U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson Announces 16 Companies Joining his First Trade Mission to India

Submitted on March 20, 2012 - 12:30pm
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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, march 20, 2012
CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
202-482-4883

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson today announced the 16 companies that will join him on a business development mission to India, his first as Commerce Secretary. During the mission, Secretary Bryson will meet with senior level Indian government officials to advocate for U.S. export opportunities in India’s rapidly expanding infrastructure sector, and promote investment opportunities in America–both key priorities of the Obama administration. The mission will take place March 25-30 with stops in New Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai. 

The trade mission supports President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014 to create more good-paying jobs. Last week, on the two year anniversary of the creation of the NEI, the Commerce Department released new data showing that jobs supported by U.S. exports increased by 1.2 million between 2009 and 2011, and the value of U.S. exports exceed $2.1 trillion for the first time in U.S. history. The mission also supports efforts to increase investment in the United States through SelectUSA, America’s first national investment advocacy program. In addition, the mission will promote a new national tourism strategy focused on creating American jobs by becoming even more welcoming to visitors from around the world.

“This mission builds on President Obama’s historic visit to India two years ago, when he said before the Indian Parliament that the U.S.-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. I couldn’t agree more,” said Bryson. “I am looking forward to connecting American business leaders to new opportunities in India’s rising infrastructure sector, and encouraging Indian businesses and individuals to invest in and visit the United States. India is one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, and its large market presents an important opportunity for U.S. companies to sell their goods and services to some of the 95 percent of consumers who live beyond our borders and boost job creation at home.”

The business delegation participating in the trade mission includes:

  • Autodesk, Inc. (San Rafael, Calif.)
  • Black & Veatch Corporation (Overland Park, Kan.)
  • C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Eden Prairie, Minn.)
  • CH2MHill (Denver, Colo.)
  • EHDD (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • GE (Fairfield, Conn.)
  • Innovari, Inc. (Austin, Texas)
  • Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.)
  • LORD Corporation (Cary, N.C.)
  • Mazzetti Nash Lipsey Burch (San Francisco, Calif.)
  • MeadWestvaco Corporation (Richmond,
  • OSISoft LLC (San Leandro, Calif.)
  • PwC (New York, N.Y.)
  • Syneren Technologies Corporation (Lanham, Md.)
  • Target Engineering Group, Inc. (Miami, Fla.)
  • URS Corporation (San Francisco, Calif.)

 India is expected to spend over $1 trillion on infrastructure development over the next five years, and a growing consuming class could lead to increased demand for a range of consumer goods and services.

During the five-day trade mission, Secretary Bryson will focus on building stronger U.S.-India commercial relations; maximizing commercial potential of India’s high-growth next tier regions and urban centers as part of Commerce’s International Trade Administration’s Growth in Emerging Metropolitan Sectors Initiative; and encouraging Indian investment as a means of fostering economic growth and jobs in both countries. Bryson will also address concerns on market access, trade investment and removing barriers to level the playing field for American businesses and workers.

India is our 17th-largest merchandise export market, and our 13th-largest trading partner. From 2002 to 2010, U.S. services exports to India more than tripled, increasing from $3.2 billion in 2002 to $10.3 billion in 2010. Between 2002 and 2011 U.S. goods exports to India more than quintupled, growing from $4.1 billion in 2002 to more than $21.6 billion in 2011. India is a priority country under the president’s SelectUSA initiative. In 2010, the total stock of investment directly from India in the United States was $3.3 billion, but when Indian investment that transferred through other countries is included, the total stock jumps to $7.1 billion.

Trade missions are a critical part of the U.S. Commerce Department’s efforts to support the National Export Initiative, and contributed to the success of thousands of companies exporting in 2011 for the first time. The mission also supports the President’s SelectUSA initiative, the first coordinated federal effort to aggressively pursue and win new business investment in the U.S. from foreign and domestic companies, and will help build on federal efforts to make America as safe and as accessible as possible to visit to help put Americans back to work and strengthen the U.S. economy.

For more information on Commerce’s efforts to support American businesses trade efforts, visit www.trade.gov. If you are a business and want to learn more about exporting, visit http://business.usa.gov/.