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The Age of the CEOs in Washington; and India’s Potential Soft Power
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Oğuz Diriöz
For DPE, February 17, 2025
The number of Chief Executive Officers – CEOs present on 20 January 2025, during the indoor Inauguration of Donald Trump as 47th President of the United States of America – USA, inside the US Capitol Building in Washington D.C., was noticeable (President Trump is 45th and 47th President of the United States, due to non-consecutive second term). Tesla and Space X’s CEO, Elon Musk’s current role as head of the temporary government agency named Department of Government Efficiency, a.k.a. DOGE has already been visible with less than one month into President Trump’s second term. Elon Musk’s recent presence next to President Trump at the White House Oval Office on 12 February with his 4 year old boy X Æ A-Xii , (pronounced “X Ash A Twelve” or in short “X”), has shown how influential CEOs are in Washington as of 2025. This may provide some soft power opportunities for countries with many influential global business leaders.
It must be also remembered that, like Elon Musk, Donald Trump is also a billionaire CEO and businessman himself, hence will take seriously global business leaders. Thus, this cost-benefit approach of CEOs will likely be an increasingly prevailing approach in Washington. Musk’s influence in Washington was further visible when India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the 3rd foreign leader to visit President Trump in the White House in 2025, also visited Elon Musk, in the presence of Musk’s children during the meeting. Technology, Space and Good Governance were among the topics discussed between Modi and Musk.[1] During his trip the Washington, Indian Prime Minister Modi met with President Donald Trump, US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, as well as Billionaire CEO Elon Musk and Indian-origin Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy,[2] as well as the Indian Diaspora in the US.[3]
India, not surprisingly since it is now the most populated country in the world, produced many CEOs and leaders of international organizations. For example, Ajay Banga is an Indian origin US Citizen who is the President of the World Bank. Although the World Bank is an international Development Bank, reporting to the United Nations, Banga was CEO of Mastercard previous to leading the World Bank. There are over 20 Indian-origin CEOs of Billion-dollar Global Corporations, mostly tech-companies, including; Google – Alphabet, YouTube, Microsoft, IBM, Adobe, and Palo Alto Networks, to name a few.[4]
India’s rising soft power is not only because of being the world’s largest democracy[5] and through a vast network of Indian Diaspora in many corners of the World, but also increasingly through the influence of Indian origin leaders of multi-billion dollars companies. The high number of CEOs also makes India advantageous in the new CEO-mindset oriented new US Administration in Washington. It should be no surprise that Modi was the third foreign leader (after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah II of Jordan) to visit Washington in February 2025. On his first day in office, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met the Foreign Ministers of Quad countries – India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia’s Penny Wong.[6]
Besides India, major countries of the non-Aligned movement and the Global South are now part of the BRICS group, to which President Trump is threatening to impose several sanctions (yet India is likely to be an exception). Functioning mostly as an economic grouping, BRICS countries pursue multi-directional foreign policy, balancing on one hand OECD Economies such as the United States, and on the other hand Russia and China. BRICS is viewed differently by the countries which are members. Countries such as Brazil, India, and South Africa share more democratic values and are rules based systems. India, since the non-aligned movement in the 1950’s, tries to have a leadership role in the Global South; yet India has good relations especially with the United States of America.
Despite the possibility, it seems unlikely that India would be sanctioned by the Trump administration, because of the inter-personal connections and soft power through these connections. Beside President Trump’s investments in India, Vice President Vance’s spouse, Second Lady of the United States Usha Vance is also of Indian origin. Secretary of State Rubio, and the National Security Advisor Waltz expressed pro-India views.[7] Mr. Krishnan, the new Artificial Intelligence (AI) advisor of President Trump, is also of Indian origin.[8] Nominee for FBI Director, Kash Patel is also of Indian origin.[9] Although US National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is of Samoan origin, she is of Hindu Faith.
Hence India’s influence and soft power in Washington DC over the next few years is expected to remain strong. India, similar to Türkiye, and other G 20 countries, is trying to manage the challenging relations between Russia and China on one hand, and The United States on the other.[10] During President Trump’s second term, India’s soft power in Washington should not be overlooked. Strategically, India’s role in balancing China is vital, as the US-China rivalry is central to the Trump Administration.
It is a shared interest for Türkiye and India to see a continued uninterrupted global supply chains, mutual trade, and to balance multi-directional relations between the USA on one hand, and with Russia and China on the other. India and Türkiye share similar multidirectional approaches balancing East and West trade. Thus, India – Türkiye bilateral relations need to also develop, especially on economic cooperation. Who knows, maybe there could be a major billion-dollar Turkish Company lead by an Indian CEO in the future.
[1] Ruters: https://www.reuters.com/world/indias-modi-holds-meeting-with-billionaire-tesla-ceo-musk-2025-02-13/
[2] Times of India : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/pm-modi-to-meet-tesla-ceo-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-and-others-today/articleshow/118214710.cms?from=mdr
[3] Times of India : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/pm-modi-welcomed-by-indian-diaspora-in-us-meets-with-tulsi-gabbard-top-developments/articleshow/118198360.cms
[4] Times of India: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/work/sundar-pichai-satya-nadella-ajay-banga-arvind-krishna-and-20-other-indian-origin-ceos-of-billion-dollar-companies/sundar-pichai/slideshow/105593531.cms
[5] The Brookings Institution: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/india-rising-soft-power-and-the-worlds-largest-democracy/
[6] The Print: https://theprint.in/world/us-secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-meets-quad-foreign-ministers-on-day-1/2456449/
[7] Global Order: https://www.globalorder.live/post/president-trump-is-building-a-team-that-wants-a-strong-alliance-with-india?s=08. AND
[8] Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/us-canada-news/ro-khanna-defends-indian-origin-sriram-krishnans-appointment-as-trumps-ai-advisor-calls-it-american-exceptionalism/articleshow/116652302.cms
[9] MSN: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/kash-patels-nomination-to-lead-fbi-faces-first-major-senate-hurdle/ar-AA1yXItc
[10] Carnegie Endowment: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/interpreting-india/bridging-east-and-west-indias-pursuit-of-stability-amid-china-russia-and-us-dynamics?lang=en