Nov 6, 2017 (NEW JERSEY): The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in collaboration with the Indian American community, hosted a welcome reception Oct 25for Sandeep Chakravorty, Indiaâ€™s newly-appointed Consul General in New York, at the Royal Albertâ€™s Palace in Fords, NJ.
Ambassador Chakravorty, 47, who assumed charge in New York in August 2017, was previously Indiaâ€™s Ambassador to Peru. The 1996 Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer replaced Riva Ganguly Das as Consul General in one of the busiest Indian diplomatic missions overseas.
The welcome reception, attended by more than 250 members of the Indian American community in New York and New Jersey, was hosted by FIA and supported by H R Shah, Dr Sudhir Parikh, Albert Jasani,Air India, HAKS Group, Dipak Patel of Dunkin Donuts, Kenny Desai of TAK Corporation, Incredible India, North American Telugu Association, Indian Business Association and TV9.
Many speakers, including FIA chairman Ramesh Patel and president Andy Bhatia, H R Shah, chairman of TV Asia and Dr Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Media Worldwide,recounted their recent interactions with Ambassador Chakravorty and came away impressed with the â€œremarkable and brilliant young man.â€
Speakers also lauded the Consul Generalâ€™s pleasing demeanor and humility and the willingness to extend help on all matters of concern to the Indian American community.
Ambassador Chakravorty was escorted into the banquet hall by colorfully-dressed members of the Bharat Dhol Group.
In his thank you speech, Chakravorty candidly mentioned that the Indian Consulateâ€™s primary responsibilities included the furthering of US-India bilateral relationship and servicing the needs of the Indian Diaspora and â€œif we are not able to that successfully, then I think itâ€™s a problem with us.â€
While applauding the contributions of Indian Americans, he said the Consulate was mindful of the burgeoning population of the Indian Diaspora and its diverse needs. He mentioned that the Consulate will host a â€œOpen Houseâ€ every alternate Wednesday to encourage participation of the community and addressing their concerns in the most efficient manner.
The FIA of NY-NJ-CT was formed in 1970 and is among the largest umbrella organization representing over 500,000 Indian Americans in the tristate region. The centerpiece of its efforts culminates in the India Day Parade in New York each year.

Andy Bhatia, FIA President
P: 917.476.0725
E: president@fianynjct.org

FIA hosts welcome reception in NJ for AmbassadorChakravorty