In January 2017, the India Business Initiative of the Chazen Institute for Global Business visited Mumbai to present “Advantage India: Breaking News on Business Research,” a showcase of faculty research featuring Suresh Sundaresan, Michael Morris, and Tano Santos.
While there, we pulled aside Indian business leaders to find out how Trump administration policies were resonating in India. The upshot: the Indian community is cautiously optimistic.
“I think Indo-US relations are well aligned long-term,” said Vishal Bakshi '00, founder and managing partner of Avatar Growth Capital Partners. “Under any administration I think there’s opportunity for US and India collaboration.”
Others felt that the 45th president might have other priorities at the moment but acknowledged that his business holdings in India served as a safeguard against legislation that might disadvantage the country. “His business is going to do its best to monetize his brand as president of the United States to make money," noted Niyati Shah Bhatia '09, chapter lead for the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of India.
But all agreed that India is too big and too important an economy to be overlooked. “India can’t be ignored” observed Mahek Vikramsey, a chartered accountant. “It’s a strategic location...and there are so many educated people.”