Final mission postings

With the formal conclusion of the WASITRAC trade, cultural and economic mission to India on Nov. 23, photos and information posted below reflect the delegation's final meetings, programs and general scenery from the 10-day mission. We have rearranged the postings a bit to reflect photos and events in chronological order, so if you haven't visited this site for a few days please scroll down and you may find something new!

Also, please check back from time to time as we will try to update with mission reports and other outcomes as they are received.  Finally, the editor of this blog would like to give special thanks to our team of contributors for the many photos and insights they provided while in India. Nice work.

Meetings in New Delhi

In the photos below, the delegation engages in a series of meetings with government and business officials in New Delhi on November 18 and 19.




(Note: If you are unable to see the embedded slide show here in your browser, you may also view the photos and captions individually on our albums page).

Exploring business opportunities for Washington state

 

While in Orissa the delegation took part in many business meetings that could
lead to stronger economic and investment ties with that region. This photo shows
a roundtable business development meeting, headed by Anil Agarwal,  being conducted
with Adhunik Group of Industries, considered to be one of India's most important and
progressive companies.

In this photo, from left, are Ananga Das of the Industrial Promotion and
Investment Corporation of Orissa (IPOL), Dr. Antonio Sanchez,
Dr. Itu Mohapatra, Harendra Mahapatra, Albert Shen, Sanjay Pratap, Habib M. Habib,
Anil Agarwal, Brad Owen, Joe Diehl, Debadutta Dash, Manas Ranjan Mohant,
Dr. Mary O'keeffe, Rita Stewart, Diane Adachi and Suvendu Dash.

Addressing the Koustuv Group

Lt. Governor Owen addresses the Koustuv Group at the Koustuv
Institute of Technology in Odisha on Nov. 17

(Note: The embedded slide show below shows photos from the WASITRAC delegation activites on Nov. 17. If you cannot view, you may also view individual photos in our album from the day).

Reflections on Odisha (a.k.a. Orissa)

By Diane Adachi

Nothing can replace the goodwill and genuine interest that face to face interactions can create through these delegation visits to other countries.  Debutta Dash and Habib Habib, co-founders of the Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC), have worked tirelessly for nearly three years on this visit. 

Sign at KITT provides warm welcome to WASITRAC
delegation. (Photos by Diane Adachi)

Having Washington’s Congressman Jim McDermott join the mission has also provided great substance and interest as the visit to Orissa--now called Odisha--is his 22nd visit to India.  As a result, he is quite a recognized and beloved friend to this nation.  In fact, Congressman McDermott had strongly recommended visiting Odisha, a little known state among the 28 states in India, though the ninth largest  in terms of geographic area and the eleventh largest in terms of population. 

Odisha is rich in its natural resources and human resources.  It is amazing how Odisha is rising to the challenge and how many that we met on this trip are motivated by the poverty they encountered in their childhood.  Odisha has some distinct possibilities and similarities of interests to Seattle and Washington state.

Congressman Jim McDermott, left, and Lt. Governor Owen inspect
items for sale at a local market.

 

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is focusing on education as much as business and trade to develop the state's infrastructure for the future.   Odisha has a vital but underdeveloped coastline and is building its education and research institutions to further support plans for infrastructure and urban planning.   As Kapil Sibal, India’s Minister for Education and Human Resource Development and also Minister of Science and Technology, stated in a recent roundtable discussion with higher education leaders:  “We need systems for global health, education and economic development.” Hence the reason why human resource development is the umbrella in which education resides.

Tribal children gather for the delegation at the Kalinga Institute
of Social Sciences (KISS).

On Sunday, November 15 we met with Dr. Achyuta Samanta, a man dedicated to creating a greater public good and a better life for the communities of Odisha.  Seeing is believing,and it is hard to imagine that Dr. Samanta, who had a very poverty-stricken childhood, could have emerged to receive his masters in chemistry then found the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Science (KIITS) and Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS). 

