Nisha Desai Biswal


Nisha Desai Biswal is an American businesswoman and former official in the United States Department of State. Biswal is the president of the U.S.-India Business Council at the United States Chamber of Commerce, and served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State.

Early life and education

Biswal immigrated to the United States from India with her parents. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Virginia.

Career

After briefly working in public relations, Biswal became an overseas delegate for the American Red Cross. She later served as chief of staff of the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance Management and Budget division and in the Office of Transition Initiatives.
She was previously Assistant Administrator for Asia at the United States Agency for International Development. She was nominated for the post of Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia by President Barack Obama on July 19, 2013. Most recently, Biswal was senior advisor for Albright Stonebridge Group, a global business strategy firm. At ASG, she worked with the India & South Asia practice. Since 2011, Biswal has served as a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

Personal life

She is an Indian American of Gujarati descent.

Awards