Nisha Biswal to head US-India Business Council

WASHINGTON: Nisha Biswal, a former state department official, will head the US-India Business Council, a powerful advocacy group of US companies with business interest in India, well-informed sources said. USIBC is a part of the US Chamber of Commerce, the largest lobbying organisation in the country that wields real political power in Washington.

Biswal, who was assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia in the Obama administration, is expected to join on November 1 in her new position. A former diplomat, her skills will be required in full after a summer of discontent at USIBC. In August, a few key companies, including PepsiCo, MasterCard and Cisco, split from USIBC and launched a new organisation called the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum following differences over policy and turf issues.

The high-voltage launch of USISPF in New Delhi was attended by senior government officials, including Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. After a period of recrimination, both organisations appear to have found peaceful co-existence, much to the relief of New Delhi.