Dr. Samanta started with just $100 in savings to found what at first started as a technical training center in 1992 to what is now a robust campus for 15,000 full-time residential students with over 40 academic programs and 23 colleges, schools and departments.  The impressive campus, accredited as a Deemed University since 2004, is located on 400 acres of land area and has a township of over 700 faculty, scientists and researchers in residence. 

There are over 50 labs with 34 research and development projects underway and it is among India’s top 15 engineering institutes.  Included among these rankings are the famous IITs and NITs (Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institutes of Technology).  However, it is Dr. Samanta’s childhood memories of struggle and poverty that have become the foundation for creating a better life for the often disregarded communities of tribal children.  

Dr. Achyuta Samanta

In 1993, Dr. Samanta began his plans for creating KISS, a free residential home for educating tribal children that grew from supporting 125 tribal children to 12,000 tribal students, simultaneously building both institutions to the impressive goal it has reached today. 

Responding to and basing KISS’s objectives on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, Dr. Samanta strives to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; provide universal education from primary through university studies; reduce child mortality; promote gender equality and empower young girls in their future opportunities.  He is a social entrepreneur that will help tribal communities to improve maternal healthcare, combat infectious diseases and strive towards environmental sustainability.   KISS is now the largest school for tribal children in Asia. 

Dr. Samanta’s goal is have these children as they grow to young educated adults return to their communities and help improve living conditions and opportunities for education in their respective villages.  For Odisha, this will make a large impact for the state and India as indigenous people account for 8.2 percent of India’s population and 25 percent of the population of Odisha, where many of the tribal communities live in isolation and in difficult geographic terrain.   

Professor Ashok Kolaskar, former advisor to the National Knowledge Commission of India, an advisory council to the Prime Minister and now vice chancellor of KIIT University states: “I came to KIIT because I felt I could make a big difference here compared to other more developed parts of India. Odisha is ripe for development and through education we have a chance to improve the lives of many here in the State.” 

  

Dr. Samanta is planning to visit the UW this January and meet with various scholars and researchers about the study of indigenous populations and how the UW works on medical research and partnerships for Native Health, cultural preservation and tribal capacity-building.  He also hopes to plan site visits to tribal communities and meet with local tribal leaders in the State of Washington.

(Diane Y. Adachi is assistant vice president and special assistant to the Provost for International Relations and Protocols at the University of Washington).

Sampling of media coverage of WASITRAC mission

Media coverage of the WASITRAC delegation's visit to Orissa has, we've been told, been frequent and intense.

Our researchers, mainly Ken Camp of the lieutenant  governor's staff, have found the following articles in English posted in the India press from various events on their itinerary. There have also been numerous television interviews and, no doubt, countless articles published in Standard Hindi and other languages of India.

Naveen welcomes WASITRAC (Tathya)

US panel meets CM, offers investment avenues (Welcome Orissa)

Areas for tie-up with BMC (Welcome Orissa)

Delegates from WASITRAC (Kiit International School)

Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC) at BMC in Bhubaneswar (Odisha 360.com)

Earlier articles are posted further down on this blog.

A visit to the Kalinga Bharati Institute (KIIMS)

On November 16, the delegation visited the Kalinga Bharati Institute (KIIMS), where a formal memorandum of understanding was signed with North Seattle Community College.


The curtain is unveiled for the ceremonial plaque permanently
commemorating the visit by the lieutenant governor and the
WASITRAC delegation at the Kushagra Intitute of Information
Management and Sciences (KIIMS).


More scenes from the day are in an embedded slide show below. If you are unable to view, you may see see the photos and associated captions directly on our web album.

Orissa updates mark talks and progress by delegation

No word directly from our WASITRAC delegates for the past 24 hours, but we are tracking media reports from the mission and see that their itinerary is being followed. International missions typically have exhausting schedules, with extensive meetings and travel from early morning to late at night, so we are assuming our intrepid bloggers in the field have simply had no time to provide updates!

