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Clinton`s India connection: Times of India
New York, Aug 24: They form a part of his charmed circle. They are all high-fliers in their respective fields. And they all happen to be of Indian origin. Ashish Kumar Sen traces former US President Bill Clinton`s India connection
New York, Aug 24: They form a part of his charmed circle. They are all high-fliers in their respective fields. And they all happen to be of Indian origin. Ashish Kumar Sen traces former US President Bill Clinton's India connection
Rajat Gupta Part of the core group that started the American India Foundation (AIF) with Bill Clinton, Rajat Gupta was the first foreign-born managing director of McKinsey & Company worldwide. He retired from this post last month.
Gupta provided a fillip to the AIF by putting together a team of McKinsey analysts to offer pro bono services to the new foundation.
Both Gupta and his wife Anita, are AIF trustees. Gupta's friendship with Clinton predates the establishment of the AIF. In addition to working closely with Clinton on issues concerning India, Rajat Gupta also accompanied the former President on both his visits to the country.
Born in Maniktala in Kolkata, Gupta was five years old when his family moved to Delhi. He holds a BTech degree in mechanical engineering from IIT, Delhi, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Deepak Chopra Bill Clinton features prominently on a long list of celebrity admirers of this California-based new age guru. CEO and founder of The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California, Dr Deepak Chopra has been dubbed "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine" by Time magazine.
Addressing a state dinner in India, President Clinton had remarked, "My country has been enriched by the contributions of more than a million Indian Americans, which includes Dr Deepak Chopra, the pioneer of alternative medicine."
Discussing Clinton's attachment with India, Dr Chopra says: "I think Bill Clinton enjoys all things sensual… his relationship with India is a very sensuous one." He is effusive in his admiration for the former President. "Bill Clinton is very street smart… very savvy, with an ability to connect and bond with a whole group, as with an individual, with the same intensity. It is his ability to connect with so many people that is the reason for his great emotional strength," he says.
Dr Chopra considers Clinton a "great President" and predicts he will continue to play a major role in the evolution of global communities. "He is not ethnocentric… I think, intellectually he is one of the most respected individuals in this world, and he has a true view about the needs of global communities."
Victor J Menezes The senior vice-chairman of Citigroup, recalls receiving a phone call from Bill Clinton soon after the Gujarat earthquake. Clinton asked him to help galvanise the Indian American community to aid victims of the disaster.
Menezes promptly made a couple of calls to his friends and the first meeting of the American India Foundation was held at the Citigroup Centre in New York. "Clinton is incredibly focused on building a bridge between the US and India, and the non-resident Indian community in the US," he says.
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Victor J Menezes is no stranger to the job of bringing people together. As a member of Citigroup's management committee, he is responsible for managing relationships with customers and government regulators, and leading the company's recruiting efforts internationally.
A trustee of AIF, he says, "The foundation has progressed very well in trying to attain the vision set out by Bill Clinton."
Lata Krishnan The President of the AIF, Krishnan first met Bill Clinton in March 2001 at a fundraiser organised in California for the AIF. The foundation was formed after the Gujarat earthquake. Krishnan credits the former President with the vision that "sparked the Indian diaspora in the US to think about coming together for India". Krishnan was the co-founder of SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., recognised as one of Fortune magazine's 100 fastest growing public companies, which was acquired by Solectron Corp in 1999. As a businesswoman, Krishnan is interested in seeing how far a dollar will go in India. "I don't think there is a more compelling way to do that than giving back to society," she says.
Clinton has served as chairman of the AIF ever since its inception. Says Krishnan, "He is very committed to giving his time and energy towards a cause that will help India progress." She accompanied Clinton on his April 2001 trip to India and says, "over and over, he displayed his affection for the people of India… and the cuisine!"
Born in Kerala, Lata Krishnan spent many years in Kenya, Africa and the UK before settling down in California. She currently resides in Fremont, California, with her husband Ajay Shah and their two children.
Sant Singh Chatwal This high-flying Sikh entrepreneur takes credit for Bill Clinton's fabled love affair with Indian cuisine. Clinton first savoured Indian food at a fundraiser at Chatwal's chic Manhattan restaurant, Bombay Palace. "And he's been hooked ever since," he says.
Butter chicken, lentils, seekh kebab, Malabar fish curry and naan are among the former President's favourites. "He also loves rasmalai and kulfi," confides Chatwal, adding with a chuckle: "He's very fond of spicy food, but it's nowhere near as spicy as we Indians like our food!"
Chatwal and his wife Daman were regular visitors to the White House during the Clinton presidency. A fortnight after the Clintons left for their new home in Chappaqua, New York, Sant Singh Chatwal and his elder son Vikram dropped in to meet them.
"When we were leaving, Bill joked that the next time we shouldn't come without Indian food," Chatwal laughs at the recollection. Since then, he's instructed the staff at Bombay Palace to periodically send the Clintons' favourite dishes up to Chappaqua.
