Former US Ambassador Eric Garcetti led a groundbreaking event at the Indian Consulate in Los Angeles, emphasizing the growing strategic and cultural ties between India and the city.
LOS ANGELES, CA – In a historic first event at the Consulate General of India located in the AON Center, former US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti highlighted the expanding strategic and cultural ties between Los Angeles and India. The gathering, organized by India International Impact and the California India Chamber of Commerce, attracted a diverse audience of civic, business, and cultural leaders from the American mainstream.
During the event, Garcetti participated in a fireside chat with entrepreneur Gunjan Bagla, where he expressed his deep personal connection to India. “India taught us how to calculate how to worship and how to think,” Garcetti remarked, describing the country as a land of endless opportunity and framing the bilateral relationship as a triumph of bridges over brinkmanship.
Consul General of India in Los Angeles, K J Srinivasa, set the tone for the evening with the theme “LA and India Rising Skyward Together.” He emphasized that this theme reflects not just aspirations but a powerful reality, noting that India is on the brink of historic transformation. Srinivasa articulated that the growing partnership with Los Angeles is driven by strategic convergence rather than mere coincidence.
He pointed out the alignment between India’s “Make in India” initiative and Los Angeles’ advanced manufacturing capabilities, as well as the intersection of India’s digital public infrastructure with Silicon Beach’s technology ecosystem. Additionally, he highlighted shared clean energy priorities and the synergy between India’s expanding space ambitions and Los Angeles’ aerospace heritage.
“This is not a transactional relationship,” Srinivasa stated. “It is a co-creation partnership.” He noted that India’s recent opening of its space sector to private enterprise is fostering innovation in satellite launches, space applications, and deep technology startups, while Los Angeles continues to host companies that are shaping the future of aerospace, commercial spaceflight, and defense technologies.
The evening commenced with a captivating sarod performance by Stephen Day, who described himself as a “Western man with an Indian soul,” having studied under Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in India.
Ed Altman, a board member of India International Impact, reminisced about the long journey to establish a second Indian consulate in California, crediting Bagla’s engagement with Garcetti during his ambassadorship as pivotal to this achievement.
A panel discussion followed, focusing on contemporary India. Bobak Ferdowsi from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory discussed NISAR, a billion-dollar satellite collaboration between India and the United States that launched from India last July. This satellite is now providing crucial global data on weather, agriculture, natural disasters, and climate change.
Gary Ahwah, who has held senior roles at City of Hope, Molina Healthcare, and UnitedHealth, spoke about the advantages of offshore Indian teams in healthcare, emphasizing their ability to deliver speed and scale rather than merely low-cost labor.
Sonal Matai, President of Americas at Karl Storz, shared insights on innovations developed by the company’s Indian engineers, which are being integrated into medical devices expected to be utilized in leading hospitals such as Cedars-Sinai.
The second half of the evening was moderated by Dick Drobnick, Chairman Emeritus of the Asia Society of Southern California. In a candid discussion with Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, Seroka cautioned that tariffs imposed on India could hinder progress in the relationship. Drawing from his extensive travel experience in India during his tenure at American President Lines, he noted that a proposed merger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads could significantly enhance trade between India and California. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on ports and supply chains, stating that US port officials have learned valuable lessons from their Indian counterparts at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Adani Ports, especially as India’s economy benefits from GST reforms and improved rail infrastructure.
A final panel looked ahead to the future of India-US relations. Brian MacMahon, CEO of Expert Dojo, predicted that India could generate as many as 1,800 unicorn startups in the coming years. Wajenda Chambeshi from the office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass proposed the establishment of an India Hospitality House during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and called for the revival of the long-dormant sister city relationship between Los Angeles and Mumbai. Biotech executive Dave Whelan, founding CEO of BioScience LA, discussed the regulatory, reimbursement, and market entry challenges faced by Indian life sciences companies entering the US market.
The audience included notable figures such as Oscar winner Parag Havaldar and his wife Chandrani, Amgen Chief of Staff Jeff Chism, whose company is investing $250 million in a global capability center in Hyderabad, Japan House President Yuko Kaifu, and Glenn Osaki, special adviser to the president of USC.
As he gazed out over the Los Angeles skyline from the 45th floor, Garcetti reflected, “In every light, there is a story.” Consul General Srinivasa concluded the evening with a poetic invocation, stating that India and Los Angeles are not just rising together but are thriving because they are united, anchored in a shared purpose and a bold vision for the future.
According to India West, the event marked a significant step in strengthening ties between Los Angeles and India, paving the way for future collaborations.