DES MOINES, IOWA (September 24, 2024) — Governor Kim Reynolds has returned from her ten-day trade mission to India.
Over the course of the trip, Gov Reynolds met with US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, Indian Minister for Food Processing Chirag Paswan, Indian Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal, and Indian Secretary of Agriculture Dr Devesh Chaturvedi to discuss future partnerships with Iowa’s world-renowned agriculture and food processing industries. She also met with Indian Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi.
Gov Reynolds delivered the keynote address at the U.S. India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit and spoke with the USIBC Board in Delhi. Gov. Reynolds also hosted two business summits in Delhi and Mumbai showcasing Iowa’s value in the global marketplace. Additionally, Gov. Reynolds participated in roundtables with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), United States Grains Council (USGC), U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
“Sixty years after Dr. Norman Borlaug worked with Indian scientists to bring the Green Revolution to the region, Iowa remains ideally suited to helping India feed its growing population and fuel its rapidly expanding economy, while also offering a business-friendly environment for the most innovative Indian companies to invest and expand,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Our trade mission was all about building on this rich history of working together by fostering stronger commercial ties—and I’m confident it will pay off for many years to come."
“By merging Iowa’s agricultural strengths with India’s sizable population and rapidly expanding economy, we unlock an exciting opportunity to enhance our partnership," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig who joined Gov. Reynolds on the trade mission. “This recent trade mission not only strengthens our relationship with India but also paves the way for new and larger market opportunities for Iowa farms and businesses. I extend my gratitude to the Governor for her leadership and to our delegation of Iowans for effectively showcasing the best of Iowa.”
Gov Reynolds witnessed memorandums of understanding (MOU) signed with the Compound Feed Manufacturers Association, Confederation of Indian Industry, and The Energies and Resources Institute (TERI). PowerPollen, an Iowa-based technological leader in agriculture, signed a letter of intent (LOI) with VNR Seed of India.
“It was an honor to participate in the Governor’s Iowa-India trade mission,” said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. “Our two geographics have much in common from our shared agricultural foundations to our emphasis on manufacturing and technology, so the conversations exploring mutually beneficial business opportunities were very productive.”
Gov Reynolds visited the Sehgal Foundation, a nonprofit established in Des Moines, Iowa in 1998, that invests in sustainable agriculture projects. Gov. Reynolds recognized the foundation’s outstanding 25 years of work in both Iowa and India during her visit.
“The Sehgal Foundation is a living embodiment of what successful Iowa-India cohesion looks like,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Thanks to a quarter-century of dedication, and $60 million invested in sustainable improvement and rural development projects, the Sehgal Foundation has proven this intercontinental relationship works with room still to grow.”
In addition to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority Director Debi Durham, agricultural and business leaders from Iowa also traveled with Gov. Reynolds to India as part of her delegation.