Born in Faridkot, Punjab, Sant Singh Chatwal is currently president and CEO of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts.
Chatwal's friendship with Hillary Clinton was forged during her Senate campaign. He was a part of her finance and strategy planning committee. "She is very hardworking, warm and affectionate," remarks Chatwal. While the media speculates about her White House ambitions, all Chatwal is willing to say is: "She doesn't talk about running for the Presidency, but as a close friend, one can see they are preparing for it."
Pradeep 'Kash' Kashyap Aregular visitor to Clinton's Harlem office, Pradeep Kashyap recalls noticing a silver statue of Lord Ganesh, prominently placed on the former President's desk. "He calls it the Lord of Business," Kashyap laughs.
A former senior Citibank official, Kashyap's friendship with Clinton goes back to May 2001, when Kashyap joined the foundation as its full-time executive director. Whether writing an encouraging letter to a new foundation trustee, or helping with contacts, Bill Clinton's presence has helped AIF grow in many ways.
Born in Allahabad, Kashyap is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. He and his wife Reena live in Rye, New York, and have two sons, Vir and Rana.
Vinod 'Vin' Gupta The multi-millionaire CEO of infoUSA, a provider of consumer databases and marketing solutions, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Vin Gupta counts Bill Clinton among his close friends and golfing buddies. "We both love to play golf, smoke cigars and tell jokes," says Gupta, who's the only Indian American to have spent the night in the White House.
It was Hillary Clinton who suggested that he stay over after a late night at the White House. "Who wouldn't want to stay at the White House," Gupta asks with a laugh. But one night in the Lincoln Bedroom was enough to disillusion him. "I wouldn't want to stay there ever again…Everybody is watching you," he adds. Strangely, this disillusionment wasn't evident when he called his mother in India and opened his conversation with, "You'll never guess where I'm calling from!" Gupta also spent time at Camp David with Bill Clinton, which he says he enjoyed very much.
An alumnus of IIT, Kharagpur, Gupta says, "Clinton has tremendous knowledge of every subject."
A couple of years ago Gupta was reimbursed for a leather jacket he had gifted Clinton. "I don't know what the big deal was," Gupta said of the controversy over gifts to the President. Gupta's friendship with Clinton goes back to a 1993 fundraiser in Washington. "I think he is a tremendous guy," he says. "I enjoy being with him, he's great company."
Vikram Chatwal Sant Singh Chatwal's elder son Vikram, first met Bill Clinton in 1992. The Clintons struck Chatwal Jr as the quintessential all-American couple, who
Rajat Gupta Part of the core group that started the American India Foundation (AIF) with Bill Clinton, Rajat Gupta was the first foreign-born managing director of McKinsey & Company worldwide. He retired from this post last month.
Gupta provided a fillip to the AIF by putting together a team of McKinsey analysts to offer pro bono services to the new foundation.
Both Gupta and his wife Anita, are AIF trustees. Gupta's friendship with Clinton predates the establishment of the AIF. In addition to working closely with Clinton on issues concerning India, Rajat Gupta also accompanied the former President on both his visits to the country.
Born in Maniktala in Kolkata, Gupta was five years old when his family moved to Delhi. He holds a BTech degree in mechanical engineering from IIT, Delhi, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Deepak Chopra Bill Clinton features prominently on a long list of celebrity admirers of this California-based new age guru. CEO and founder of The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, California, Dr Deepak Chopra has been dubbed "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine" by Time magazine.
Addressing a state dinner in India, President Clinton had remarked, "My country has been enriched by the contributions of more than a million Indian Americans, which includes Dr Deepak Chopra, the pioneer of alternative medicine."
Discussing Clinton's attachment with India, Dr Chopra says: "I think Bill Clinton enjoys all things sensual… his relationship with India is a very sensuous one." He is effusive in his admiration for the former President. "Bill Clinton is very street smart… very savvy, with an ability to connect and bond with a whole group, as with an individual, with the same intensity. It is his ability to connect with so many people that is the reason for his great emotional strength," he says.
Dr Chopra considers Clinton a "great President" and predicts he will continue to play a major role in the evolution of global communities. "He is not ethnocentric… I think, intellectually he is one of the most respected individuals in this world, and he has a true view about the needs of global communities."
Victor J Menezes The senior vice-chairman of Citigroup, recalls receiving a phone call from Bill Clinton soon after the Gujarat earthquake. Clinton asked him to help galvanise the Indian American community to aid victims of the disaster.
Menezes promptly made a couple of calls to his friends and the first meeting of the American India Foundation was held at the Citigroup Centre in New York. "Clinton is incredibly focused on building a bridge between the US and India, and the non-resident Indian community in the US," he says.
