By IANS
New York : An Indian American state senator will be part of a trade delegation from the US state of Minnesota that will visit India in October.
Satveer Chaudhary, a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, the branch of the Democratic Party serving Minnesota, has accepted an invitation from Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to be a part of the delegation.
"This is an amazing opportunity not only for Minnesota businesses to find new markets but for the people of our state and the people of India to foster a more productive friendship," Chaudhary said in a press release issued from his office.
"Governor Pawlenty deserves credit for initiating this mission, and I thank him for the invitation to play a role."
Chaudhary, who represents the city of Fridley, Anoka County, in the Minnesota state senate, is a renowned spokesperson for the Indian American community in Minnesota and throughout the US.
He has in the past worked on setting up a sister-state agreement between Minnesota and the Indian state of Haryana, where his family is originally from.
Chaudhary's parents moved to the US from India in the 1960s before he was born. In 1996, when he was elected state representative, Chaudhary became the first Asian American member of the Minnesota legislature and only the fourth Indian American elected to a state legislature in the US.
Four years later, he became the first Indian American senator in US history. In 2001, he was listed among the top 50 non-resident Indians in the world by NRI World magazine.
"People have raised concerns about trade imbalances and things like outsourcing, which are all the more reason for this delegation to kick the doors open for Minnesota businesses to compete in the global marketplace," Chaudhary said in the release.
According to the Minnesota Trade Office, India is currently the 21st largest trading partner with Minnesota, a state with a population of over five million. In the weeklong mission, the delegation will explore expansion of the economic relationship between Minnesota and India.
"India currently has 1.1 billion people and a middle class that's larger than the entire US population, which makes it one of the world's largest untapped markets," Chaudhary said.
"By taking this kind of initiative to establish better business relationships, I know Minnesota is going to do well."