Juster is expected to visit India soon to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad
The US Senate unanimously confirmed the appointment of Kenneth Juster as the next US ambassador to India on Thursday.
Juster, who has great knowledge about the US-India relationship and profound experience working on India policy issues, will replace former ambassador Richard Verma resigned after the Trump administration took charge.
The 62-year-old Juster was serving as the international deputy to White House’s National Economic Council when he was nominated to the position on September 5.
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“I was proud to support Ken’s nomination to be our country’s representative in India, one of our most important defense partners in the region,” said Senator Mark Warner.
“I have known Ken since we were in law school in the 1970s. As Ambassador, I trust his decades of work on critical issues like trade, cybersecurity and defense will help advance the US-India relationship in a positive direction,” Warner added.
Juster’s career has spanned over 35 years in government, law, business, finance, and international affairs. He served in senior positions in the Department of State and Department of Commerce, practiced law at the firm Arnold & Porter as a senior partner, and was a senior executive at the software company salesforce.com.
Juster also played a pivotal role in laying out the foundation for the civil nuclear agreement between India and the US, thus taking the relationship to the next level.
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“India and the United States share common values and a commitment to democracy, pluralism, and the rule of law… The (Trump) administration views India as a leading power and a true friend, whose influence internationally is important and growing,” Juster told Senators during his confirmation hearing.
Juster is expected to visit India soon to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad along with President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, who will lead the US delegation.
Juster is the founder of the US Chair of the US-India High Technology Cooperation Group and was one of the chief architects of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership, an initiative between the United States and India.
Juster holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard College, a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School, and a law degree from the Harvard Law School.
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Juster has received several accolades for his work including the Secretary of Commerce’s William C. Redfield Award and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. In 2004, USIBC awarded him the Blackwill Award.