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, Victor J Menezes is no stranger to the job of bringing people together. As a member of Citigroup's management committee, he is responsible for managing relationships with customers and government regulators, and leading the company's recruiting efforts internationally.
A trustee of AIF, he says, "The foundation has progressed very well in trying to attain the vision set out by Bill Clinton."
Lata Krishnan The President of the AIF, Krishnan first met Bill Clinton in March 2001 at a fundraiser organised in California for the AIF. The foundation was formed after the Gujarat earthquake. Krishnan credits the former President with the vision that "sparked the Indian diaspora in the US to think about coming together for India". Krishnan was the co-founder of SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., recognised as one of Fortune magazine's 100 fastest growing public companies, which was acquired by Solectron Corp in 1999. As a businesswoman, Krishnan is interested in seeing how far a dollar will go in India. "I don't think there is a more compelling way to do that than giving back to society," she says.
Clinton has served as chairman of the AIF ever since its inception. Says Krishnan, "He is very committed to giving his time and energy towards a cause that will help India progress." She accompanied Clinton on his April 2001 trip to India and says, "over and over, he displayed his affection for the people of India… and the cuisine!"
Born in Kerala, Lata Krishnan spent many years in Kenya, Africa and the UK before settling down in California. She currently resides in Fremont, California, with her husband Ajay Shah and their two children.
Sant Singh Chatwal This high-flying Sikh entrepreneur takes credit for Bill Clinton's fabled love affair with Indian cuisine. Clinton first savoured Indian food at a fundraiser at Chatwal's chic Manhattan restaurant, Bombay Palace. "And he's been hooked ever since," he says.
Butter chicken, lentils, seekh kebab, Malabar fish curry and naan are among the former President's favourites. "He also loves rasmalai and kulfi," confides Chatwal, adding with a chuckle: "He's very fond of spicy food, but it's nowhere near as spicy as we Indians like our food!"
Chatwal and his wife Daman were regular visitors to the White House during the Clinton presidency. A fortnight after the Clintons left for their new home in Chappaqua, New York, Sant Singh Chatwal and his elder son Vikram dropped in to meet them.
"When we were leaving, Bill joked that the next time we shouldn't come without Indian food," Chatwal laughs at the recollection. Since then, he's instructed the staff at Bombay Palace to periodically send the Clintons' favourite dishes up to Chappaqua.
Born in Faridkot, Punjab, Sant Singh Chatwal is currently president and CEO of Hampshire Hotels and Resorts.
Chatwal's friendship with Hillary Clinton was forged during her Senate campaign. He was a part of her finance and strategy planning committee. "She is very hardworking, warm and affectionate," remarks Chatwal. While the media speculates about her White House ambitions, all Chatwal is willing to say is: "She doesn't talk about running for the Presidency, but as a close friend, one can see they are preparing for it."
Pradeep 'Kash' Kashyap Aregular visitor to Clinton's Harlem office, Pradeep Kashyap recalls noticing a silver statue of Lord Ganesh, prominently placed on the former President's desk. "He calls it the Lord of Business," Kashyap laughs.
A former senior Citibank official, Kashyap's friendship with Clinton goes back to May 2001, when Kashyap joined the foundation as its full-time executive director. Whether writing an encouraging letter to a new foundation trustee, or helping with contacts, Bill Clinton's presence has helped AIF grow in many ways.
Born in Allahabad, Kashyap is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. He and his wife Reena live in Rye, New York, and have two sons, Vir and Rana.
Vinod 'Vin' Gupta The multi-millionaire CEO of infoUSA, a provider of consumer databases and marketing solutions, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Vin Gupta counts Bill Clinton among his close friends and golfing buddies. "We both love to play golf, smoke cigars and tell jokes," says Gupta, who's the only Indian American to have spent the night in the White House.
It was Hillary Clinton who suggested that he stay over after a late night at the White House. "Who wouldn't want to stay at the White House," Gupta asks with a laugh. But one night in the Lincoln Bedroom was enough to disillusion him. "I wouldn't want to stay there ever again…Everybody is watching you," he adds. Strangely, this disillusionment wasn't evident when he called his mother in India and opened his conversation with, "You'll never guess where I'm calling from!" Gupta also spent time at Camp David with Bill Clinton, which he says he enjoyed very much.
An alumnus of IIT, Kharagpur, Gupta says, "Clinton has tremendous knowledge of every subject."
A couple of years ago Gupta was reimbursed for a leather jacket he had gifted Clinton. "I don't know what the big deal was," Gupta said of the controversy over gifts to the President. Gupta's friendship with Clinton goes back to a 1993 fundraiser in Washington. "I think he is a tremendous guy," he says. "I enjoy being with him, he's great company."
Vikram Chatwal Sant Singh Chatwal's elder son Vikram, first met Bill Clinton in 1992. The Clintons struck Chatwal Jr as the quintessential all-American couple, who