Craig Patterson, head of international curriculum for the KiiT International School in Bhubaneswar, where the delegation visited Sunday, sent the following email to the lieutenant governor and the delegates:

"Just a short ‘thanks’ for taking the time to visit our school.

We are still very much in the building stages of our international program, but I do hope that by the end of the academic year things will be up and running. At that time we will be looking for opportunities to increase our exposure to different aspects of internationalism, or “international-mindedness” as we generally refer to it.

We will be an Indian international school, and we are proud of that, however we do believe that our students would benefit from the judicious exposure to other ideas and perceptions.

Perhaps in the future there will be some scope for interaction between the state of Washington and KiiT."


The lieutenant governor also received a note from Dr. K. Sarveswara Rao, a retired scientist from the Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology, who provided the delegation with a minerals report from the area. The scientist also has a personal connection to the state of Washington: Dr. Rao's daughter is enrolled in the MBA program at Gonzaga University in Spokane.


There has been heavy attention to the delegation by the news media in Orissa. Photos we have received show reporters and camera crews interviewing individual members. 


One report in Outlook India covers the delegations' meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday in which they discussed a proposal for the states of Washington and Orissa to work together to establish a cruise ship operation along the state of Orissa's extensive coastline.


Another report in Orissadiary.com also covered that meeting and noted the opportunity for partnerships in sectors in steel, aluminum and energy as well as infrustructure development in ports, tourism and education.


Given the time difference, by now the delegation's schedule for Tuesday would be concluded.  The day included a meeting with a port in Dhamra, a visit to the India Institute of Technology, a meeting with the Adhunic Group of Industries and a visit to the Kalinga Bharati Institute (KIIMS).

India news media interviewing mission organizer Debadutta Dash.
Dash is the co-chair of WASITRAC.

On Wednesday the delegation is scheduled to visit the Orissa cities of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark. The Orissa portion of the mission concludes on Thursday, when the delegates will board a plane for New Delhi and begin a series of meetings at the India International Trade Fair there.

Meeting with the chief minister of Odisha, the mayor of Bhubaneswar (and much more)

These photos were taken on Nov. 15, Day 3 of the WASITRAC mission to Odisha. The day included a meeting with the mayor of the capital city of Bhubaneswar and some site visits; a meeting with cabinet ministers including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik; a visit to the National Institute of Science, Education and Research and, finally, a meeting with the Confederation of Indian Industries followed by a reception and dinner.

(Note: If you are not able to view the slide show presentation on this page, you may view directly on our photo album)

Photos from Orissa

A dancer from the Odissi dance troupe under

the direction of Prativa Panda. The troupe performed
traditional Indian dances for the delegation.
(Photos by Ina Dash)

Delegation members Albert Shen, president and CEO of Shen
Consulting and a Seattle Community College trustee, along
with Dr. Mary O'Keeffe, vice president for instruction at
North Seattle Community College. 

Lt. Governor Owen speaks at the welcome reception.

Mr. Satyabrata Sahu, Orissa's former Secretary of Transportation
and present secretary of Animal Husbandry, receives a gift
of Camano Island Coffee, a Washington state product,
from Lt. Governor Owen

Orissa legislator and film maker Mr. Prashanta Nanda also
receives a gift of Camano Island coffee from Lt. Gov. Owen, who
urges him to make his next film in the state - and have
a good fresh cup of coffee while he's at it!

Professor Mohini Mohan Pattnaik and his group of flutists
perform at the welcoming reception of the Crown Hotel. The
reception was hosted by film maker Prashanata Nanda
and WASITRAC India represenatative, Akshya Parija

Arrival in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar

By Antonio Sanchez and Ina Dash
WASITRAC’s delegates to India's state of Orissa left Seattle on Nov. 11th with high expectations for developing more formal trade, education and government-to-government relations with this important region of the world.

