Group items tagged

AAHOA MEMBERS IN the U.S. will now have access to more workforce training opportunities and products from India under the new "Made in India" agreement made with that country. The agreement came about as a result of meetings between a delegation of AAHOA board members and Indian officials. Bharat Patel AAHOA chairman, Treasurer Kamalesh "KP" Patel and others met with the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel to discuss the partnership, AAHOA said in a statement. It includes: Partnering with India-based educational institutions to implement training programs and skill-development initiatives that will equip young individuals to pursue successful and global careers in hospitality. Actively promoting, prioritizing and providing support for the sourcing of "Made in India" products, including textiles, furniture, and plumbing fixtures, for U.S.-based hospitality businesses. "With strong family ties and a significant footprint in the United States encompassing more than 36,000 properties, the AAHOA community is uniquely positioned to showcase the best of India to the world," said Bharat, who mentioned the program in June when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the U.S. "Our new initiatives aim to not only fuel economic and workforce development and progress, but to create a stronger platform for the exchange of ideas and innovation between the world's leading democracies."

THE U.S. SMALL Business Administration recently signed a memorandum of understanding with India's Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises to boost the two countries' MSME participation in the global marketplace. The five-year agreement is the SBA's first collaboration with India and focuses on investment, commercialization, supply chains and future trade opportunities. AAHOA praised the agreement, highlighting the importance of U.S.-India collaboration in supporting small businesses, including hotels. The MOU was signed by SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman and India's Ministry for MSMEs in New Delhi on Aug. 13. "The United States-India partnership is grounded in shared values of democracy, freedom, and opportunity, and through our new MOU with the Indian Ministry of MSMEs, the SBA is delivering on President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's outlined commitment to expanding our collaboration on empowering more small businesses and innovative startups in the global marketplace," said Guzman. "From advancing technology to supporting inclusive growth for women and other underserved entrepreneurs, we look forward to working alongside our counterparts to ensure entrepreneurial ecosystems are at the center of both countries' efforts to strengthen investment, commercialization, supply chains, and trade in industries of the future."