Our Bureau
Washington
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) recently announced the appointment of Raj Shah, Co-CEO, MSI Surfaces and Prashant Ruia, Director, Essar Capital to its Board of Directors.
Prashant Ruia is a second-generation entrepreneur of the Ruia family that founded Essar. He has been an integral part of Essar’s operations and management since 1985, playing a key role in driving the growth, diversification, and value creation, both within India and internationally. Under his leadership, Essar is transitioning its existing assets towards a greener economy and investing in sector-transforming sustainable businesses.
Commenting on his appointment to the Board of Directors, Ruia thanked USISPF Chairman John Chambers and USISPF President and CEO, Dr. Mukesh Aghi and said: “I am thrilled to step onto the prestigious platform of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) as a member of its Board of Directors. I look forward to leveraging my experience to enhance collaboration, drive innovation, and further strengthen the strategic partnership between these two great nations, especially in fostering sustainability and ESG.”
Rajesh (Raj) Shah, along with his brother Rupesh Shah is President and Co-CEO at MS International, a leading importer and distributor of countertops, flooring, wall tile, and landscaping products in North America. The company was started in 1975 by Raj’s parents, Manu and Rika Shah, founders of MSI, and first-generation immigrants to the United States.
Raj Shah, Co-CEO, MSI Surfaces, spoke about what the U.S.-India relationship personally means to his family’s success story and said: “India is playing an integral role in manufacturing and providing services to consumers in the United States. We look forward to working with the USISPF Board to continue to strengthen ties between the U.S. and India”.
Speaking on the recent appointments to the USISPF Board, USISPF President and CEO, Dr. Mukesh Aghi said: “With our ever-expanding Board and new captains of industry and distinguished leaders from the private sector, USISPF is better positioned than ever to build on the commercial and geostrategic aspects of the partnership in 2024.”
USISPF Chairman John Chambers congratulated the new appointees and added: “After all the groundbreaking accomplishments 2023 brought for the U.S.-India partnership, I’m excited for the new year with the addition of these well-accomplished leaders to the USISPF Board, underscoring the passion from Fortune 250 companies to increase relations and business pursuits between the U.S. and India.”
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is committed to creating the most powerful partnership between the United States and India, as the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C., and in New Delhi.
