Bengaluru, August 17: On his first official visit to Bengaluru, U.S. Consul General Chennai Christopher W. Hodges is meeting with government officials, scientists, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to underscore the United States and India’s strong economic and commercial ties. As part of his visit, he participated in the 30th anniversary celebrations of the U.S. Commercial Service Office in Bengaluru on Thursday, August 17.
At a reception to commemorate the occasion, Consul General Hodges highlighted the U.S. Commercial Service Office’s instrumental role in establishing robust commercial ties and facilitating collaborations. He characterized the Commercial Service as a catalyst for increased trade and investment between the United States and India.
Consul General Hodges said, “The economic partnership between the United States and India is flourishing, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs in both countries, and spurring technological innovation.” He added, “Bengaluru is one of the United States’ most important trading partners in India. The city hosts over 650 U.S. companies and is a large part of this success story, contributing to the U.S.-India bilateral trade relationship.”
Reaffirming the U.S. Consulate General Chennai’s commitment to working with business communities in Karnataka and across South India to further the U.S.-India trade partnership, Consul General Hodges said, “U.S.-India commercial cooperation in the space, technology, renewable energy, healthcare, education, and aerospace sectors is stronger than ever. As we celebrate 30 years of the U.S. Commercial Service in Bengaluru, I can’t wait to see the partnerships and prosperity that the next 30 years will bring.”
U.S. Embassy New Delhi Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs Jonathan Heimer, U.S. Consulate General Chennai Principal Commercial Officer Carey Arun, and Chennai Political/Economic Chief Virsa Perkins also attended the event in Bengaluru. Other guests included an array of distinguished guests, including local and international business leaders, government dignitaries, influential decision-makers, and representatives from various industries.
Photo caption: (L to R) Principal Commercial Officer for South India Carey Arun, U.S. Embassy New Delhi Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs Jonathan Heimer, U.S. Consul General Chennai Christopher W. Hodges with Karnataka IT, BT, and Rural Development, Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge at a reception hosted to celebrate the 30 years of U.S. Commercial Service in Bengaluru on Thursday, August 17, 2023.
Bio of Consul General Christopher W. Hodges
Christopher W. Hodges is the Principal Officer in Chennai. He was most recently Senior Advisor in the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and prior to that assignment was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Assistance Coordination and Press and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs as well as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli-Palestinian Affairs. His last overseas assignment was Assistant Deputy Chief of Mission and Chief of the Palestinian Affairs Unit at Embassy Jerusalem. He joined the Foreign Service in 2000 and has served as Public Affairs Officer in Jerusalem; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Accra, Ghana; as well as Deputy Director for Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein in the Office of Central European Affairs. His other tours include Suva, Fiji and Frankfurt, Germany.
About U.S. Commercial Service
Established in March 1993, the U.S. Commercial Service office in Bengaluru covers the State of Karnataka in South India. It is part of the network of seven Commercial Service offices across India and a satellite office of the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Consulate General Chennai. The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion and investment arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. The U.S. Commercial Service connects American exporters with foreign business opportunities and supports foreign investors with business investments to the United States. The Commercial Service Bengaluru is the only U.S. Mission office presence in the city.
Translation: Kannada (PDF: 302 KB)
