Houston Seeking Expansion of International Trade

The stunning Asia Society was the perfect backdrop for the panel discussion about trade in India. Those in the panel included our own Mayor Annise Parker and several other distinguished speakers.

It was an honor to have Mayor Annise Parker present, and she had much to add to the discussion as well. She spoke of her desire to grow international trade, and of her trip to India and how her time there helped form her opinions.

She spoke of how, as mayor, she hoped to help Houston, which is already a city of trade and business, grow in international scope. She encouraged those in attendance to look at their strengths and to grow from there. She even mentioned planning a trip to India and discovering all it had to offer for herself.

The moderator of the discussion was Dr. Russell Green from Rice University. Those answering questions were Andrew Icken, Houston’s Chief Development Officer; Bob Pertierra, the Chief Economic Development Officer; Jagdip Ahulwalia, Founding Secretary of IACCGH, and Dr. Russell Green, a Will Clayton Fellow.

The discussion brought issues of India’s future in trade into the spotlight. Each had unique points of views as a result of their different backgrounds. Russell Green in particular had an interesting perspective as an American who spent four years living in New Delhi.

Everyone agreed, India has much to offer and over the course of the next few years, it will be playing a bigger part in trade.

This discussion was another step in moving India and Southeast Asia into the forefront of people’s mind when the word ‘trade’ is spoken.

Inputs By Natasha Naik

Mayor Annise Parker

Jagdip Ahluwalia