“We are what our thoughts have made us; so take
care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.”
-Swami Vivekananda
-Swami Vivekananda
Day 19 of Mentor on Road, USA started early as we had an
event with Alabama companies at 8 am.
It was a joint event by our partner USCS, Alabama International Trade Centre in partnership with SBDC and Alabama Indian Business Partnership, held at Innovation Depot in University of Alabama. We first had a small gathering with office bearers of these institutions where they shared the strengths of several sectors of Alabama which lies in aerospace, defense equipment, healthcare and many more as a diverse economy.
The Innovation Depot has 100 start-ups housed there.
Further, the event started with an interaction with 35 American companies who participated actively. Mentor on Road presented the developments in New India 3.0 and the opportunities it offers. We were surprised to know that a lot of companies were already doing business with India and many of them were keen to start. The Q&A session held after that was fairly engaging. The event was followed by lunch and lasted till 2 pm. We also had one to one meetings with the companies present.
The United States Commercial Service (CS) is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Commercial Service is a part of the U.S. Foreign Service and its commercial officers are diplomats. The Commercial Service global network of trade professionals helps thousands of U.S. companies to export goods and services worth billions of dollars every year.
It was a joint event by our partner USCS, Alabama International Trade Centre in partnership with SBDC and Alabama Indian Business Partnership, held at Innovation Depot in University of Alabama. We first had a small gathering with office bearers of these institutions where they shared the strengths of several sectors of Alabama which lies in aerospace, defense equipment, healthcare and many more as a diverse economy.
The Innovation Depot has 100 start-ups housed there.
Further, the event started with an interaction with 35 American companies who participated actively. Mentor on Road presented the developments in New India 3.0 and the opportunities it offers. We were surprised to know that a lot of companies were already doing business with India and many of them were keen to start. The Q&A session held after that was fairly engaging. The event was followed by lunch and lasted till 2 pm. We also had one to one meetings with the companies present.
The United States Commercial Service (CS) is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration. Commercial Service is a part of the U.S. Foreign Service and its commercial officers are diplomats. The Commercial Service global network of trade professionals helps thousands of U.S. companies to export goods and services worth billions of dollars every year.
In connection to SBDC and the AITC, one rural Alabama company created 40 jobs and over $10 million in export sales while working with AITC counselors and SBA’s Export Working Capital Loan.
SBA has at least one office in each U.S. state. In addition, the agency provides grants to support counseling partners, including approximately 900 Small Business Development Centers (often located at colleges and universities), 110 Women's Business Centers, and SCORE, a volunteer mentor corps of retired and experienced business leaders with approximately 350 chapters. These counseling services provide services to over 1 million entrepreneurs and small business owners annually.
In
the new global economy, the South East Asian region (specifically Indian
region) is emerging as a significant place of economic activity, making
compelling business sense to leverage opportunities arising there. Asian Indian
American Community living in Alabama due to their ethnic origin or through
their business association is in a position to capitalize on these
opportunities. Thus AIBP has a unique opportunity to play a part in shaping the
global economy.
We would be soon working with USCS on bringing a trade delegation from Alabama to India next year.
Then we visited the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) where Martin Luther King Jr. had success in his Civil Rights Movement. It was impressive to see how the institute conveys its story-telling in a very creative and interactive format.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a large interpretive museum and research center in Birmingham, Alabama that depicts the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Institute showcases a walking journey through the "living institution", which displays the lessons of the past as a positive way to chart new directions for the future. The permanent exhibitions are a self-directed journey through Birmingham's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles. Multimedia exhibitions focus on the history of African-American life and the struggle for civil rights.
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is also a community resource for meetings, seminars and workshops. A community meeting room is available to local organizations.
It rained heavily while we were on our way back to our hill
top hotel. The scenario looked beautiful from our hotel.
Looking forward to a constructive day tomorrow.
Jai Ho! (Let victory be yours)
I look forward to meeting in India. Let's create some jobs on both sides of the ocean 😀🏁
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