She was appointed by the US Chamber of Commerce to head the council on October 10.
Indian American Nisha Desai Biswal, a former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, took charge as the president of the US India Business Council (USIBC), on Monday.
She was appointed by the US Chamber of Commerce to head the council on October 10. “So excited to start today as President of @USIBC at the @USChamber! What an auspicious time to begin a new chapter,” Biswal tweeted.
During her tenure at the state department, Biswal was responsible for US relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
In recognition of her efforts, Biswal was awarded the prestigious Samman Award by the President of India in January 2017. From September 2010 through 2013, Biswal worked as Assistant Administrator for Asia at USAID and oversaw more than $1 billion US assistance to 22 countries. She also served as the majority clerk for the House Appropriations Committee Foreign Operations Subcommittee (HACFO).
Biswal also spent over ten years on Capitol Hill, serving as staff director on the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee and the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives. Most recently, she was a senior advisor with the Albright Stonebridge Group, where she helped expand the firm’s India and South Asia practice.
Additionally, Biswal has held positions in other government and non-governmental organizations. Her executive and legislative roles have primarily focused on ensuring that diplomatic efforts enable both human and national security.
Biswal has a bachelor’s degree in arts from the University of Virginia. She is married to Subrat Biswal and the couple has two daughters – Safya Biswal and Kaya Biswal.
Formed in 1975 at the request of the US and Indian governments, the US India Business Council is the premier business advocacy organization, comprised of 350 top-tier US and Indian companies advancing the trade ties between the two countries. USIBC is the largest bilateral trade association in the United States, with liaison presence in New York, Silicon Valley, and New Delhi.