New India leadership team unveiled by US-India Business Council

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The US Chamber of Commerce has announced a new leadership team to oversee its operations in New Delhi. Alexander Slater, a globally recognized expert in law, economics, and business, will serve as Managing Director of the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and Shreerupa Mitra will serve as Deputy Managing Director, effective Monday. The current Managing Director of USIBC, Ambika Sharma, will move to a new role as Principal Advisor to USIBC President Ambassador Atul Keshap.

“We’re ecstatic to have two policy innovators – Alexander Slater and Shreerupa Mitra – serve USIBC’s new India leadership team,” said Ambassador Atul Keshap, USIBC President. “Their deep expertise and substantial global networks across the public and private sectors in the United States and India will power our organization to even greater heights and serve our over two-hundred member companies well. I’m also looking forward to continuing to receive wise counsel and strategic advice from Ambika Sharma, who has been a pillar of our organization during her distinguished tenure as Managing Director during a time of significant growth.”

Slater has served as USIBC’s Deputy Managing Director in New Delhi since December 2019, managing the day-to-day operations of its India-based team and leading its financial services, tax, and real estate vertical to new heights. During his tenure, Slater helped facilitate significant gains in USIBC membership, especially in venture capital and private equity, areas central to fueling India’s startup ecosystem and cross-sector growth.

“As the next Managing Director of USIBC, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue the organization’s 48-year mission of strengthening trade and investment ties between India and the United States,” said Slater. “During this volatile period for geopolitics and geoeconomics, I am focused on making sure we provide our members and both governments the best advice on how to capitalize on these conditions to enhance the commercial activity that underpins the bilateral relationship.”

Shreerupa Mitra has served as USIBC’s Senior Advisor in New Delhi since September 2022 and is a deeply respected veteran of policy and government. “With deep expertise in Government of India and strong connections to business leaders in the energy, defense, and advisory sectors, Shreerupa Mitra will lead USIBC’s activities around India’s G20 presidency in 2023 and support the US Chamber’s leadership in the B20,” according to a US Chamber of Commerce release.

“The US-India bilateral cooperation, including trade, is broad-based and multi-sectoral,” said Mitra. “Although current geopolitical challenges will significantly impact global growth prospects, this can be a particularly fertile circumstance for India and the US to enhance trade relations and iron-out roadblocks. I feel particularly grateful to lead a team that the Government of India considers a critical stakeholder in this space.”

Ambika Sharma, who has been with USIBC for over six years, will move to a new role as Principal Advisor to USIBC President Ambassador Atul Keshap. “I am thrilled to be assuming a new position at USIBC,” said Sharma. “Both at USIBC and beyond, I’ve relied heavily on [Slater and Mitra’s] wisdom, creativity, and hard work to tackle tough challenges. They have been tireless advocates for the U.S.-India relationship, and I know they will bring that same passion and dedication to their new roles.”

The USIBC promotes trade and investment between the United States and India, representing over 200 member companies. The organization has played a crucial role in promoting economic and commercial ties between the two countries and has been instrumental in facilitating trade and investment between the United States and India. The organization has also been at the forefront of advocating for policies that support and enhance the business relationship between the two countries.

“The US-India Business Council is a trusted and powerful driver of ever closer commercial and strategic cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies,” said Keshap. “We are confident that [Slater and Mitra] will be instrumental in driving the USIBC’s mission forward and representing the interests of our member companies in India.”

Nisha Biswal, Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, commented on the new leadership team, saying, “Ambika, Alexander, and Shreerupa have been colleagues and friends of mine for years. I have the utmost confidence in their ability to lead USIBC’s India team and drive our organization’s mission forward. I am excited to see the impact they will have in their new roles and am grateful for their dedication to the U.S.-India relationship.”