FLO Delegation to USA

The FLO annual business delegation visited USA (Washington DC, Boston and New York) from September 23 to October 3, 2018. The delegation comprised FLO members from across the country representing entrepreneurs, professionals, venture capitalists and more. The delegation was led by National President, Ms Pinky Reddy.

Visit to the White House

The 9/11 attacks had changed many policies in US. One of them was to allow foreigners to visit the White House. It was an excellent opportunity for the FLO delegation to visit the White House.

Roundtable Discussion on India, Entrepreneurship and Connectivity: Path to Sustainable Development, hosted by USIBC

The Delegation was hosted by USIBC for a Roundtable Discussion on India, Entrepreneurship and Connectivity: Path to Sustainable Development on September 25, 2018 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Ms Nisha Biswal, President, U.S.- India Business Council welcomed the Delegation and put forth the agenda of the meeting. Ms Pamela Wilson, Director, Emerging Issues, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation shared her experience of working with Women Entrepreneurs.

After the modalities a Round table discussion on the topic “Thoughts on Entrepreneurship in the U.S.-India Corridor” began, moderated by Nisha Biswal, President, U.S.-India Business Council. The following discussants also participated.

 Pinky Reddy, President, FLO
 Diane Farrell, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of Commerce
 Mr. Puneet Roy Kundal, Minister (Commerce), Indian Embassy to the United States
 K R Padmaja Reddy, MD, Padmaja Polymers Pvt Ltd
Members of the delegation also shared their views during the discussion. The session ended with signing of the MoU between FLO and USIBC formalising the partnership to engage, in the field of trade, commerce and industry with systematic business promotional activities and to provide a regular and recognized platform for promotion of the above mentioned activities between businesswomen of the two countries.

Policy master class on India US Foreign Policy and India’s trade priority at Riggs Library,  Georgetown University, Washington DC

The delegation visited the Georgetown University, one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions, offering a unique educational experience that prepares the next generation of global citizens to lead and make a difference in the world.

At the University we were met by Ambassador Barbara Bodine, who had spent over 30 years in the US Foreign Policy issues relating to the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf issues, specifically US Bilateral and Regional Policy, strategic security issues, Counter terrorism, governance and reforms.

Ambassador Bodine is also on the board of the University. She shared that sadly, but truly, the USA had no defined foreign policy at the moment in the current Government. After the group Photo, the Delegation left the University to meet the Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Santosh Jha for a Reception at the Indian Embassy, Washington DC

Reception at the Indian Embassy, Washington DC

The FLO delegation met with the warm welcome at the Indian Embassy in Washington. The embassy had hosted a reception with an array of Indian food. Some of the important business alliances of the embassy also joined the reception.

An eventful day for the delegation ended over a lively reception.

The FLO Delegation left for Boston on September 27, 2018. For many delegates, it was nostalgic, having frequented the city for their own or during the education of their children.

Visit to the Capitol Building

The members of the FLO Delegation visited the Capitol Building’s guided tour. The United States Capitol, often  the Capitol Building, is the home of the United States Congress, and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Though no longer at the geographic centre of the Federal District, the Capitol forms the origin point for the District's street-numbering system and the District's four quadrants.

Visit to the Harvard T. H. Chan- The school of Public health

The delegation was welcomed by Dean – Michelle Williams and Professor Vish Viswanathan. The context for an amazingly well planned and crisp half day session was set by Prof. Viswanath, a passionate professor of Indian origin. The delegation got an insight on how the Harvard India Campus came to be established in Mumbai. The various topics of the session were around women health.

Prof. Glorian Sorensen, a Professor of Behavioural Sciences and Director, Centre for Community based research spoke about her research in Bihar. In Bihar, the study is on cancer related to use of tobacco.

Prof. Ana Langer, Prof. Practise of Public Health, spoke about the research in maternal health at St. John Hospital in India

Prof Manoj Duraisingh, Immunology and Infectious disease, spoke about his research on malaria and other infectious diseases in South Asia

The others who addressed the Delegation were Mr. Mintoo Bhandari, Council member, India Research Centre, Harvard T. H Chan, India Research Centre and Dr. Ananya Awasthi, Asstt. Director, Harvard T. H Chan, India Research Centre.

The delegation was also served a lipsmacking lunch, a fabulously designed meal created by the Food and Nutrition department in the University.

The tour of Boston ended with the Dinner cruise on the Boston River. A fun and relaxing evening before the delegation travelled to New York.

Roundtables session UN on ‘Beyond Gender’

The delegation drove to New York to the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. It is home to the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council and much of the UN Secretariat.

New York City also hosts the headquarters of  UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

The session on ‘Beyond Gender’ was supported by the Permanent Mission of Grenada in USA and organised by Dr. M and Mrs Preeti Malhotra of the Global Citizen Forum.

The FLO delegation was represented by Ms Pinky Reddy, President FLO and Ms Vinita Bimbhet, Past President FLO.

A very important question posed by Vinita Bimbhet, who represented FLO on the platform, was  that are we instilling gender bias in our children by how we act and the vocabulary that we use. Most manufacturers now prefer to talk about play patterns rather than gender. This blurring of gender lines around toys is emblematic of a broader societal shift driven by ideas of inclusiveness, metrosexuality, genderless athletic wear, and the rise of celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner who challenge fixed gender identities. Last year Mattel unveiled a range of new Ken dolls, including one with a “man bun”. Has time come to examine the fact that you can assign someone their gender before they can even speak….?

To describe fluid gender we need to assign language, reshape the words we use, have a language that leads us to a space beyond gender, she said.In the Navajo tribe, the children decide which gender they are when they come of age !

However gender does exist: Women get paid less than men….Transgenders face oppression and violence daily. We need to move to a space beyond gender so it becomes one of your attributes.

A large number of guests who participated were members of the Global Citizen forum. They too shared their views on the subject.

Visit to the Dolce & Gabbana Store

The Delegation was invited to discover the Fall Winter collection of the Italian Fashion House. It was a generous invitation to not only bourse and buy their new fall collection but we also interacted with them in understanding the nitty- gritties of the business of Fashion.

Visit to the ESCADA Store for a tete- e -tete with Avril Graham, Executive Beauty & Fashion Editor of Harper’s Bazaar

The FLO delegation was invited by  ESCADA to visit one of its leading stores at the 5^th Avenue. The WOW factor of the visit was Avril Graham, Executive Beauty & Fashion Editor of Harper’s Bazaar. ESCADA not only gave us an insight of their new designs for the fall but the speaker gave the group a few tips on “Power Dressing”.

A gorgeous evening at ESCADA with a powerful interaction with the Editor of Harper’s Bazar, that’s  serious business.

Visit to the Metropolitan Museum, New York

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in three iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue, The Met Breuer, and The Met Cloisters. Since it was founded in 1870, the Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. Every day, art comes alive in the Museum’s galleries and through its exhibitions and events, revealing both new ideas and unexpected connections across time and across cultures.

The FLO delegation was received by Dr John Guy, curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He curated the visit for the group. We were greeted by Navina Haider, Curator of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An Oxford-educated scholar who has worked in this institution for over a decade, Dr. Haidar oversees one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic Art in the western world. She took the group through the museum lending the most amazing insights and contribution of the Islamic art.