The long flight gave us ample time to get to know each other and review the different activities in our revised - and now very active - mission itinerary. WASITRAC’s chair, Mr. Debadutta Dash, continually kept the delegation together and informed.



 The WASITRAC delegation, minus Congressman McDermott
and his aide and aide Rita Stewart, arrives in Mumbai. At back left
is Debadutta Dash, mission organizer, with Antonio Sanchez. In middle
are Habib Habib, Albert Shen and Joe Diehl. In front is Lt. Governor Owen,
Mary O'Keefe and Diane Adachi. Seattle Ports CEO Tay Yoshitani was not able
to join the mission due to illness. (Photo by Ina Dash)                        

  

We were all relieved and happy to see Lt. Governor Owen at our designated meeting point, gate number 24 in Seoul, Korea. He had just completed his China mission before joining us, so hats off to him for keeping up a busy travel schedule! The lieutenant governor appeared a bit tired but in a good mood and ready to work.

The delegation arrived in Mumbai, India and was greeted with 80 degree temperatures at 2 a.m. as we boarded our bus to the hotel. The blast of warm air was a not-so- subtle reminder that we were no longer in Seattle. India had just finished celebrating Diwali, a Hindu festival that recognizes the triumph of good over evil and our hotel was still decorated in the festive and flowerful dress of that celebration.

Our delegation was now complete, with the exception of Congressman Jim McDermott who traveled in advance of the delegation and would meet us in Orissa's capital city, Bhubaneswar. We gathered for a breakfast meeting, photo opp, and were then off to the domestic airport of Orissa.

A two-hour flight took us to Bhubaneswar. We were greeted at the airport by Orissa government officials, members of the press, and about one hundred onlookers. All the delegates were given bouquets of colorful and aromatic flowers, followed by brief press interviews with some of the delegates, including the lieutenant governor.

The drive from the airport to our accommodations in Bhubaneswar gave us a good perspective of this vibrant and active Indian city. This was my first brush with right-side driven cars and the journey through the maze of continually honking automobile traffic, sacred cattle, busy pedestrians, and lack of defined lane markers made for a truly interesting experience.

Streets of Bhubaneswar show a vibrant, active city

Once at the hotel we again greeted by some of the Indian delegation who had formerly visited Seattle, along with hotel staff and other local officials. Each delegate was offered a young coconut drink in its original shell, presented with a bouquet of flowers, and given the traditional symbolic welcoming red imprint on their forehead, called “kumkum” or “sindoor.” This symbol is given to remind the wearer to put god before them and to receive the blessing given by our Hindu hosts. Also greeted in the lobby was Congressman McDermott, with his usual wide Washington smile and reassuring handshake. The congressman seemed at ease and at home, this being his 23rd visit to India but his first to Orissa.

Congressman Jim McDermott is met in the lobby of the Crown
Hotel in Bhubaneswar by members of the delegation.
He is flanked by Debadutta Dash and Ina Dash, with Itu Mohapatra
at right.

After getting refreshed changed in our rooms, the delegation made its way to the welcoming reception dinner, hosted by the very well known international film celebrity, Mr. Prashanta Nanda, the delegation from Orissa and Indian Rep. Mr. Akshay Parija.

(Dr. Antonio Sanchez is director of international relations for the Office of the Lt. Governor. Ina Dash is a 17-year-old student at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle and an intern for WASITRAC).

Children's program at Kalinga Stadium highlights Day 2 of itinerary

This batch of photos came in today from Ina Dash with WASITRAC. Update: caption information now added. In general they are scenes from Day 2 of the mission: the delegation's visit to the Kalinga Institute of Technology and Science (KIITS and Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS) followed by a visit to Kalinga Stadium for a Children's Day Program then a formal dinner at the C.V. Raman Institute.

(Note: If you cannot see this embedded slide show on this page, you may also view directly on our web album).

