On Monday, the White House announced that US President Joe Biden has nominated Nisha Desai Biswal, an Indian-American, to a prominent position in the US International Development Finance Commission.
Ms. Biswal brings with her more than three decades of experience in US foreign policy and international development programs across the Executive Branch, Congress, and the private sector.
She currently holds the role of Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives at the US Chamber of Commerce, where she oversees the US India Business Council and the US Bangladesh Business Council.
During the Obama Administration, Ms. Biswal served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia and was responsible for overseeing the US-India strategic partnership during a time of exceptional cooperation.
She played a pivotal role in launching the annual US-India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue and initiated the C5 1 Dialogue with Central Asia and the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue during her tenure.
The White House emphasized that Ms. Biswal’s impressive background makes her a highly qualified candidate for the new position.
Before her nomination, Nisha Biswal served as the Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), where she was responsible for overseeing USAID programs and operations throughout South, Central, and Southeast Asia.
Ms. Biswal’s extensive experience includes over a decade working on Capitol Hill as Staff Director for the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Appropriations and as professional staff on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives.
She currently serves as the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid and is a member of various boards and councils, including the National Democratic Institute, the US Institute of Peace International Advisory Council, the United States Institute of Peace Afghanistan Study Group, and the Aspen Institute’s India-US Track 2 Dialogue on Climate and Energy.
The White House highlighted that Ms. Biswal is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where she studied International Relations and Economics.
