New Delhi:
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti recently claimed that in modern times you cannot become a CEO in America unless you are of Indian descent. Mr. Garcetti's humorous quip came recently at the Indiaspora AI Summit 2024 at Stanford University.
“The successes have happened: more than one in ten CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are now Indian immigrants who studied in the US. The old joke was that you couldn't become a CEO in the US if you were Indian, but now it's the joke that you can't become a CEO in America if you're not Indian, whether it's Google, Microsoft or Starbucks, people have come and made a big difference,” said Garcetti.
#WATCH | Delhi: US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti says: “The successes have been achieved: more than 1 in 10 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are now Indian immigrants who studied in the US. The old joke was that you couldn't be a CEO in the US can be like you're Indian, and now you're the joke… pic.twitter.com/gTdvXng9mi
— ANI (@ANI) April 26, 2024
Google and parent organization Alphabet Inc. are overseen by Sundar Pichai, while operations at Microsoft and Starbucks are led by Satya Nadella and Laxman Narasimhan, respectively.
In their conversation with Mr Garcetti, business leaders of Indian origin echoed similar sentiments while appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, especially his role in positioning India as a global hub of innovation and progress.
“India is seen very differently in the global space. It is a space of innovation. It is a space of human capital. It is a space of progress and innovation. And looking ahead, Modi has managed to bring India to the forefront .” global map as a credible innovator, leader for all countries to invest and grow in,” said Amit Walia, CEO of Informatica.
Similarly, Ashutosh Kulkarni, CEO of Elastic, praised Prime Minister Modi's government for its openness to innovation and industry, pointing to India's vast potential for progress. Navin Chaddha of the Mayfield Fund praised the “great” era led by Prime Minister Modi.
The Indiaspora AI Summit was also attended by Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, besides global tech tycoons.