Contributors and the mission itinerary

The lieutenant governor and WASITRAC delegation are set to arrive in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Orissa, on Saturday.

We have 'recruited' three members of the delegation to contribute reports and photos to this space from their respective viewpoints as they travel. These include:

Dr. Antonio Sanchez, director of economic development and international relations for the Office of Lt. Governor.

Ina Dash, a 17-year-old student at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle. Ina served as a Senate page for the lieutenant governor for a week during the 2010 legislative session and is an intern with WASITRAC. She is also the daughter of Debadutta Dash, the co-chair of WASITRAC and lead organizer of this mission.

Diane Adachi, assistant vice president and special assistant to the Provost for International Relations & Protocols, University of Washington.

A list of all of the delegates, their biographies and their thoughts on the mission can be found on the mission itinerary.

Off to India

Lt. Governor Owen and delegation to promote Washington state

After spending the past several days in China, Lt. Governor Brad Owen will leave from there later this week for India, where he will spend nine days with a delegation to seek new opportunities for the state of Washington overseas.

The lieutenant governor’s India mission is on the heels of a four-day visit to India by President Barack Obama.

“Although this mission has been in the planning stages for about two years, the timing of our visit is working out especially well,” said Owen. “U.S. – India relations will be a topic of worldwide focus, and we will be there specifically to promote India relations with the state of Washington."

Among the delegation’s stops to promote Washington will be the Indian International Trade Fair in New Delhi.

In China the lieutenant governor joined a delegation of about 70 from Seattle’s Chinese community for an international convention of the Soo Yuen Benevolent Association in the city of Taishan in China’s Guangdong Province (along China’s southern coast near Hong Kong). The lieutenant governor, an honorary member of the association’s Seattle chapter, was invited to be a dinner speaker at the convention. The association, which supports charitable and civic causes, celebrated its 100th year in Seattle earlier this year. While in China the lieutenant governor met with government officials and university leaders in Meizhou City.

In India the lieutenant governor will first visit Bhubaneswar, the capital of the India state of Orissa on the nation’s east coast. There he will meet up with the Washington delegation he is co-leading with U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, on behalf of the Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC). McDermott and Owen were colleagues in the state Senate in the 1980s.

The delegation will visit the institutes of industrial technology and social sciences at KITT University; meet with Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, his cabinet and other top officials, and tour ports in the coastal state and make key business connections. They will be joined on the ports tour by Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, who is interested in establishing formal ties between Seattle and ports in Orissa.

“India presents an enormous opportunity for expanded trade with Washington,” Lt. Governor Owen said. “India is the world’s largest free market democracy. Commercial investment opportunities are thriving there, and government policies make market entry and trade very easy. Moreover, India has not been affected by the financial crisis that has impacted the U.S. and much of the rest of the world.”

The lieutenant governor noted that trade between the U.S. and India is growing rapidly, up sharply over the past five years. Imports from India to the U.S. rose from $11.5 billion in 2003-04 to $20.7 billion in 2007- 08. India was the Washington's seventh top destination for exports in 2009, with $1.8 billion sent there from the state.

“Those numbers can no doubt be improved upon as India continues through an amazing period of growth,” the lieutenant governor said. “Our trade development mission to Orissa will open the doors to new and very exciting business, trade, education cultural opportunities in this key part of India.”

Neither mission is at taxpayer expense. He was not joined by staff on the China portion of his overseas mission, but will be joined by his director of international relations, Antonio Sanchez, in India. He is scheduled to return to Washington on Nov. 23.

Updates on the India portion of the mission will be posted on this blog.

Related:Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC)
Commerce Quarterly Trade Bulletin: Market Focus India (Washington Dept. of
Commerce, Sept. 2009)
India in the news:India's growth can lead to increased U.S. exports (U.S. Embassy
in New Delhi)
Perspective by Thomas L. Friedman in New York TimesExpanding India economy looks toward trade opportunities with U.S.,
Washington (The Seattle Times, April 23, 2009)