Guest blog post by Jennifer Devlin, Managing Principal, EHDD

Ed. Note: EHDD is a San Francisco-based architecture and planning firm that pioneered green building in California.

We joined the India trade mission because it is a wonderful opportunity to mark the the opening of EHDD's Mumbai office this month. This week, the meetings set up by the U.S. Commercial Service with the Department of Commerce have been outstanding and have led to some key leads for new work. To share a quick story of what has already come of this visit:
 
We met with Amity University representatives from their Noida campus on Monday in Delhi. After an exciting conversation about the extensive expansion plans at Amity, and knowing we were on our way to Jaipur, they invited us to make a presentation to their students and colleagues at Amity University, Jaipur. Upon our arrival in Jaipur, Preetha Nair excitedly showed us the front page of The Times of India where our lecture was announced with "limited seating available"!

We took the morning off from the official business of the delegation and visited Amity University's Jaipur campus, where we were welcomed by Vice Chancellor Singh, his deputies, faculty and students. We spent time in a seminar format answering very challenging questions from the architecture students about climate change, the Kyoto Protocol and the efficacy of passive design strategies in buildings. We were imminently impressed with water research presented by a faculty member from the civil engineering department. After our lecture, to some 400 students and faculty, titled, "The Future of Green Building and Planning on University Campuses," we shared more time with students and toured campus buildings.

We could not have asked for a more inspiring and productive day! And this was only one experience-there have been countless more.

Commerce Secretary Bryson was in Mumbai today, the third and final city in his business development mission to India. In addition to exploring opportunities for the 16 U.S. businesses on the mission to promote their technologies and services in India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure sector, the visit focused on the president’s SelectUSA initiative.

In the morning, Secretary Bryson and the delegates toured a new terminal being constructed at Mumbai International Airport and met with airport management. Several U.S. companies have provided services and equipment to the airport, playing a major role in helping to modernize one of India’s busiest airports. One of the firms on the trip, CH2M Hill, has been providing Program Management services at the Mumbai International Airport since the project started in 2007. In their role, CH2M Hill optimised the master plan, prepared detailed elements for tendering and provided inputs for the selection of the contractor and various sub-contractors. They have also provided oversight to ensure that both the cost and schedule are effectively managed as the construction progresses. This has been accomplished by providing a mix of specialist aviation experts from the US and local trained resources.

Following the tour, Bryson met with Indian industry leaders and investors to talk about SelectUSA, the first coordinated effort by the U.S. government to attract new business investments to America. India, one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, is a priority market under the SelectUSA initiative. Bryson also delivered remarks at a luncheon hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where he talked about how the U.S.-India bilateral relationship is stronger than ever, and encouraged Indian investment in the U.S. as a means of fostering economic growth and job creation in both countries. In his remarks, he also highlighted the importance of this week’s renewal of the U.S.-India Commercial Dialogue, as well as moving forward in discussions to establish a Bilateral Investment Treaty, which would support greater stability and protections for investors in both countries. Following his remarks, the Secretary formally inaugurated the U.S-India Investors Forum (USIIF), a group of 35 Indian CEOs interested in investing in the United States.

Guest blog post by William Austin, Director of Government Affairs, LORD Corporation

ED Note: LORD Corporation designs, manufactures and markets mechanical devices and electromechanical systems to control vibration, motion, and noise; formulates, produces and sells general purpose and specialty adhesives, coatings, and electronic materials; and develops products and systems utilizing magnetically responsive technologies.

We are honored to participate in U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson’s first trade mission to India. With global corporate headquarters in Cary, North Carolina, our company has plans to grow its business in India, and Secretary Bryson’s trade mission is helping us connect to new opportunities and develop new critical relationships. The agenda has enabled us to interact with Indian government and business leaders to gain a better understanding of where emerging market needs intersect with our solutions and products.

Secretary Bryson and his team have put together a packed agenda that is opening doors to senior-level decision-makers in this dynamic and growing market.  With stops in New Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai, we are meeting with a variety of companies and government executives. We are learning more about emerging opportunities through these sessions, and building new relationships that will create value for our presence in India.

Guest blog post by Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco J. Sánchez 

This story is part of an ongoing series highlighting the information available to participants in the 2012 Asia Pacific Business Outlook (APBO)

This is my second year keynoting the 25-year old USC Marshall School’s Asia Pacific Business Outlook (APBO) Conference. It was great to see the diversity of participants, from representatives of businesses across the United States, as well as non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and trade associations from both the United States and countries in Asia and Latin America.

It seems as though it’s also a reunion and convergence of sorts of 16 Senior Commercial Officers (SCOs) from Asia and local Commercial Service trade specialists. For the first time, we have the SCOs from Brazil and Russia joining the conference, contributing their insider knowledge and providing market briefings in one-on-one counseling sessions.

During my address yesterday, I was able to outline our ongoing priorities here at the International Trade Administration and across the Obama Administration as well as provide updates on some major accomplishments achieved in the past few years.

This month marks the two-year anniversary of the President’s National Export Initiative and good things are happening. Last year, U.S. exports surpassed $2 trillion for the first time in history. They supported nearly 10 million jobs, an increase of more than a million when compared to 2009 numbers. So the formula is pretty clear: exports benefit jobs, businesses and the national economy. That’s why we’ve got to continue to increase U.S. exports.