Vishakha Desai, president of the Asia Society, poses for a photograph for rediff.com with Richard C Holbrooke, the Society's chairman.
Desai -- a native of Ahmedabad who traveled to the United States as a teenager and never returned -- supervised the Society's 16th Conference, 'Driving Global Business: India's New Priorities, Asia's New Realities,' which, by all accounts, has been an illuminating and interesting convention of ideas.
A historian by training, Desai is no stuffy academic, displaying an endearing knowledge of popular India culture apart from a colourful desi wardrobe.
We hope you have read her exclusive interviews to rediff.com:
'India is an important player in its own right'
'India vs China is a very tired debate'