Hyderabad: US president Joe Biden on Monday appointed former Indian-American diplomat Vinai Thummalapally as Deputy Director and Chief Executive Officer to the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Vinai will take over as USTDA Acting Director until the Director is confirmed by the United States Senate. The USTDA plays a key role in the development of US foreign trade relations.
Vinai Tummalapalli was previously the Executive Director of SelectUSA, a division of the US Department of Commerce that promotes job development and corporate investment in the United States. From 2013 until 2017, he was in charge of these responsibilities. He is the first Indian-American ambassador in US history. From 2009 to 2013, he was the US Ambassador to Belize.
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Vinai Thummalapally (67) who was born in Hyderabad in 1954, is the son of T Dharma Reddy who served as a scientist in the Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad of United Andhra Pradesh. Vinai, who is a mechanical engineer by profession, worked as CEO of MAM-A Inc. He has two patents in optical disc manufacturing design.
He was a roommate of former US President Barack Obama while pursuing higher education in the United States. Vinai was appointed US Ambassador to Belize during the Obama administration.
Telangana IT and Municipal Minister KTR congratulated Vinai on Twitter: "Many congratulations Vinay Thummalapally Garu."