Veena Reddy takes over as first Indian American head of USAID in India

Veena Reddy takes over as first Indian American head of USAID in India

Indian-American Veena Reddy reached India on Thursday to take charge as the new mission director for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). As per a statement issued by the US Embassy on Thursday, she will be managing and leading USAID’s operation in India and Bhutan as mission director.

After arriving in New Delhi on Thursday to take charge as mission director of USAID for India and Bhutan, Veena Reddy, a career member of the US senior foreign service, said that she looks forward to strengthening the relationship between India and the United States of America. Reddy said on Thursday that she would work to strengthen the organisation’s seven decade-old partnership with the people and government of India. The acting head of the US embassy, ambassador Atul Keshap, expressed “pride and admiration” at another Indian American being chosen to lead a critical mission component in India, and said this reflects the “accomplishments of Indian Americans in all walks of life in America”. Reddy has an extensive background in development and diplomacy.

Born in Andhra Pradesh, she is the first Indian American to lead USAID in India and Bhutan. During her career as a US foreign service officer, she served as USAID’s mission director in Cambodia and deputy mission director in Haiti. She also had a stint in Washington as an assistant general counsel, covering legal matters for USAID’s programmes in Asia and the Middle East.