1 29 testimonials 2013 iaccgh low

INDO-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF GREATER HOUSTON

1535 West Loop South | Suite 200 | Houston, TX 77027 | T: 713-624-7131 | E: [email protected] | iaccgh.com

14TH ANNUAL GALA HOST COMMITTEE*

MEDIA UNDERWRITER

ANNUAL CORPORATE SUPPORTERS

OTHER SPONSORS

Ajit & Deepa Thakur | FosterQuan LLP | Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau | University of Houston | Westmont Hospitality | ABC 13 KTRK Television

GALA UNDERWRITER DIAMOND GOLD

Recreate PMS(from pdf )

Recreate PMS(from pdf )

SILVER

* At time of printing. IACCGH - IRS 501 C (6) Not For Profit Organization

Peggy & Avinash Ahuja

Piping Technology & Products

Juuhi & Omprakash Ahuja

BioUrja

“I wish the Indo American Chamber of

Commerce of Greater Houston continued

success in their endeavors. Thank you for

your contributions to promote the energy

and education initiative in the Houston area”.

VIJAY GORADIA

August, 2013

Life has many twist and turns. Times of joy, times of sorrow, times of excitement and times

of reflection. In the business world, there are many times where one scurries around and

then waits. Through all of these times, constants are the friendships and business relations

to keep us moving ahead. These relationships provide one of the foundations for success.

As Marcellus GTL moves ahead, I reflect that it has been built with input from the many

relationships I have with you.

The IACCGH is one of the pillars, relationship builders in our business community. Over the

years, I have seen it evolve, introducing new topics to our members. Introductions to new

businesses and trade opportunities, developing understanding of emerging technologies

such as in the medical fields, briefing members on support functions such as healthcare

and hearing about local business successes. With a 5 minute phone call, I can be advised as

to who to contact on an IT or logistics question. It facilitates networking and connections

between new professionals just entering the workforce with those already in it. Bottom line,

the Chamber is a valuable resource for forging new relationships and expediting business.

Each year, we come together in this Gala. We see familiar faces, reacquaint ourselves with

friends and then meet new people. The Gala is a time to stay out of the Houston heat,

to dress up, to relax (unless you are the featured speaker) and to share with others.

Congratulations to the Chamber and its members for another

successful year. Also to those that were recognized with awards

tonight. May all of us have continued good health, favorable

tailwinds and business success in the year in front of us.

Paul Hamilton

Executive VP | Marcellus GTL, LLC

August 17, 2013

Dear IACCGH Members and Friends:

On behalf of the four UH System universities, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) on the occasion of the chamber’s Fourteenth Anniversary – on this week when we also observe with pride India’s Independence Day.

The United States and India share the honor of being the world’s two largest democracies, and this exceptional fact guides the activities of the IACCGH. Besides strengthening Houston’s economy and enriching our fabric of life, the IACCGH plays a key role in promoting the commercial, cultural, and educational bonds between the United States and India. In addition, IACCGH serves as a means for all of us to celebrate the shared traditions, experiences, and history that guide and inform our daily lives, both spiritually and professionally.

The University of Houston has kept pace with the growth of Houston’s Indian community. The second-largest country of origin for our international students is India, with close to 670. They join alarge number of local Indian and Indo-American students to form one of UH’s largest ethnic groups.

Indian professors hold top academic, administrative, and research posts in business, engineering, creative writing, and the sciences. The university is also the beneficiary of the extraordinary generosity of successful Indian alumni, many of whom are here this evening. Their philanthropy, their time, and their talents are helping move UH to higher levels of national and international recognition. This support has made possible, among others, the success of the university’s India Studies Program, which promotes teaching and scholarship focused on the history, politics, economics, languages, religions, and cultures of India.

It is a distinct privilege – and one that I personally cherish and treasure– to serve on IACCGH’s Board of Advisors, and to help it play a role in the continued growth of our great city.

