Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)
The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) is the country’s oldest apex chamber. It brings in actionable insights to strengthen the Indian ecosystem, leveraging its network of more than 4,50,000 members, of which MSMEs represent a large segment. ASSOCHAM also has more than 400 associations, federations, and regional chambers in its fold.
The Chamber is working hand in hand with the government, regulators, and national and international think tanks to contribute to the policy-making process and share vital feedback on the implementation of decisions with far-reaching consequences. ASSOCHAM is driving four strategic priorities – Sustainability, Empowerment, Entrepreneurship and Digitalisation. The Chamber believes that affirmative action in these areas would help drive inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth for the country.
ADVISORY COUNCIL NOMINEE
Deepak Sood
Secretary General
The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)Deepak Sood is the Secretary General of ASSOCHAM, where he’s instrumental in driving the industry agenda for more than 4.5 lakh members. He has enthused the Chamber with fresh energy, aligning the agenda with the Government’s vision of making India a US$5 trillion economy.
Leveraging his past experience and passion in the fields of skill development, women empowerment and sustainability, Deepak is driving initiatives to strengthen the commitment of ASSOCHAM and its members in these domains. In the last 26 years, Deepak has worked for the industry and government – in India and abroad, gaining valuable experience across sectors and geographies. He has worked for Foseco, (Burmah Castrol Company), Larsen and Toubro (L&T), Total Fina Elf, ABB and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Additionally, he has closely worked with various Ministries, both at the Centre and State levels, driving the growth agenda of the nation.
Deepak has a deep understanding of India’s governance and industrial ecosystem, which has helped various organisations in their expansion plans. More recently, he was deputed to the Government of Karnataka, as the CEO of Invest Karnataka Forum (IKF) State, a Section 8 Company, to promote the State, across sectors for inward investments. He led the global campaign chaired by the State Industry Minister.
IKF also provided advisory services to the Industries Department, Karnataka to improve its score on the Ease of Doing Business Index (EoDB) and managed to attract major investments to the state. He was nominated for the State Level Single Window Project Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) for land allocation and projects up to INR500 crores investments, chaired by the Industry Minister.
He was also part of the State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) for large projects chaired by the Chief Minister. As an Executive Director at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), he led the Global Business Fairs Division, National Committees on – FMCG, Branding, Marketing, and Knowledge Management. He worked extensively in the areas of Power Generation and Automation, Preventive Maintenance, Asset Management, Farm Mechanisation, Sugar Manufacturing, Mining and Capital Goods to name a few.
He was part of the core team that conceived ‘Make in India’ and actively participated in promoting the India opportunity, including organising some of the key business forums, in India and abroad. He has worked with multiple Ministries and departments, globally, especially the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) among others.