1890-1990.

This was an impressive achievement given Rao was only 25 at the time and had just completed his master’s degree in statistics two years prior.

He would go on to do his PhD in 1946-1948 at King’s College, Cambridge University, under the supervision of Ronald A. Fisher , widely regarded as the father of modern statistics.

The Cramér-Rao inequality is the first of the three results of the 1945 paper. When we are estimating the unknown value of a parameter, we must be aware of the estimator’s margin of error. Rao’s work provided a lower limit on the variance of an unbiased estimate for a finite sample. The result has since become a cornerstone of mathematical statistics; researchers have extended it in many different ways, with applications even in quantum physics, signal processing, spectroscopy, radar systems, multiple-image radiography, risk analysis, and probability theory, among other fields.

In an article published in the journal Statistical Science in 1987, the American statistician Morris H. DeGroot set out an intriguing story (corroborated by Rao’s own account) of how Rao arrived at the lower limit. Prof. Fisher had already established an asymptotic (i.e. when the sample size is very large) version of the inequality, and it seems a student had asked Rao, “Why don’t you prove it for finite samples?” in 1944. A then-24-year-old Rao did so in under 24 hours!

The second outcome of the 1945 paper was the Rao-Blackwell Theorem, which offers a method to improve an estimate to an optimal estimate. The Rao-Blackwell theorem and the Cramér-Rao inequality are both related to the quality of estimators.

A new interdisciplinary area called ‘information geometry’ was born as a result of the paper’s third finding. This field integrated principles from differential geometry into statistics, including the concepts of metric, distance, and measure. Erich L. Lehmann, a renowned statistician, said in 2008 that “this work [of Rao’s] was before its time and came into its own only in the 1980s”.

So overall, Rao’s 1945 paper made an outstanding contribution, boosting the development of modern statistics and its widespread application in modern research. In a 2008 book, Reminiscences of a Statistician: The Company I Kept, Lehmann also discussed the generative nature of the paper – i.e. the goldmine of insights that it was – and acknowledged that “several of my early papers grew out of Rao’s paper of 1945”.

How did Rao enter the field of statistics?

The Australian statistician Terry Speed claimed that the “1940s were ungrudgingly C.R. Rao’s. His 1945 paper … will guarantee that, even had he done nothing else – but there was much else.”

Indeed, one of Rao’s papers in 1948 offered a novel generic approach to testing hypotheses, now widely known as the “Rao score test”. In fact, the three test procedures – the likelihood ratio test of Jerzy Neyman and E.S. Pearson (1928), the Wald test (1943) of Abraham Wald, and the Rao score test (1948) – are sometimes called “the holy trinity” of this branch of statistics.

Rao also contributed to orthogonal arrays, a concept in combinatorics that is used to design experiments whose results are qualitatively good, as early as 1949. A 1969 Forbes article described it as “a new mantra” in industrial establishments.

Given the magnitude and relevance of his contributions, it might seem surprising that Rao entered the field of statistics by chance.

Despite scoring first in mathematics at Andhra University, a 19-year-old Rao didn’t secure a scholarship there for administrative reasons. He was also rejected for a mathematician’s job at an army survey unit because he was judged to be too young.

When he was staying at a hotel in Calcutta, he met a man who was employed in Bombay and had been sent to Calcutta to be trained at the Indian Statistical Institute. He asked Rao to apply to the institute as well. Rao did so, for a year-long training programme in statistics, hoping the additional qualification would help him land a job.

P.C. Mahalanobis, then director of the institute, replied promptly and Rao was enrolled. That marked the beginning of a four-decade-long stay at the institute. Rao retired in 1979 and afterwards settled in the U.S.

The first half of the 20th century was the golden period of statistical theory in general, and Rao is undoubtedly one of the reasons for this being the case, thanks to his mathematical ingenuity. In the words of the late mathematician Samuel Karlin, Rao’s contributions to statistical theory have “earned him a place in the history of statistics”.

Indian statisticians also owe Prof. Rao gratitude for his enormous contributions to the growth of statistics in the country, notably at the Indian Statistical Institute (where this author works). As Lehmann wrote, Rao was “the person who did the most to continue Mahalanobis’s work as a leader of statistics in India.”

Atanu Biswas is professor of statistics, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: WORLD BANK: Indian-American Ajay Banga poised to become World Bank Chief unopposed 

The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives announced to 63-year-old Banga.

Indian-American business leader Ajay Banga is poised to become the next President of the World Bank which has said he is the sole nominee for the post as no other candidates were nominated.

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors will interview Banga before he is formally appointed.

In February, President Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the World Bank because he is “well equipped” to lead the global institution at “this critical moment in history.”

The World Bank on Wednesday closed a month-long window for nominations for its next president, with no alternatives announced to 63-year-old Banga.

