{SA} Mayor says city must 'work' the Chennai sister-city pact

[sirkingwilliam]

Mayor says city must 'work' the Chennai sister-city pact

San Antonio Business Journal - by W. Scott Bailey

San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger says the Alamo City out gunned Houston in securing a sister-city agreement with the Indian port community of Chennai.

And the payoff, he believes, could be monumental, with Indian investors now taking an interest in the Alamo City and with leaders in both regions having already identified some important collaborative opportunities.

The Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau touts on one of its Web pages a list of 17 sister city partners. The list includes Chennai, although a spokeswoman for the bureau confirms that Houston has not established a sister-city agreement with that city.

Hardberger confirms that Houston wooed Chennai and had some significant inside help. One of India's four U.S. consulate general offices is located in the Bayou City.

"Houston really wanted Chennai as their sister city and it made life difficult for us," Hardberger explains. "But we just flat outworked them."

Houston's efforts did create some uneasy moments, the mayor explains.

"Because their consulate general wanted Houston, it caused us some bureaucratic problems," he contends. "But we were there and we got it done."

Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Richard Perez joined Hardberger and other city leaders in Chennai late last month as the Alamo City contingency worked to secure a sister-city pact.

Perez says India "is a huge country with huge opportunities."

Some of those opportunities may come sooner than local leaders imagined.

Full article:
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantoni...6000%5E1611352

[JAM]

The title and this article are the epitome of an uncouth posting of this forum and exemplify the meaning of a distasteful posting.

[KevinFromTexas]

^There. The title really should match that of the article.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by JAM

The title and this article are the epitome of an uncouth posting of this forum and exemplify the meaning of a distasteful posting.

What? Please don't overreact to the old title. I think the fact that SA was chosen over Houston should be highlighted, what's the big deal?

[Paul in S.A TX]

Wow, San Antonio is becoming more competitive.

[Complex01]

Yes chosen over Houston for a city "Chennai" that people have never even heard of. But i did research and its a big city...

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by Complex01

Yes chosen over Houston for a city "Chennai" that people have never even heard of. But i did research and its a big city...

Also known as Madras, one of the 3 great cities of India.

You know, India?