Thread: US Biz headed for India

Largest US biz mission headed for India

IANS[ TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006 09:53:45 AM]

WASHINGTON: Leaders of American business, industry, education and state and local government are expected to join the largest ever US Business Development Mission to India, described as "the world's fastest growing free-market democracy" in November.

India presents lucrative opportunities for US companies in a wide range of sectors, according to the US Commerce Department, and to help US firms make contacts and sales in this booming market, Under Secretary for International Trade Franklin L. Lavin will lead a delegation to the India Business Summit Nov 29-30.

The Summit will provide access to India's high-level business, industry and government representatives and opportunities to gain timely insights into the country's trade and investment climate, says the department in inviting participation from US business and industry leaders.

This precedent-setting initiative, potentially involving the largest ever overseas delegation of its kind led by a US government official, will serve as the capstone of a year of successful activities conducted under the auspices of the US-India Commercial Dialogue, honouring the commitment of President Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to revitalise bilateral trade discussions, it says.

Following the Summit, the US Commercial Service posts in India will concurrently host spin-off missions for US exporters in Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and New Delhi Dec 4-5 and in Mumbai, Dec 1 and 4.

The spin-off missions will be open to qualified US business representatives in a range of promising sectors and will include market briefings, networking receptions, and one-on-one business appointments with prospective agents, distributors, partners, and end-users.

Participation in the Summit will be open to 200 US applicants. Participation in the spin-off missions will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to 20 appropriate companies per city, the Department said.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... urpg-2.cms


How many more jobs will our leaders give them?????

IS it me, or does anyone else find this offensive?????
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Baby, It's Cold Back East
A SoCal mom explains winter and the other facts of life to her college-bound daughter.
By Heather Dundas, HEATHER DUNDAS is a writer in Pasadena.
August 22, 2006


MY DAUGHTER, Adena, is packing for her first year of college, and she insists that she'll need her flip-flops in upstate New York. In winter. What if she wants to run to the store, she argues — for a taco or something?

Adena has lived in Los Angeles since she was 2, and I am just now realizing that she is utterly clueless about life outside Southern California.

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She refers to the cold season as "winter" (with the quote-unquote hand signals) as though it were a myth. This is my fault, and I have no excuse. I was raised in New York state, and I know winter. Moreover, I know that the Northeast is emphatically not L.A. with snow. It is a completely different culture, an alien state of mind to those raised here. I tremble for Adena. But I will spend the little time we have left trying to prepare her.

So herewith the cram sheet, East Coast 101, which I am passing along as a public service:

The first question you will hear, no matter whether you're from Pasadena, Riverside or Santa Monica, is: "Do you know any movie stars?" The only possible answer to this is "yes." And then lie with abandon if necessary; no one will know the difference.

Easterners mistake laid-back for dumb. You can use this to your advantage.

People won't smile unless they mean it. Don't mistake this for being unfriendly.

Flip-flops are not considered proper attire. People may take offense if you wear them to a formal event. Besides, see winter, below.

People will ask you, "But don't you miss the seasons?" Never mind that if you've lived your whole life in Southern California, you can't answer this question. Never mind that we have seasons, just not European ones. Ponder your answer on the 15th rainy day in a row. On the other hand, be sure to take a walk in the woods on a sunny day in October. It will make you happy to be alive.

And speaking of seasons: Winter does exist. It's not "winter." Take it seriously. Layer. Wear a hat. Buy wool.

Restaurant etiquette: Food comes faster, restaurants are open later and wait staffs are less chatty.

I am told that you can now enjoy authentic Mexican food, even in upstate New York, but I can't confirm this. But the East Coast is still predominantly Eurocentric. You will find that you are more influenced by Latin American and Asian cultures than you thought.

If you're homesick and can't find a good taco, take a yoga class. It will be warm and no one will care whether you wear flip-flops.

Some differences you may observe about the East but probably should keep to yourself: On average, people are uglier. People walk faster but drive slower. Trees are taller but "mountains" are shorter. Old people look old, and crabby people don't try to hide it. There are a bazillion more mosquitoes.

People will ask you if you're afraid of earthquakes. If you're feeling snarky, you can retort that mosquitoes are much more dangerous than earthquakes.

People will ask you, "Do real people live there?" which may at first inspire a koan-like blankness in your mind. But the images of L.A. are so ubiquitous in film and television that everyone thinks they know it … yet the place always seems fictional. They have a hard time reconciling this duality.

And dealing with contradiction, really, is the most profound difference between the East and West coasts. In an East Coast mind, a place can be either absurd or sublime. In L.A., we know that our city is both.

Have a great time. Dress warm. Learn what you can from our odd cousins to the east. And bring your great new ideas back home.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la- ... -rightrail

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Well isnt that just great? We need to be a self reliable nation. What part of that do they not understand?