From left: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Aku Patel, Swapan Dhairyawan, Ashok Garg, Joya Shukla, Indo-American News partners, Vanshika Vipin Varma, Pramod Kulkarni, and Jawahar Malhotra.
HOUSTON: In this era of media being cast in a negative light, an event of appreciation is always welcome.
The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) held its annual dinner in appreciation of its media partners last Thursday, February 2, at Mayuri restaurant.
The media partners who attended included the print media, radio hosts and TV reporters. Attending on behalf of Indo-American News included partners, Vanshika Vipin Varma, Jawahar Malhotra, and Pramod Kulkarni. They were joined by spouses Jyoti Kulkarni and Sushil Varma.
Attending on behalf of the Past President IACCGH included Immediate Past President Joya Shukla, Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia, and Manu Shah. Also in attendance were board members Ashok Garg, Aku Patel and Swapan Dhairyawan. Current President Richard Allen could not attend due to flight delay in Chicago.
The dinner was followed by a lively discussion of how the IACCGH and the media partners could work together to further their collaboration.
The evening concluded in a spirit of jovial comeraderie with the singing of Bollywood and regional folk songs.
HOUSTON: Joya Shukla went from volunteering at an IACCGH event to being nominated to the Board of Directors to Chamber President all in the span of a few years. In 2016, Joya put her heart into ‘chambering’ as her daughter calls it advancing the healthcare initiative, International Internship program, and events for young professionals.
As the first American born President and its youngest, Joya, a fifteen year Shell veteran, says she was keen to engage the next generation that she represented. To offer local university students an Indian corporate experience, Board member Narayan Bhargava and she launched the International Internship Program sending two local university students to Shell & JSW in India. Intern Akash Dhingra described this as “one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
Joya also launched the Business of Medicine Series which in her words is “a breakthrough.” This healthcare initiative kicked off with a keynote by CHI-St Luke’s CEO Michael Covert. The intent is to strengthen healthcare bridges between top medical facilities in Houston and India and engage CHI-St. Luke further with Greater Houston with a special focus on women and those committed to medicine.
The year also delivered Shell Distinguished Lectures featuring LyondellBasell CEO Bob Patel, Dr. Renu Khator, and Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray, while the Women’s Leadership Series featured philanthropist Indrani Goradia, Wood Group CEO Michele McNichol, HMSDC President Ingrid Robinson, WBEA President April Day and Former Mayor Annise Parker introduced by UH Dean Latha Ramchand. The pearls of wisdom gained by attendees at each of these events provided empowering strategies and tools teaching life skills, leadership and work-life balance.”
Joya was particularly pleased to have Bruce Culpepper, President Shell, USA deliver the 2016 Gala Keynote since her Chamber journey started in earnest when she was chosen to represent Shell on the Chamber’s board. The 17th Annual Gala, the highlight of the year, had a record turnout of 750 guests from Houston’s top tier – along with an unprecedented thirty executives who joined the Gala from India. Mayor Sylvester Turner and other elected officials graced the occasion mingling with the diaspora of Houston’s business elite. She admits it was gratifying to see the incredible community support from energy, education, and healthcare—the Chamber’s key focus areas.
Quick to share credit, Joya acknowledges that this successful year was possible due to a “phenomenal Chamber board,” Treasurer Swapan Dhairyawan, Secretary Raj Bhavsar, and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia along with the foundation laid by recent past Presidents Sanjay Ram & Ashok Garg and Chamber founders such as Dr. Durga Agrawal. Recognizing her tremendous involvement and contribution to the Chamber’s growth, Jagdip Ahluwalia also highlighted Joya’s persistence and ability to get things done.
As her year ends, President Joya Shukla credits her corporate training, project management skills and networking that helped leave the Chamber “just a little bit better than it was yesterday to benefit Houston and India.” While her term as President has ended, her involvement with the Chamber, she says, will continue with the same passion and enthusiasm.
She looks forward to continue making an impact in the Houston community through both nonprofit and corporate roles.
IACCGH Board member Narayan Bhargava explains the key points of the program. Photo : Bijay Dixit
By Manu Shah
HOUSTON: IACCGH Board member Narayan Bhargava cofounded an organization during his freshman year at UT which provided free consulting to struggling businesses in Austin by students who in turn gained valuable experience through solving real life business problems. Today, this has become a premier student led organization at the McCombs School of Business at UT and has been integrated by some professors into their curriculum.
Narayan, 27, works in the SDB Group, a family business, as Director of Business Development. The combination of this experience was the perfect springboard for him to spearhead IACCGH’s International Student Internship Program launched this year.
Narayan is both excited and motivated about creating a committee of students and young professionals to establish flagship events and opportunities that will attract and increase youth involvement within the Chamber. According to IACCGH Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia, with its youngest President Joya Shukla and young entrepreneurs like Narayan Bhargava – the Chamber is “working towards its long term growth by bringing the next generation into its leadership”
The IACCGH International Internship Program is designed to give deserving students an opportunity to get real working experience in India within large Indian firms and member companies that have a presence both in India and in the US.
The opportunity is unique and possibly the only one of its kind. International experiences are highly coveted in the workplace and the program will give interns a global experience and an edge when joining the workforce or may even lead to full time employment with the partner company.
Narayan has been tapping into the IACCGH network to gather initial contacts and leveraging those relationships to meet with key people within the universities. According to him, the response has been more than positive. Universities have not only shown a great deal of interest but are also reaching out to students advocating this initiative. Companies that have been approached are ready to employ Houston talent and students are eager to participate in the program.
The first internship is slated to kick off this summer.
The program is open to all students who meet the qualification criteria established by the partner companies. Funding for the program will come from the Rolex Raffle organized by IACCGH with the classic timepiece donated by Karat 22 Jewelers.
