INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 23, 2019) – Governor Eric J. Holcomb
and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger will arrive in Asia today,
leading delegations of economic development professionals and business leaders
to China and India to strengthen Indiana’s relationships and pursue
opportunities to expand transpacific exchanges.
“It’s the perfect time to be making the trip,” Gov. Holcomb said. “We’ll use
our time in China and India to strengthen our relationships with these
important international partners. Of course, we’re also looking forward to
supporting the Pacers as they play the first ever NBA game in India.”
Indiana is home to 21 China-based business establishments, which support
approximately 2,500 jobs across the state, and eight India-based business
establishments, supporting 1,000 jobs throughout the state. Since 2013, 17
businesses in China and India have committed to locating or growing in Indiana.
Together, they plan to invest more than $584 million in their Indiana
operations and create up to 5,425 new Hoosier jobs. More information on
Indiana’s ties to each country is available here.
Gov. Holcomb and the delegation will begin the trip in China, meeting with
global business leaders and government officials in Beijing, Shanghai and
Hangzhou from Sept. 24 to Sept. 30. In China, the delegation will be joined by
Naomi Kwang, attorney and president of the America China Society of Indiana
(ACSI); Colin Renk, executive director of ACSI; Harrison Ding, chairman of
ACSI; as well as Weilin Long, director of the Indiana Economic Development
Corporation’s office in Hangzhou, China.
Following, the Governor and Secretary will travel to India on Sept. 30,
visiting New Delhi and Mumbai. There, the delegation will be joined by Richard
Hall, partner and chair of the Government Services and Finance Department at
Barnes & Thornburg LLP and chair of the Board of Trustees at Ball State
University; Jason Sondhi, founder and president of Sondhi Solutions and
secureUP; and Melissa Proffitt, Partner-in-Charge of Client Relations at Ice
Miller LLP. The Governor will return to Indiana on Oct. 6.
CHINA
Gov. Holcomb will begin his trip in Beijing, meeting with Chinese businesses
invested in Indiana, including Shougang Group, parent company of
BeijingWest Industries (BWI), which recently cut the ribbon on its first
U.S. production facility in Greenfield, with businesses considering locating in
Indiana, as well as with U.S.- and Indiana-based companies operating in China
at a business roundtable event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce China
– Beijing.
In Beijing, the Governor will also meet with Chinese government officials and
with leadership of Indiana University China Gateway, which opened in 2014. Gov.
Holcomb and the delegation will also host a Friends of Indiana Reception with
U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad, welcoming partners in business,
education, government and cultural organizations with ties to Indiana and
China.
On Thursday, Sept. 26, the delegation will travel to Hangzhou, the capital of
Indiana’s sister state, Zhejiang Province. The Governor will commemorate the
32-year relationship with provincial officials and meet representatives of the
region’s economy during a roundtable event with the Zhejiang Department of
Commerce. The delegation will also meet with Chinese and Indiana companies
with operations in Zhejiang, including Zimmer Biomet, which is headquartered in
Warsaw, Indiana, and Heng Feng, which is the parent company of Westfield
Outdoors in Indianapolis.
On Sunday, Sept. 29, Gov. Holcomb will travel to Shanghai to continue building
ties between Indiana and China. The delegation will conclude the trip by
hosting a Friends of Indiana reception in Shanghai with U.S. Consul General
Sean Stein and leadership of Faegre Baker Daniels.
INDIA
On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Gov. Holcomb will arrive in New Delhi, beginning the
delegation’s economic development trip in India by meeting with government,
academic and business partners. There, the Governor and Secretary will meet
with a number of Indian businesses, including Wipro, and promote Indiana’s
competitive advantages to members of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI).
In New Delhi, the Governor will also participate in the World Economic Forum’s
India Economic Summit, and the delegation will join a celebration to
commemorate the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the delegation will travel to Mumbai, where the Indiana
Pacers will play in the National Basketball Association’s inaugural games in
India against the Sacramento Kings. While there, the Governor will connect with
leadership of Infosys and with alumni of Indiana University. The delegation
will also engage with Indian businesses already invested in the U.S. and those
interested in expanding through meetings with the IMS Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, the U.S.-India Business Council, the Confederation of Indian
Industry, and the World Trade Center – Mumbai.
After cheering on the Pacers in India, the Governor and the delegation will
depart for Indiana on Oct. 5, returning to Indiana on Oct. 6.
Indiana is home to more than 1,004 foreign-owned business establishments
that support more than 193,000 jobs across the state. Foreign direct investment
committed to the state has increased by 300 percent from 2016 to 2018, with 47
foreign-owned businesses committing to invest $3.2 billion to locate or grow in
Indiana last year.
This marks Gov. Holcomb’s second trip to India and his first visit to China.
The costs of the state delegations are being paid through private donations to
the Indiana Economic Development Foundation.
About IEDC
The Indiana Economic Development
Corporation (IEDC) leads the state of Indiana’s economic development efforts,
helping businesses launch, grow and locate in the state. Governed by a
15-member board chaired by Governor Eric J. Holcomb, the IEDC manages many
initiatives, including performance-based tax credits, workforce training
grants, innovation and entrepreneurship resources, public infrastructure
assistance, and talent attraction and retention efforts. For more information
about the IEDC, visit www.iedc.in.gov.
