Sanjay Puri

Chairman and Founder

Sanjay Puri is a recognized authority and thought leader on US-India relations. He serves as the Chairman of the US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a national, bipartisan political action committee representing over 3.2 million Indian-Americans. Puri founded USINPAC to bring about outcomes that matter to Indian Americans. Located in Washington, DC with branches across America, USINPAC works with local, state, and federal governments, including the U.S. Congress and Administration, to ensure that the community’s concerns are addressed.

Through Puri’s leadership, USINPAC works in close cooperation with the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to host briefings and conferences on a wide range of topics such as US-India counterterrorism cooperation, HIV AIDS, immigration, energy and trade. Puri hosted the first-ever US-India renewable energy conference on Capitol Hill. He played an important role in the passage of the US India Civil Nuclear Agreement by galvanizing key Members of Congress and the Indian American community, and hosting first and historic events featuring Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns. Puri successfully lobbied Congress to withdraw negative resolutions against current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was instrumental in PM Modi receiving an invitation to speak before a Joint Meeting of Congress, and organized significant political and corporate meetings during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US.

Puri has testified before the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs as an expert witness on US-India relations, and was instrumental in the establishment of a US Congressional Taskforce on US-India Investment and Trade Relations. He founded the Alliance for US India Business (AUSIB) to strengthen economic ties between the US and India. He has led over 25 delegations of business, political and higher education leaders to India. He hosted two of the largest US India education conclaves, attended by over 100 education and policy leaders from the US, and over 1,000 education and policy leaders from India. Puri facilitates a long-running series of webcasts entitled, “Indian Diaspora Leadership Dialogues,” focusing on elections in India and contemporary issues of interest to the Indian-American community.

A highly sought-after public speaker and global media contributor on the political impact of the Indian-American community and US relations with India, Puri has been published and quoted in Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Times, The Hindu, Inc. 42, The Afternoon DC, Indian Express, Hindustan Times, The Times of India, etc. He has presented at the Wharton India Forum, Harvard Business School, National War College, Heritage Foundation, International Leadership Foundation, United States Institute of Peace, Duke India Business Forum, Kellogg School of Management, etc. He has been featured on CNN, BBC and National Public Radio (NPR).

Puri founded Optimos Inc., a very successful strategy and enterprise information technology company that was sold in 2014. Mr. Puri started his entrepreneurial journey in 1994 through a grant from NIH and provided valuable solutions to a range of clients including the Library of Congress, Federal Reserve Bank, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Mint, and the National Labor Relations Board. Puri has been recognized in the U.S. Congressional Record for his outstanding achievements.

Sanjay Puri is a recognized authority on US-India relations. He serves as the Chairman of the US-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), a national, bipartisan political action committee representing over 3.2 million Indian-Americans. USINPAC works closely with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle, as well as with the Administration, to ensure that the community’s concerns are addressed. USINPAC, through Mr. Puri’s leadership, played a key role in the passage of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, which involved galvanizing the Indian-American community to work with the U.S. Congress. Mr. Puri hosted the first ever US-India Renewable Energy Conference on Capitol Hill, the Conference on HIV AIDS Cooperation between the U.S.and India, Congressional briefings on U.S.-India Counterterrorism Cooperation, as well as several briefings on immigration. He has testified as an expert witness before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. His most recent initiative is facilitating a long-running series of webcasts entitled, “Indian Diaspora Leadership Dialogues” focusing on the recent elections in India and contemporary issues of interest to the far-reaching Indian-American community.

Mr. Puri is also the founder, President and CEO of the Alliance for U.S.-India Business (AUSIB) – an organization dedicated to strengthening economic ties between the U.S. and India. Through AUSIB, Puri helped facilitate the formation of the U.S. Congressional Taskforce on U.S.-India Investment and Trade Relations. Puri has led over 25 delegations of business, political and higher education leaders to India. He has also hosted two of the largest U.S. India education conclaves in 2011 and 2013 which were attended by over 100 education and policy leaders from the U.S. and over 1,000 education and policy leaders from India. Recently, Puri organized key political and corporate meetings for PM Narendra Modi’s U.S. visit.

Sanjay Puri was the founder of Optimos, Inc,. a very successful strategy and enterprise information technology company that was sold in 2014. Puri started his entrepreneurial journey in 1994 through a grant from NIH and has provided valuable solutions to a range of clients including the Library of Congress, Federal Reserve Bank, National Archives and Records Administration, U.S. Mint, and the National Labor Relations Board.

Puri is a frequent public speaker on U.S.-India relations and the political impact of the Indian-American community. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Times, on National Public Radio (NPR), the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), CNN and Nightline. He has also been recognized in the United States of America Congressional Record for his achievements.

Recent Appearances and Speaking Engagements

January 2015 –President Barack Obama’s trip to India: Times Now, NDTV, News X, Headlines Today, CNN IBN
September 2014 – PM Narendra Modi’s visit to New York City: Times Now
September 2014 – British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Washington, DC
May 2014 – National Public Radio(NPR), Washington, DC
August 2013 – International Leadership Foundation, DC
June 2013 – Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC
May 2013 – National War College, Washington, DC
April 2013 – House Hearing on Natural Gas Exports, Washington, DC
March 2013 – House Foreign Affairs Hearing, Washington, DC
July 2011 – United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC
March 2011 – Duke India Business Forum, Raleigh, NC
September 2010 – India Retail Forum, Mumbai, India
July 2010 – International Leadership Foundation Conference, Washington, DC
June 2010 – AAPI Conference, Washington, DC
April 2010 – University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
March 2010 – World Affairs Council, Denver, CO
March 2010 – India Conference, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
February 2010 – National Public Radio, The Two-Way
October 2009 – International Relations Conference, Harvard, Boston, MA
May 2009 – India Leadership Summit, University of Chicago, IL
March 2009 – 13th Annual Wharton India Economic Forum, Philadelphia, PA
January 2009 – National Retail Federation Conference, New York, NY
July 2008 – Mountain States Hydrogen Bus Council’s 4th Annual Hydrogen Implementation Conf, Laramie, WY
May 2008 – Tuck India Business Conference, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
March 2008 – Wharton India Forum, Philadelphia, PA
March 2008 – Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
February 2008 – Youth Leadership Symposium, Boston, MA
June 2007 – CNN, Paula Zahn
May 2007 – Wisconsin International Trade Conference, Milwaukee, WI
March 2007 – Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University