With warm regards,

Renu KhatorChancellor, University of Houston SystemPresident, University of Houston

August 17, 2013







With warm regards,


August 17, 2013







With warm regards,


August 17, 2013







With warm regards,


Honorable Parvathaneni Harish Consul General of India

Dr. Durga AgrawalPresident, Piping Technology & Products

Mr. Bob BeauchampChairman & CEO, BMC Software

Mr. John Bookout IIIDirector, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts

Dr. Malcolm GillisErvin K. Kingler Professor of Economics,Rice University

Mr. Vijay GoradiaChairman, Vinmar International Ltd

Mr. Paul HamiltonPresident & CEO,pH Technologies, LLC

Mr. Lawrence W. Kellner President, Emerald Creek Group, LLC

Dr. Renu KhatorPresident & Chancellor, University of Houston System

Dr. Paul KlotmanPresident & CEO,Baylor College of Medicine

Dr. David LeebronPresident, Rice University

Dr. John MendelsohnPast President, MD Anderson Cancer Center

Mr. Daniel J. WoltermanPresident & CEO, Memorial Hermann Healthcare

Deepa ThakurPresident 2003-2004

Dr. Randhir Sinha President 2004-2005

Brij KathuriaPresident2009

Somesh SinghPresident2005-2006

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Brij Agrawal Jugal Malani Gopal SavjaniSwatantra Jain

Dr. Atul VaradhacharyPresident 2007-2008

ADVISORS

EmpowEring Education and EnErgy 14th annual gala

I am happy to announce that your chamber has grown by leaps and bounds, as measured by the number and quality of events held each year, since the formation of the chamber 14 years ago. from a vision of a few leaders from

the Indo-American business community, the chamber has continued to gain respect with the community. there are three reasons for the success of the chamber. the first one is that it adheres to democratic values. the chamber is “of the members”, “for the members” and “by the members”. the board of directors of the chamber is constituted of successful business and corporate leaders with a diverse group of men and women that serve the organization voluntarily. the second reason is that we listen to members’ feedback and from that we derive programs and events that are of interest to them. third, we work closely with business, political, cultural and sister organizations locally and in India that further the interests of our members and make it easy for them to conduct business. We strive hard to create unique and interesting programs. this year has been a particularly strong year with programs and events in varied topics such as Leadership, finance, taxation, cloud computing and a series of events focused on women in business. the series “IAccGh Women mean business” brings successful women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders together with women who aspire to start a business and are motivated after hearing successful stories at this event and

networking. Attendance is a key indicator of success and I am happy to report that most of our events are “sold-out” including this 14th gala. the Indian economy has been booming for two decades and all economic indicators show that this trend will continue for a few more decades. business & investment opportunities exist in various industries such as energy, healthcare, It services, education and real estate. With the economic boom in India consumers are demanding an increasing quality of housing. recognizing this as an opportunity for our members, the chamber brings to you panchshil realty, a leading real estate group in India and the underwriter of the gala this year. panchshil realty, builders of the trump towers in India, are providing our members an investment opportunity in high quality real estate in India. energy and education are both fields that are critical sectors for the us & India and present significant business potential. the need for vocational training in India has been highlighted by the prime minister of India and it is an established fact that India’s energy needs are growing. the us is a leader in vocational training and with the development of shale gas it will become a net exporter of natural gas. the chamber is working to influence policies and create opportunities for our members in both these industries. I am privileged to lead this organization and I thank the board of directors for this opportunity to make a difference. I also thank the board of Advisors for their advice, the executive director and the staff for smooth execution of the programs and you, the members for your continued support.

pAnKAJ dhume

from the desK of the presIdent

Indo-AmerIcAn chAmber of commerce of GreAter houston

21

Welcome to the 2013 IAccGh Gala – “empowering energy & education.”

It feels like just a few years back that I was a volunteer at the IAccGh Gala, but come to think of it – it has been 14 years now! It is truly an

honor and a privilege to serve as president-elect of the organization having seen it grow over the years.

