Soon, platform for US Sikhs keen to invest in state

Chandigarh: The Punjabi diaspora from North America plans to set up a platform for American Sikhs looking to invest in Punjab. This group of American Sikh businessmen, under the aegis of Sikh American Chamber of Commerce (SACC), will aid Indian youth looking at establishing a foothold in the US.

The idea behind setting up SACC was to help open business opportunities for American Sikhs in the local, national and international markets.

However, the chamber realised that most Sikh Americans were looking at establishing business in India as a way of connecting to their roots. Hence, the Indian chapter of SAAC was conceived which will be formally launched here on Sunday.

Talking to The Tribune, Manipal Dhariwal, chapter president, said most non- Resident Indian businessmen were wary of investing in India. This was not just because of red-tapism but also because of the fear of being duped.

“But all this now looks to change, especially since the Punjab Government has taken a pro-active approach in inviting industrial investment. As true Punjabis, we decided to cash in on the new buzz and help Sikh Americans start their business ventures here,” he said.

Dhariwal, who has established his IT business in the city, participated in the NRI Sammelan at Anandpur Sahib today.

He said the aim of SACC was not just to become a platform for NRIs. “We are a community of right thinking individuals and will help Indians set up ventures in the US. We are also providing help to Indian students in getting admission in top-notch American universities.”

Dhariwal said that SACC had set up a corpus to build an entrepreneur development cell in Punjab for American Sikhs. “We will also provide them with legal counselling and help them coordinate with the Punjab Government for getting necessary clearances.

“As the chapter establishes itself, we could have a venture capital fund,” he said. To being with, they were looking at investment in the agriculture, IT, medical tourism and health sectors, Dhariwal added.

Source: The Tribune