Banga is the only application received for the position of president of the World Bank, the financial institution said on Thursday.

“The Board received one nomination and would like to announce that Mr Ajay Banga, a US national, will be considered for the position,” the bank said.

“In accordance with established procedures, the Board of Executive Directors will conduct a formal interview with the candidate in Washington D.C., and expect to conclude the Presidential selection in due course,” said a statement issued by the bank.

The bank has not announced the timing of the interview.

The former Mastercard Inc. chief, Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic.

A new leader of the World Bank is expected to be chosen by early May.

Over the next few months, you will see the World Bank undergo an important transition.

We expect that Ajay Banga, President Biden’s nominee, will be elected President of the World Bank, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday.

“He will be charged with accelerating our progress to evolve the institution to better address 21st-century challenges. This evolution will help the Bank deliver on its vital poverty alleviation and development goals,” Yellen said.

If confirmed, Banga would become the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Banga is expected to replace the current World Bank president David Malpass, who will step down in June, nearly a year before his term is scheduled to expire.

Malpass faced strong criticism over the bank’s commitment to climate action and over his personal views on climate change.

Last week, reports emerged that China sounded doubtful about backing Banga, saying it is “open” to supporting “other potential candidates” based on merit.

Banga, however, received overwhelming support from major countries across the world, including India.

Following Banga’s nomination, he has travelled to several countries for support.

A coalition of 55 advocates, academics, executives, luminaries, and former government officials — including four Nobel Laureates — wrote an open letter to welcome and support Banga’s nomination as the next President of the World Bank.

Raised in India, Banga has a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing developing countries and how the World Bank can deliver on its ambitious agenda to reduce poverty and expand prosperity, President Biden had said.

He has also worked closely with Vice President Harris as the Co-Chair of the Partnership for Central America.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.

Banga is expected to take over the reins of the anti-poverty lender at a crucial time, with the US and Western nations pitching for reforms to focus on addressing a slew of wide-ranging global issues like climate change.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: AVIATION: 67 Foreign Pilots Employed by Indian Airlines: Govt informs Parliament

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there are around 10,000 pilots including 67 foreign nationals employed with various airlines of India.

As many as 67 foreign pilots are employed by different Indian airlines, the government said on Thursday.

This development comes two days after the civil aviation ministry said there was a shortage of pilots forcing them to allow airlines to hire foreign pilots.

“According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there are around 10,000 pilots including 67 foreign nationals employed with various airlines of India,” Dr Gen VK Singh (Retd), minister of state (Mos) for civil aviation, stated in a written reply to Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK.

According to industry projections, there may be a need for 1000 pilots per annum in India over the next five years, Singh said.

“The annual requirement of commercial pilots depends upon various factors such as financial health of an airline, airline expansion plan and growth in the aviation sector,” he added.

Singh stated that 15% of pilots in India are women which is almost three times the global average of 5%. He, however pointed out that currently, there is no special program in the government to encourage pilot training for women and backward classes including SC/STs.

“There are 35 DGCA approved flight training organisations (FTOs) in India operating at 53 bases,” he said.

He also said that data from the Indian scheduled airlines showed that a total of 244 pilots were recruited in 2021 and as on March 1 this year, a total of 15,896 regular officials are employed in Airports Authority of India (AAI) posted across various airports and stations.

In yet another response, Singh stated that the air traffic data for 2022-23 is estimated to be 12.3 million.

Meanwhile, civil aviation secretary Rajiv Bansal had, on Tuesday, stated that the demand of Boeing 777 aircraft pilots is such that for the first time, after years, the government is allowing Foreign Aircrew Temporary Authorization (FATA) pilots.

“Normally we don’t allow foreign pilots. But currently there is demand but there is no skilled competency available. I would go to the extent of saying that this demand has happened since the Air India privatisation took place a year ago. That is why, today we don’t have any Boeing 777 aircraft pilots available in the country and hence we are resorting to taking foreign pilots for a short time” he had said speaking in an aviation summit organised by CAPA India.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL RECORDS: ARTS & CULTURE: President Biden presents National Humanities Medal to Indian-American Actress and Producer Mindy Kaling

President Biden said that Mindy Kaling empowers a new generation to tell their stories with irreverence and sincerity.

U.S. President Joe Biden has presented the prestigious 2021 National Humanities Medals to Indian-American actress and producer Mindly Kaling, with several others, in recognition of her giving voice to a new generation of storytellers, at a White House ceremony.

The National Medal of Arts is the highest award, given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the U.S. government. It honours exemplary individuals and organisations that have advanced the arts in America and inspired others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage.

Presenting the award to the actress on March 21, at the ceremony attended by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and the Second Gentlemen, Mr. Biden said that Mindy Kaling is the first woman of colour to create, write, and star in a primetime sitcom.

