Indian-Americans Nominated to Key Posts in Biden-Harris Administration


Indian-Americans Nominated to Key Posts in Biden-Harris Administration

Geeta Rao Gupta, Jainey Kumar Bavishi, Viquar Ahmad, and Arun Venkataraman were nominated for roles in the Department of Commerce and for women’s issues.

FREMONT, CA: President Biden recently appointed four Indian-Americans for key posts, pushing the representation of the community close to 50 in the Biden-Harris administration. The nominations were:

•  Geeta Rao Gupta as the Ambassador at Large for Global Women’s Issues

•  Jainey Kumar Bavishi as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Ocean and Atmosphere

•  Viquar Ahmad as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and CFO of the Department of Commerce

•  Arun Venkataraman as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the US and Foreign Commercial Service

Geeta Gupta is currently serving as a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation, and Senior Advisor to Co-impact, global cooperative philanthropy focused on system change. While serving at the UN, Geeta Gupta founded and served as the Executive Director of the 3D Program for Girls and Women. Dr. Gupta is also the co-chair of the WHO Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee.

Jainey  Bavishi is currently serving as the Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency. She heads a cross-disciplinary team of experts that prepares NYC for the impacts of impending climate crisis through science-based analysis, policy programs, and capability building. During the Obama administration, Bavishi was the Associate Director for Climate Preparedness at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Director of External Affairs, and the Senior Policy Advisor at the NOAA.

Viquar Ahmad has held multiple US government positions over the past twenty years. He has served as the Deputy CFO of the US House of Representatives, overseeing the management of Congress’ operational budget. Ahmad was previously the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counsel. He is also a former Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

Arun Venkataraman has over two decades of experience in advising companies and organizations and the US government regarding trade issues. He is currently serving as the Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce. Venkataraman has also served as the Senior Director at Visa, which is a government engagement strategy on international policies.