White and Williams Hosts US-India Strategic Partnership Forum

White and Williams was honored to host the Consulate General of India in New York, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), and India’s Union Minister for Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, in the New York Office. Also in attendance were select business executives and entrepreneurs. Partners Tom Butler, Heidi Sorvino and Nicole Sullivan served as the evening's hosts on October 20. 

The event featured remarks from Mr. Prasad who stated that “India’s digital initiative is designed to bridge the digital divide between digital haves and digital have-nots.” He stressed that the technology employed must be affordable, developmental and inclusive for all. He also discussed the “Digital India” campaign to help improve Internet infrastructure and access throughout the country. According to Prasad, India’s emerging digital economy offers a very promising area of business, including communications, IT services, e-commerce and cybersecurity. 

The evening concluded with a Q&A session where a number of attendees commented on different topics such as setting up multiple “Silicon Valleys,” further biometric implementation, deadline dates for technology roll-outs, making the governmental regulatory environment more competitive, and implications of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) on business revenue in India.

About USISPF
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum is a non-profit organization committed to creating a strategic partnership between the U.S. and India, by promoting bilateral trade and bringing business and government together in new ways, to provide meaningful opportunities that have the power to change the lives of citizens.