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Sunil Agrawal conferred with Business Leader of the Community award
First-generation entrepreneur, Agrawal is credited for pioneering the commercialization of the popular gemstone Tanzanite.
Indian-origin entrepreneur Sunil Agrawal, CEO of Austin-based Shop LC, was conferred with the “Business Leader of the Community†Award by the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA), Inc.at Hilton Tuscon East in Arizona, USA.
Agrawal was recognised for his outstanding achievements, positive impact on the jewelry industry and his commitment and dedication to the Indian diaspora community in the US. Additionally, the award acknowledged the continued support and dedication towards IDCA.
A first-generation entrepreneur, Agrawal established Vaibhav Global Limited (VGL) in 1980, advancing the gem and jewelry trade to a higher level of expertise and professionalism. IDCA credited him for pioneering the commercialization of the popular gemstone Tanzanite.
Agrawal currently presides over the VGL Group, where he serves as managing director of Vaibhav Global Limited (India), CEO of Shop LC (US), and executive chairman of Shop TJC (UK).
Accepting the award, Agrawal said “I want to thank my team of 4000, who have endured eccentricities through the ups and downs of our journey to make VGL a USD 300 million business. I am genuinely grateful for the relationships I have formed with many of you and for the privilege of being part of this vibrant community.â€
The first glimmers toward ending a near-record long federal government shutdown were seen in the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 3, as leading Senate Republicans and Democrats talked of a possible "off-ramp" to the disruption.
For 34 days, a standoff between Congress and President Donald Trump has shuttered a range of federal programs including those that provide aid for low-income Americans, U.S. soldiers' paychecks and airport operations.
A new fiscal year began on Oct. 1 with no legislation enacted to fund these activities. Thousands of federal workers have now been furloughed, and the battle has hung up around $1.7 trillion in discretionary funds that account for about one-third of total U.S. spending annually.
ALSO READ: 42 million Americans will lose food assistance in November amid government shutdown
"I’m optimistic," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, told reporters when asked about prospects for ending the government shutdown that has many federal employees performing their jobs without paychecks.
Asked if he was confident of ending the shutdown, Thune, of South Dakota, hedged, saying: "Don’t push it."
The comment was a small but significant change in tone. Democrats have linked government funding to extending a U.S. health insurance subsidy that is on the verge of expiring.
Low-income families are seeing their food stamp benefits expire or only partially funded.
"Based on, sort of, my gut of how these things operate, I think we're getting close to an off-ramp here," Thune said.
The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois said, "I sense that, too." But he quickly added: "We're still stuck with this premise of what we're going to do about healthcare costs."
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins of Maine told reporters that progress was made with Democrats offering specific language to break the impasse and staffs from both parties laboring over the weekend. "It just feels better this week," she said.
Nonetheless, Collins admonished: "It could all fall apart again. And I don't mean to imply there's an agreement."
Meanwhile, a bipartisan handful of House of Representatives moderates floated a compromise plan.
Axios reported a group of four House centrists, three Republicans and one Democrat, offered a plan to extend the expanded Affordable Care Act tax credit for two years, but with new caps on people whose income is at the upper end of qualifying.
Since Oct. 1, groups of Senate Republicans and Democrats have held sporadic private meetings to look at ways to resolve the gridlock that has consumed Washington but so far have been unable to get to the finish line.
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