Nisha Desai Biswal

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Nisha Desai Biswal
Biswal at the 2017 FICCI - IIFA Global Business Forum
Deputy CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation
Incumbent
Assumed office August 14, 2023
President	Joe Biden
Preceded by	new position
6th Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
In office January 24, 2014 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	William E. Todd
Preceded by	Robert Blake
Succeeded by	Donald Lu
Personal details
Born	Nisha Desai 1968 (age 55–56) Gujarat, India
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Subrat Biswal[1]
Education	University of Virginia (BA)

Nisha Biswal née Desai (born 1968) is an American businesswoman and public official in the United States. Biswal is the Deputy CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. She previously served as Senior Vice President for international strategy and global initiatives and oversees South Asia programs at the United States Chamber of Commerce. Prior to this, she served as the President of the US-India Business Council at the US Chamber of Commerce. Previously, she has also served as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. Biswal was the first Indian-American to hold this position. She oversaw the U.S.–India strategic partnership during a period of unprecedented cooperation, including the launch of an annual U.S.–India Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. Biswal was awarded the prestigious Samman Award by the President of India in January 2017. Biswal was also instrumental in launching the US-Bangladesh Partnership Dialogue, the C5+1 Dialogue between the United States and the Central Asian States of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Biswal also serves on the United States Institute of Peace International Advisory Council, on the Afghanistan Study Group and is on the Board of Directors for the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Leadership Council for Women in National Security and is active in Democratic politics.