Raje rings closing bell at NASDAQ

ON July 7, when she rang the closing bell at NASDAQ, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, not only became the first Indian woman, but also possibly the first head of any state of any country to do so.

Members of the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) who had gathered at the historic Times Square to see the event live at the giant screen outside the NASDAQ building termed it as a historic occasion for their state. This is a rare event. It is a matter of pride for Rajasthan, said Arvind Bhandari of RANA.

The giant screen at the Times Square said: ‘NASDAQ welcomes the Honorable Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje’. Inside Raje was accorded a grand traditional welcome by NASDAQ officials. The hour-long event started with a short multi- media presentation about NASDAQ and a welcome address by Jeff Kaplan senior managing director, NASDAQ.

Kaplan said Raje is leading the state’s economic development in various sectors including tourism and medical tourism, wind and solar energy, petrochemicals and mining. NASDAQ salutes the leadership of the Vasundhara Raje, he said.

Before this Raje was briefed about significance of closing bell ceremony and was given a demo of the event. Exactly 10 seconds before the pitch, the volume increased ending in a big bang at 4 p.m., wherein Raje rang the closing bell by pushing on the electronic button. She also signed electronically at the screen.

Raje expressed her gratitude for the honor accorded to her and hoped that her NASDAQ visit would help initiate a new relationship between Rajasthan and the US.

In tourism, Rajasthan tops all Indian states as one out of every three tourists visits this exotic desert state, she said, adding: I hope this would help bring in large investment to my state.