IAccGh has matured into a strong organization that has done all it can to foster bi-lateral trade with India and maximize business opportunities right here in the Greater houston area – be it for entrepreneurs, businesses, professionals or industry. We are the chamber of choice for businesses looking to access the rapidly expanding Indo-American community and the associated purchasing power.

the value proposition that IAccGh brings to its members and the Greater houston business community continues to grow. our networking events, distinguished lecture series, facilitation of in-bound and out-bound trade delegations, alliances with other business focused organizations and access to resources have helped our members and supporters make a direct impact on the houston economy.

In addition to the well-received base programming that IAccGh offers, the board has recognized the need for a long-term plan to focus on major initiatives that take time to come to fruition. consequently, IAccGh embarked on two major initiatives that will continue to be the

focus this year and the next – energy and education. these focus areas are a natural fit for the houston area and for IAccGh. In addition to opportunities right here in houston, the growing energy needs in India combined with the natural gas boom in texas continue to be ripe for exploring LnG export. on the education and research front, we will continue fostering partnerships similar to those that have already benefitted houston over the last decade. As we look ahead to 2014, we are working on both in and out bound delegations with a specific focus on creating local jobs in houston.

It is an exciting time in houston. As the rest of the country discovers what locals have known all along, houston is finally enjoying the recognition it deserves – we are the “hottest” and “coolest” city at the same time! We are “America’s coolest city” (forbes) and the “hottest” city for jobs, economic growth and for young professionals. these accolades have further strengthened houston’s ability to attract entrepreneurs, businesses and professionals from across America, India and the world.

IAccGh is positioned to do its part to leverage and sustain these accolades by working with you as partners in helping make the houston area an even better place to work, live and play.

We encourage your participation in our many programs and your continued feedback on how we can serve you better. As the Gala theme says – onward and upward.

sAnJAy rAmAbhAdrAn

from the presIdent eLect

EMPOWERING EDUCATION AND ENERGY 14TH ANNUAL GALA

AMOD BAVAREAmod Bavare is a Managing Director in Accenture and he leads the Enterprise Architecture and Application Strategy practice in North America. He is based in Accenture’s Houston, TX, office. He brings over 20 years of IT industry experience, specifically working within Enterprise Architecture & Application Strategy which includes Legacy Application Modernization over last 15 years. His area of expertise lies

in architecting and building complex Enterprise Applications and leading large Global Teams. He has extensive experience in both packaged solutions and custom application development using modern technologies like Mobile, Cloud Computing etc. Prior to joining Accenture, he worked for several software product and IT consulting companies and possesses extensive experience in designing and building custom Applications using Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Internet Technology, Object Oriented Programming, Open Source Products, Data mining and Enterprise Integration. Amod earned his B.S. in Computer Science and a M.S. in Computer Science at the University of Houston.

ASHOK GARGMr. Garg joined the Board of IACCGH in 2010 and has served as Treasurer. Born and raised in Delhi, India he moved to Houston in 1967 and was employed by Houston Lighting and Power Company. In 1984, he started his own business, exporting recyclable waste materials, which has proven successful as well as globally responsible. Mr. Garg is a strong supporter of community service and an education advocate. A past President of

Memorial Spring Branch Rotary he serves on the board for Literacy Advance of Houston. In 2007, he partnered with other community members to create a very successful membership supported Club 24. Through this club, mentorship is provided to the next generation of entrepreneurs. He currently serves this organization as a founding member. He also serves on the board of India House and supports BAPS. Mr. Garg sits on the Board of Trustees for the Hindu Worship Society Temple. During his tenure, the entire temple was successfully renovated, a new priest was hired, and a new murti was installed. Mr. Garg holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering.

