SOURCE: City of San Jose, California

August 08, 2008 18:10 ET

San Jose and Pune Celebrate Sister City Relationship With India National Independence Day Flag Raising

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - August 8, 2008) - San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, members of the San Jose City Council, Shri Rajesh Kumar Dubey, India's San Francisco-based Assistant Consular Officer, and the San Jose Pune Sister City Committee will be a part of an Indian flag raising ceremony to be held at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, August 14, at San Jose City Hall, 200 E. Santa Clara Street. Also in attendance will be Vish Mishra, the incoming president of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global not-for-profit network of entrepreneurs and professionals dedicated to the advancement of entrepreneurship.

The event recognizes India's National Independence Day, August 15. India's National Independence Day commemorates its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation on that day in 1947.

"India has developed one of the world's top economies with strong ties to Silicon Valley," said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. "San Jose's relationship with Pune benefits residents and businesses here and in India as we share civic, business, and economic development best practices," said Reed.

San Jose, home of the largest Asian Indian population in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Pune established a sister city relationship in 1992. The San Jose Sister City organization has planned and organized many initiatives -- including city-to-city trade missions, educational exchanges and San Jose-Pune youth cultural programs -- during the past 15 years which have advanced the sister city linkage with Pune.

Located one hour by car from Mumbai and home to noted colleges and universities, Pune, one of the largest cities in India, has become a center of IT and manufacturing. Pune's strong education system and emphasis on science and math have resulted in San Jose State University, the largest supplier of engineering talent to Silicon Valley, actively recruiting there. This has helped to contribute to Indians making up the largest number of foreign students studying at the school on a student visa.

"Foreign-born entrepreneurs are agents of global economic change," said Kim Walesh, chief strategist, City of San Jose. "Their increased transference of ideas and ease of mobility are both fueling the emergence of entrepreneurial networks in Silicon Valley that link to important innovation regions internationally. As a crossroads for ideas, talent, culture and business, San Jose, and its mutually beneficial relationship with Pune, is helping to power the world's innovation economy," Walesh said.

Reflecting the growing importance of the U.S.-India economic relationship, two-way trade has increased over a five-year period from $15.8 billion to $41.5 billion.

"The San Jose Pune Sister City mission is about working to build cooperation between our cities to promote cultural understanding and stimulate economic development. We want to help both Indian and U.S. companies grow and sustain positions in the global marketplace by strengthening relationships and continually building our business and human talent networks as well as cultural exchanges that will benefit citizens and companies on both continents," said Vijay Pendse, founding member of the San Jose Pune Sister City Committee.

About San Jose Pune Sister Cities Program

The mission of San Jose Pune Sister Cities is to promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation through people exchanges, multicultural programs and economic development with community participation. For more information, please visit, www.sanjosepunesistercity.org

About the City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development

The City of San Jose's Office of Economic Development (OED), a part of the San Jose Office of the City Manager, is committed to a vital, competitive San Jose economy that increases prosperity for people and companies and enhances City revenues. The Office guides the City's economic strategy, provides assistance for business success, helps connect employers with trained workers, and provides art, sporting and cultural resources to our community. For more information, please visit, www.sjeconomy.com.

About the City of San Jose

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley -- the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov.