Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger says a recent trade trip to India included a rare meeting that produced some interesting results. Schellinger and Governor Eric Holcomb were granted an audience with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We were taken aback at how well he knew Indiana,” said Schellinger. “He knew our (economic) background, our educational background, our history of sports statewide,” said Schellinger, who added it all led to a specific ask. “He basically asked the governor if Indiana would partner with all of our different leaders in college, professional and amateur sports, specifically to develop his vision for India in sports, which is probably the highest honor we could get.”
Schellinger talked about Indiana’s growing global profile on this weekend’s edition of Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
India was part of a seven-day transpacific trade trip that included stops in Japan, China and South Korea.
Schellinger says the delegation took part in 75 meetings on the trip, with “about 25 percent of those with government and embassy people, the rest with businesses.”
Many of those meetings were with companies already doing business in the state, said Schellinger, who also expects the journey to net several deals with investment and jobs for Indiana. “When we show up, our batting average soars.”