Texas Governor Greg Abbott has named Indian American entrepreneur Arun Agarwal as vice chairman of a body tasked with marketing Texas, domestically and globally, as the best state for business.
The Texas Economic Development Corporation is the private side of a public-private partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development & Tourism set up for this purpose, according to a press release.
Dallas based Agarwal, 50, is the CEO of Nextt and has business interests in textiles, cotton trading, and real estate. He is chair of the Indian American CEO Council and president of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Board.
Additionally, he is a board member of the US India Friendship Council, the University of Texas at Dallas Executive Board, Texas Tech Innovation HUB at Research Park, Big Brothers Big Sisters International, and MD Anderson Board of Visitors. He is also a volunteer for Chetna, a non-profit organization to help victims of domestic violence, and the Living Dreams Foundation.
Agarwal, originally from Jaipur, India, attended school at Maharajas College for his bachelor’s degree. He received a Master’s in Business Administration from IMT – Ghaziabad, a Master’s in Computer Information Systems from Southern New Hampshire University, and an Advanced Certificate in International Business from Harvard University.
Agarwal told The Dallas Morning News that he and Sanjiv Yajnik, president of financial services for bank holding firm Capital One, started the Indian American CEO Council in 2018, “to help bring business leaders together.”
He said, “the council’s mission is to facilitate alliances between India and the US, act as a catalyst for economic and trade opportunities and strengthen relationships.”
“We are Indian Americans,” Yajnik said. “We really wanted to give back to the wonderful land that has given us so much.”
When they started the Indian American CEO Council, the pair didn’t want it to feel like a chamber of commerce or a narrowly focused organization, Yajnik says. They wanted to find a way to bring together business leaders who shared an identity and heritage.
Yajnik and Agarwal say Indian-American leaders can help diversify and better the country. They want more underrepresented groups to hear their story and bring their families here, too. “We want this to be an inspiration for all, not only for Indian Americans,” Agarwal told the news.
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