ALLEN RICHARDSA Graduate of the University of Washington and a Navy Veteran, Allen has worked in the airline industry for over 27 years. He started as a Sales Representative with Northwest Airlines in Chicago in 1982. Since then he has gone on to work for American Airlines, China Airlines and Continental Airlines. Currently he works in the Asia Pacific Onshore Sales Group for United Airlines. In addition to the airline industry Allen has worked in sales for

fortune 500 companies including Bell and Howell and GE Capital. His passions include, assisting his wife in her involvement with animal rescue, golfing, cycling, Indian cuisine and Asian art.

DIRECTORS

HARISH D. KATHARANIHarish D. Katharani is a healthcare entrepreneur and Founder, President and CEO of Southside Group of Companies, a healthcare focused organization. From the humble beginning of just a one-man pharmacy, Mr. Katharani developed the Southside Group into a multimillion dollar business with global diversification in various health and pharmaceutical disciplines. Southside also has an office in Mumbai, India

and provides back office support to many healthcare providers in the United States. Prior to establishing Southside, Mr. Katharani was the President of Impex, Houston and established Katharani Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd., a bulk drug manufacturing plant. Mr. Katharani is actively involved in many different charities related to education and healthcare. He has a special interest for charities that provide assistance to cancer and AIDs victims. Mr. Katharani is a Registered Pharmacist and has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas Southern University.

KAREN FRANCISKaren V. Francis, M.Sc., M.B.A. is Project Director, Global Academic Programs at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC). She is responsible for initiating, evaluating, developing, and implementing multiple international partnerships, projects and programs. She was instrumental in the development of UTMDACC’s first international affiliation in

Madrid, Spain and other Sister Institution affiliations. She evaluated, organized, managed and directed other international academic collaborative projects and programs with sister institutions and other global partners . She is responsible for a large portfolio of global academic partnerships in such countries as Brazil, Chile, India, Peru, and Turkey. She worked very closely with the executive leadership of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce in leading a MD Anderson delegation (which included Dr. John Mendelsohn) to India for an official visit and was responsible for the initial academic partnerships in India, and facilitated the 1st Sister Institution Agreement with the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai in 2003. She continues to seek out new academic partnerships and other opportunities in India. She is responsible for the coordination of the annual Global Academic Programs Conference which includes attendees from some 20 countries and more than 30 international academic/research/hospital institutions.

CHITRANJAN ‘’AKU” PATELAn immigrant from Kenya he completed his Undergrad Degree in Electrical Engineering in the U.K. and his MBA from Cornell University. His business Karat 22 Jewelers, started in 1983 by his wife Meena, with support from their children,Anant & Rachna has expanded with branches in New York. Specializing in 22 karat gold ornaments and diamond jewelry in 18 karat gold, they are also authorized distributors of brands

NITIN KAPADIANitin Kapadia joined Wells Fargo Advisors in March 2009 as Vice President – Investments and PIM Portfolio Manager. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and PIM Portfolio Manager, Mr. Kapadia provides comprehensive financial strategies for a select group of affluent families and businesses. He has over 19 years experience as a financial advisor. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Advisors, he was with Merrill Lynch for

15 years. Mr. Kapadia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Bombay University, India. Additionally, he received his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. He has served as a board member of the IACCGH since 2008.

like Rolex, Omega, Rado, Mont Blanc, Lladro & Swarvoski. The company was awarded the South Asian Chamber of Commerce’s award for the fastest growing company in 1989 and awarded minority retail firm of the year at MED Week 2009. Akubhai has been actively involved in community affairs, and supports various Indo- American charities like Pratham, ICC, and IACF. A board member of BAPS Fellowship Service, he heads their community outreach department. As Board member of IACCGH, he participates in public safety meetings at the Houston Police Department, on behalf of the Hillcroft /Harwin merchants.


