WASITRAC hosted a luncheon to honor the visiting Ambassador on October 17th at the Westin Bellevue where she met many elected officials from the State including Congressmen Jim McDermott , Jay Inslee and Lt. Governor Brad Owen along with members of the WASITRAC governmental trade delegations in 2010.

Ambassador Shankar also attended a number of other meetings organized by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, City of Bellevue, University of Washington and WASITRAC. During her luncheon at The Westin Bellevue, organized by WASITRAC and The Westin Bellevue, Ambassador Shankar emphasized the emergence of India becoming the latest hub for cost-cutting innovations for a modern living society with a vast base of young consumers with a bigger spending power. She also drew attention to the need for a sustained trading partnership -- between the Washington State and India -- in the Agricultural Sector, Education, Infrastructure development. She announced the imminent opening of the new Indian Consulate in Bellevue, which will take place in 2010. She announced that India will invest $1 trillion in new, additional infrastructure of all types over the next 10 years and that they will require significant outside expert help.

Market research indicates that there is enormous potential for trade growth specifically between Washington State and India. Washington has been on average the 4th largest state trade partner with India and 1st in 2007. Aerospace, software, and agricultural products dominate, but enormous potential exists in several other areas including medical devices, franchise opportunities, food storage and processing, rain water management, educational system management, environmental services, architecture and engineering and infrastructure developments. In the Bellevue and Puget Sound region, international trade and the growth of global, multi-national corporations are large factors in economic growth, as it has been since the late 1800s. India, with a population over 1 billion and with an 8% annual GDP growth, is one of two "mega market" countries.

There is significant future potential for any investment and trading partner. India, as the largest free market democracy of the world, also offers a balance of export and import trade unparalleled by any other developing nation.