Ambassador Richard Verma served as the 25th United States Ambassador to India, nominated by President Obama in September 2014 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2014. During his two-year tenure, U.S.-India relations experienced a significant resurgence, with important gains made in defense, trade and clean energy. The Ambassador managed an unprecedented 9 meetings and 3 summits between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi, leading to over 100 new initiatives and more than 40 government to government dialogues. The Ambassador also has a distinguished career in the private sector, serving as partner at the global law firm of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and as Senior Counselor to the Albright Stonebridge Group. He served as a commissioner on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission and is a co-author of their landmark report, “World at Risk.” He was also a National Security Fellow at the Center for American Progress, a DC-based think tank. Ambassador Verma currently serves as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group. He is also an active thought leader and commentator on international relations, international law, trade, and diplomacy. He is a Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He also co-chairs the Center for American Progress’ U.S.-India Task Force and serves on the boards of T. Rowe Price and the National Endowment for Democracy. He is a trustee of Lehigh University, where he gave the 151st commencement address in May 2019.
His talk is titled "Strategic Choices: The Pathway Forward for India and for U.S.-India ties"