AJIT THAKUR IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTAjit Thakur is licensed as a CPA in Texas since 1987, with over four decades of accounting and tax experience and an established practice as a Certified Public Accountant in the Houston area. He concentrates on multi-state and international tax issues for businesses and professionasl. Ajit’s educational background is from Pune University. A chartered accountant since 1970, he has held various positions of responsibility including Chief Internal Auditor

and Financial Controller, in diverse industries in India and Bahrain. In Texas he has practiced public accounting over last 25 years. He also has professional affiliation with Texas Society of CPAs. As the 2012 President, Ajit’s theme for the year was i-Chamber e-Chamber – a more interactive IACCGH through increased ownership of the members and the community. He has worked with several non- profit organizations over the years like IIT Alumni, Indian Senior Citizens, Gujarati Samaj and ICC. He has been instrumental in facilitating the process of numerous groups becoming 501(c) (3) organizations. Ajit along with his wife Deepa volunteer actively and have contributed their time to MD Anderson, United Way, VITA program and Indian temples among others. He was also a program manager with the Houston Public Library Downtown. In 2003 Deepa and Ajit toured India and gave presentations to Indian businesses and professionals about opportunities in the USA.

SWAPAN DHAIRYAWAN TREASURERSwapan Dhairyawan received his Bachelor of Commerce in 1986 and Master of Commerce in 1988 both from Bombay University. He worked as a Cost Accountant for the Institute of Costs and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) in Calcutta in 1990. Having worked in Premier Automobiles and Ganapati Exports in Mumbai, Mr. Dhairyawan came to Houston in 1999. He was employed as an Accountant with HR Shaikh & Co, CPAs Houston from 2000 to 2003. He received his CPA from the

Texas State Board in 2004. He started his own Practice as a Certified Public Accountant called MD & Associates LLP in 2004, which expanded to Dallas in 2005 and Spring in 2008. Since 2007, he has served as the Director with the India Culture Center. Mr. Dhairyawan became Vice President of ICC Houston in 2009 and President in 2010. Presently he is the Trustee with ICC. He is a passionate community worker and involved in various capacities in Non Profit organizations namely Foundation for India Studies, International

Joya Chakrabarti Shukla, SECRETARYJoya Shukla has enjoyed a career in the oil and gas industry since graduating as an electrical engineer from the University of South Carolina. Currently she works with the North American refineries in the Shell system to help maximize their margin/revenue opportunities. She has done project management in commercial, chemicals and refining manufacturing and has worked both on and offshore, and had other commercial/business roles as well. Mrs. Shukla led

the Clean Fuels program for third party accounts in the design, marketing and delivery of reactor internals hardware, and published technical papers based on her hydroprocessing experience. She has been with Shell since 2001, having moved here from Baton Rouge, LA where she worked for ExxonMobil chemicals and their major projects team. In addition to her extensive work experience, Mrs. Shukla has earned an MBA from Louisiana State University with a focus on finance. She is passionate about working with the Chamber and furthering the business interests of its members and leads the acclaimed ‘Women Mean Business’series which started in 2013. She is married to a fellow engineer and has one darling daughter.

EXECUTIVE

PANKAJ DHUME PRESIDENTMr. Pankaj Dhume is the President of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston. He has served as a Director or Director-at-Large of the Chamber since 1999. He has leadership experience of more than 25 years in the software industry. After his graduation with an MS in Computer Science in the US, he worked as a software engineer but grew to leadership positions early in his career. In 2001, he relocated to India as President & CEO of BMC India,

to start a wholly owned subsidiary of BMC Software, Inc. As the country leader for BMC, he created the organization, managed every aspect & nurtured the next level of talent. BMC India headcount was at 1,500 when he returned to the parent company in 2010. During his stay in India, Pankaj continued his passion to serve the community and served as the Chairman of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Pune in 2009. Upon his relocation to Houston, he rejoined the Board of IACCGH. Pankaj currently serves as Vice President, Global Corporate Services, BMC Software, Inc. In this position he is responsible for BMC’s global real estate & facilities portfolio which consists of approximately 100 offices in 39 countries and more than 1.5M sq ft of commercial space serving more than 6,000 employees across the globe.