He added that the 43-year-old actress empowers a new generation to tell their stories with irreverence and sincerity.

“The daughter of Indian immigrants — we know about that, right? Our Vice President is a daughter of Indian immigrants — a mother who was a great scientist,” the U.S. President said.

“Above all, she is hardworking and an adoring mom, just like her own mom was. And, Mindy, we know your mom is always with you in your spirit. We know that,” Mr. Biden added.

“Imbued with humour and heart, Mindy Kaling’s work across television, film, and books inspires and delights, capturing and uplifting the experiences of women and girls across our nation,” the citation of Mindy’s award, read by a military aide later, said.

The award honours individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.

The 11 other distinguished medal recipients were Judith Francisca Baca, Fred Eychaner, Jose Feliciano, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Antonio Martorell-Cardona, Joan Shigekawa, Bruce Springsteen, Vera Wang, The Billie Holiday Theatre, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance.

Richard Blanco, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Walter Isaacson, Earl Lewis, Henrietta Mann, Ann Patchett, Bryan Stevenson, Amy Tan, Tara Westover, Colson Whitehead and Native America Calling were the recipients of the National Humanities Medal.

thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: LEADERS: Joe Biden Appoints 02 Prominent Indian-American Corporate Leaders Punit Renjen and Rajesh Subramaniam to his Export Council, the Principal National Advisory Committee on U.S. International Trade

President Joe Biden on February 28 announced a list of members he intends to appoint to the Council, according to a White House press release.

Washington U.S. President Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint two prominent Indian-Americans corporate leaders, Punit Renjen and Rajesh Subramaniam, to his powerful Export Council which is the principal national advisory committee on international trade.

The President on February 28 announced a list of members he intends to appoint to the Council, according to a White House press release.

Mr. Renjen, the former CEO of Deloitte Consulting and Mr. Subramaniam, CEO and president-elect of FedEx, have their names on the list of members the president intends to appoint as members of the influential President’s Export Council.

The Council will be headed by Mark Edin, chairman of Kastle Systems.

More than two dozen leaders from the corporate sector, labour, real estate, national security and law, have been tapped into the President’s Export Council.

Prominent among them are Karen S. Lynch, president and CEO of CVS Health; John Lawler, the chief financial officer of Ford; Gareth Joyce, CEO at Proterra; Brett Hart, president of United Airlines; Beth Ford, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes; and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano R. Amon.

“The Council advises the President on government policies and programmes that affect U.S. trade performance; promotes export expansion; and provides a forum for discussing and resolving trade-related problems among the business, industrial, agricultural, labour, and government sectors,” the White House said.

On December 31 last, 62-year-old Mr. Renjen retired as Deloitte Global CEO after having served in the role since June 2015.

He now serves as Deloitte Global CEO Emeritus. Under his leadership, Deloitte launched WorldClass — a global effort to prepare 100 million underprivileged people for a world of opportunity — based on the belief that business thrives when society thrives, the White House said.

Recently, Deloitte made a commitment to be net zero by 2030 under its WorldClimate initiative and joined the First Movers Coalition.

Mr. Renjen is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion at Deloitte through measurable actions toward gender balance.

Over his career, Mr. Renjen has been recognised by numerous organisations for his leadership, business acumen and commitment to societal impact.

In 2022, Mr. Renjen was recognised by the Economic Times as “Global Indian of the Year” and the Carnegie Corporation of America as one of 34 “Great Immigrants. Great Americans”. In 2021, the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum recognised Mr. Renjen with its Global Achievement Award. In 2020, Mr. Renjen was awarded the Oregon History Makers Medal.

Mr. Renjen is being considered to be the next chairman of SAP SE, a Germany-based European multinational software company.

Mr. Subramaniam, as President and chief executive officer of FedEx Corporation, is responsible for providing strategic direction for all FedEx operating companies.

Mr. Subramaniam, 55, is chair of the five-person Executive Committee, which plans and executes the corporation’s strategic business activities.

He is also chair of the FedEx Strategic Management Committee, a select group of the company’s top leadership, which sets the strategic direction for the enterprise. Before being named president and CEO-elect in March 2022, he was president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corporation. Previously, Mr. Subramaniam held various leadership roles in operations and marketing across the FedEx portfolio of operating companies.

Mr. Subramaniam serves on the board of directors of FedEx Corporation, the Procter & Gamble Company, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s China Center Advisory Board, FIRST, U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, and the U.S.-China Business Council, and a member of the U.S.-India CEO Forum.

Mr. Subramaniam is also a proud 2023 recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest civilian award presented by the President of India to the Indian diaspora in recognition of outstanding achievements in India and abroad, the White House said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)