The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) last week announced the appointment of Caterpillar Inc. group president, Richard Lavin, to its board of directors.

USIBC is the premier business advocacy organization representing 250 of the largest U.S. companies investing in India, joined by two dozen of India's largest global companies. The organization's mandate is to strengthen U.S.-India commercial ties.

Caterpillar has been a long-time corporate member of USIBC and continues to be a strong supporter of strategic ties between the U.S. and India.

“Rich’s appointment is an important and welcome addition to the USIBC board,” said USIBC chairman, Indra Nooyi. “Rich brings deep international experience and strong business acumen. Throughout his career, Rich has held a number of key positions within Caterpillar especially in the corporation's Asia Pacific region.”

“I am honored to accept this appointment on behalf of Caterpillar,” said Lavin. “We are executing an integrated enterprise strategy in India, which includes a strong focus on both growth and productivity. Our membership with USIBC is one of many elements which help facilitate that strategy.”

Lavin was appointed group president in December 2007. Previously, he served as vice president of manufacturing operations for the Asia Pacific Division, serving as chairman of Shin Caterpillar Mitsubishi Ltd. and chairman of Caterpillar (China) Investment Co., Ltd. He had administrative responsibility for manufacturing operations in the region, including facilities in China, India and Indonesia.

Caterpillar has been selling products into India since the 1930s and began manufacturing there in the early 1970s. Today Cat has more than a dozen locations in the country, ranging from marketing, engineering and logistics centers to manufacturing facilities producing engines, off-highway trucks and various models of earthmoving equipment. Combined with its dealer network, Cat currently has nearly 4,500 employees in India.

USIBC formed in 1975 at the request of the governments of India and the U.S. to advance commercial ties between the world's two largest free-market democracies. It is hosted under the aegis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.