Recently returned from an advance mission to India with colleagues from Greater Seattle Partners and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. We navigated the cities of Delhi, Bangalore, and Mumbai to plan for a future international leadership mission with executives and government leaders from the Seattle region.
In addition to notable meetings with entities such as Air India, Amazon, Boeing, Chambers of Commerce, Port of Mumbai, Tech Mahindra, U.S. Embassy in Delhi, U.S. Department of Commerce, and World Trade Center Mumbai, we also attended Aero India, which is India’s largest airshow and aviation exhibition. It was an action-packed trip!
I was afforded a day to accompany an expert guide throughout Delhi, as well as some time to visit the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, in Mumbai. I also stayed at the famous/infamous The Taj Mahal Palace, which is directly across the road from the Gateway of India, and the inspiration for the movie Hotel Mumbai.
Some of these images include:
- Jama Masjid of Delhi
- Qutab Minar
- Old Delhi Sikh Temple
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly named the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India)
- Gateway to India
- Port of Mumbai
Greater Seattle’s Country Connections with India
Greater Seattle shares deep cultural and economic ties with India that continue to flourish and expand today. The Emerald City has one of the highest Asian Indian populations in the U.S, and approximately 131,000 Indians now live in the region. Thanks in large part to Amazon, Boeing, and Microsoft, more than 40% of foreign-born IT workers in the Seattle area hail from India.
The momentum continues with Air India recently agreeing to purchase 220 Boeing jets valued at $34 billion. Announced in 2023, this historic deal will undoubtedly create many new opportunities between the world’s two largest democracies.
To further cross-border collaboration and mutual understanding, Seattle opened its first Indian consulate in November 2023, along with its first Indian Visa Application Center that opened in July 2024. In the same year, the Seattle University established the RoundGlass India Center, which is an interdisciplinary center focused on the study of contemporary India. It was founded by Gurpreet “Sunny” Singh, a healthcare entrepreneur and philanthropist whose work is transforming the lives of millions of people in India.
Greater Seattle is the place where champions make their mark, and we are very excited to add our first cricket team. The Seattle Orcas are an American professional Twenty20 cricket team based in the Seattle metropolitan area that competes in Major League Cricket. The franchise was announced in 2023 as one of six inaugural franchises to play in the league. One of its lead investors is Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella.
Other Indian cultural activities in Greater Seattle include:
- The Urvasi Dance Company based in Seattle and Olympia is renowned for its dedication to the classical Indian dance form Odissi.
- The Diwali: Lights of India festival in Seattle occurs each year to celebrate India’s arts and culture, including music, dance, martial arts, visual art, and cooking demonstrations.
- Tasveer, a Seattle-based South Asian social justice arts non-profit aims to inspire social change through thought-provoking South Asian films, art, and storytelling, held its inaugural film festival and market in 2024.
I feel that I have just started to scratch the surface of India and how it has shaped the globe for more than 4,000 years. But I look forward to the journey. Namaste, for now.