Chamber of Commerce

Where businesses and governments meet!

Chamber of Commerce, has a rich history in the West, with its origin stretching all the way into 16th Century France. The idea grew from the need for pushing collective interest of business community. Today chambers are almost present in every city in the west, attempting to facilitate conversations with local governments.

Recently I came across such a mature chamber doing business in America, that was Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, with its presence across different cities in America. This made me look further to see where do Indian American Chamber of Commerce stand.

Interestingly some volunteers working in a specific regions as registered company, have region specific activity, the scale of operations still lack the efficiency with other foreign chambers, who have established themselves over several decades.

Though recently, I got myself involved with my local Chandler Chamber, to get a perspective on events and potential for networking. Chandler Chamber has been instrumental in shaping the Chandler City, which is a hub for semi-conductor manufacturing with companies such as Intel, Micro-scale, Free-scale having their early roots here.

Chambers facilitate understanding of the cities regarding economic conditions helping nudge policies that help businesses. Interestingly Chandler Chamber have even developed curriculum, for Leadership development.

This all makes me wonder, can the knowledge of established mature chamber, help in maturity of chambers in rural India. Can this relationship be strengthened further with investments and commerce.

For India does serve a destination where long term capital investments in Rural India are needed, especially if we wish to consider the desire of Indian Government to connect every household with Broadband by 2020.

The push of Digital India, definitely resonates highly with push in the Arizona's east valley region, for Knowledge Economy. The state sponsored, Arizona State University, has been pursuing programs with underlying themes of Innovation, and cultivating Entrepreneurs.

With a significant number of Indian students attending ASU, with bank loans from India at 14% gives rise to ample of opportunity to get these loans refinanced. While the students can also be given meaningful employment, up to 20 hours a week, in order to cultivate knowledge, through network of participating students from rural India.

Can chamber play a role in cultivating new generations of entrepreneurs, who can collaborate in global network for driving investments in developing transportation infrastructure, living infrastructure, agricultural infrastructure.

For the potential in globalized world is enormous, can GIFT city get a sip of this cool aid. In order to do so, pioneers are needed to develop a successful collaborative commerce models. For this can truly lay ground for a vision of connecting India with the World and vice versa.