Washington: The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has named Mythili Sankaran, former CEO of Telecom/Web startup, Koollage, as director of its coast operations to advance US-India commercial ties in western US.

The California office is dedicated to advancing US-India commercial ties in the western region of the US, including developing a more robust "two-way street" that enables US companies to succeed in India, and Indian companies to succeed in the US, the trade lobby announced Monday.

Coming from the business world of the Silicon Valley, Sankaran brings to USIBC a wealth of experience in IT and venture capital, it said. Earlier, Sankaran was CEO of a Telecom/Web startup, Koollage. Prior to this, Sankaran was an executive at the American India Foundation.

"The western United States has tremendous links to India and is presently under-represented by a business advocacy association of the calibre of USIBC. We are delighted to have Mythili head-up our operations in California," said Ron Somers, president, USIBC.

"USIBC could not have made a finer choice for the position of Director, West Coast than Mythili Sankaran," said Arun Kumar, partner - KPMG, who also serves as a member of the USIBC board of directors.

The USIBC, which seeks to deepen trade and strengthen commercial ties between the two countries, is hosted under the aegis of the US Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organisations of every size, sector and region.