SANJAY RAMABHADRAN PRESIDENT ELECTSanjay Ramabhadran, PE serves as Vice President at CP&Y, an infrastructure / environmental consulting company. He oversees a Corporate Division that focuses on water, infrastructure and sustainability and also manages the firm’s Houston Operations across sectors. Previously, he was Principal-In-Charge of a $1 billion global consulting firm managing the Water Business Practice for Texas, Kansas and

Oklahoma. His civic involvement has included serving as Chairman - Leadership Houston, Director - Texas Lyceum, Fellow - American Leadership Forum, President - HESS Club, Chairperson - Houston Mayor’s International Trade & Development Council (South Asia), City of Houston - Building & Standards Commission, host of a public policy radio talk show - “Insights”, HCEC - Governmental Affairs Committee, Past President - Indo-American Political Action Committee, Board of Directors -Indo-American Charity Foundation, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston and coordinating inbound and outbound trade delegations. He was recognized as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans – 2012 by the US Jaycees and was previously selected as one of Five Outstanding Young Texans - 2011 and Five Outstanding Young Houstonians - 2010. Selected as an ASIA 21 Young Leader, he was a delegate to Asia Society’s 2010 Global Asia 21 Leadership Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

JAGDIP AHLUWALIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTORJagdip Ahluwalia was the founding Secretary of the IACCGH which he currently serves as Executive Director. He has worked actively at forging local alliances with other chambers and economic agencies and with sister chambers in India. He was recognized by the Greater Dallas Indo-American Chamber and bestowed their Outstanding Leadership Award for his role in creating the Alliance of Indo American Chambers in the USA. A graduate of Leadership Houston and

American Leadership Forum, he has more than 30 years of teaching, manufacturing, business management and consulting experience. He holds a degree in Production Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, India.” He is the immediate past chair of the Mayor’s International Trade Council for South Asia (MITDC).

Hindi Association, Indian Muslim Association of Greater Houston and Sewa International. He has a daughter, Eesha and with his wife Pallavi they live in Sugar Land.

EMPOWERING EDUCATION AND ENERGY 14TH ANNUAL GALA

IACCGH 2012 GAl A & AwArds BAnque tUnited in ExcellenceiChamber-eChamber

Chief GuestAmbassador Arun K. SinghDeputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, Washington

Keynote SpeakerJim ComptonExecutive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer for United Airlines

Hon. P. Harish & Nandita HarishConsul General of India

Bashar & Brigitte KalaiGALA CHAIRS

Sonal BhucharEMCEE

Dr. Suresh KhatorInternational Educator of the Year

H-E-BCorporate Citizen of the YearArmando Perez on behalf of H-E-B

R.K. Chopra, Secretary General, IACC IndiaInternational Business Advocate of the Year

Dr. Harmider S. Chana COMMUNITY SERVICE

Vijay DhingraWoman Entrepreneur of the Year

Pushpa ShenoyWoman Entrepreneur of the Year

Manish JainGolf Tournament support recognition

Charlie YalamanchiliEntrepreneur of the Year

AWARD WINNERS

Amit Bhandari Entrepreneur of the Year


THE VIP RECEPTION

The IACCGH VIP Reception was co-hosted by VKC Group & CNC Investments. Mr. Brij Agrawal of VKC group joined Consul General P Harish, Congressman Al Green and Sherriff Adrian Garcia in addressing the group. Mr. Jay Guerrero presented a special message from Senator John Cornyn. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee addressed the group in the ballroom since she arrived late for the reception. The major sponsors were recognized for their support.


GALA 2012

27

the 2012 Gala was emceed by ms. sonal bhuchar and was addressed by Ambassador Arun singh and mr. Jim compton of united Airlines. president Ajit thakur reported on the health of the chamber and the awards were presented after a brief speech by mr. richard huebner on behalf of the awards committee. president elect pankaj dhume shared his vision for his term at the event which had entertainment by dr. sunil Gadgil (saxophone) and a musical performance by pandit suman Ghosh.

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