FRANKLIN PARK – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State Tahesha Way will lead an inaugural New Jersey-India Commission trip to India from December 8 to 16, 2024. The delegation led by Lieutenant Governor Way will visit five cities over eight days, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, and New Delhi. The Lieutenant Governor announced the trip during remarks at Samudhra Restaurant in Franklin Park at an event hosted by the New Jersey-India Commission.
 
In September of 2019, Governor Phil Murphy was the first sitting New Jersey governor to visit India. The mission, coordinated by Choose New Jersey, fostered economic, higher education, and sister-state ties, and secured over 1,200 new jobs by expanding the presence of three Indian companies in New Jersey. This trip will focus on strengthening economic ties with one of New Jersey’s largest trade and investment partners, cultivating international investment opportunities, and deepening cultural and educational ties between New Jersey and India.
 
 “As Secretary of State, I was delighted to welcome the Commission to my department and have been overseeing efforts to strengthen ties between New Jersey and India,” said Lieutenant Governor Way, who oversees the New Jersey-India Commission as part of her portfolio as Secretary of State. “New Jersey’s Indian American population continues to rapidly grow. Through our shared vision, we are committed to maximizing the potential of our relationship.”
 
"India is one of New Jersey’s most important global partners for economic development, higher education, research collaboration, and cultural exchange. Building on the success of past initiatives, this mission is a pivotal opportunity to deepen our ties with one of the world's fastest-growing economies,” said Wesley Mathews, Chair of the New Jersey-India Commission and President and CEO of Choose New Jersey. “By expanding our connections with India across a broad range of areas, we aim to strengthen our economy and showcase the strength of our vibrant Indian-American diaspora."
 
“India remains one of New Jersey’s key global partners, and with one of the largest Indian diasporas in the nation, we must continue to strengthen our partnership,” said New Jersey-India Commission Executive Director Rajpal Bath. “Following Governor Murphy’s mission, and extensive outreach in the years since, we will continue to grow the relationship through the Commission.” 
 
The delegation’s activities and public events will include meetings with key government and industry leaders including higher education, life science, and technology representatives. New Jersey maintains very close ties with India culturally and economically, as India is New Jersey’s second largest foreign direct investor and Indian-Americans represent the largest group of foreign-born residents in New Jersey. 
 
Media interested in accompanying the Lieutenant Governor and the rest of the delegation to India should RSVP to Toral Patel [email protected] by Friday, November 29, 2024.