Indian-American takes over as Obama's point person for South, Central Asia

Describing Ms. Biswal as an woman with “incredible energy” and praising her focus and her enthusiasm for what she does, Mr. Kerry said, “Think about the message that we're sending today, which I am excited about: The story of a woman who left a small town in India at age 6 to come to America and now becomes one of the most important leaders in the Department of State.


“It's a great story; it's the American story. It is proof of the power of the American journey. It helps capture how in every generation, immigrants revitalize America and renew us and help to remind us of our common roots and then go on to write the next chapter of American history,” he said.

As the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Ms. Biswal would be Mr. Obama's point person for entire South and Central Asia — a region of the world, which Mr. Kerry said is home to 2 billion people and has a collective GDP of $2 trillion.