NEW YORK: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has started the Indian American Council, a Washington DC based program to help US- based Indians give back to India. The Indian American Council offers its members opportunities to link with India in five key areas: Health and HIV, Education, SME Development, Infrastructure/SCM and Water Management. By leveraging CII's 52 offices all over India, one can link to opportunities in any part of the country.

The program is unique because it does not just connect members to an organization or NGO in India but creates the entire linkage based on his/her time and location preference. For example, if a doctor wants to do a two day seminar at a local hospital in Coimbatore or a primary school teacher wants to teach at a government school in Ahmedabad for a few hours or a financial analyst wants to introduce them via phone or email.

The Indian American Council is fee based because, the CII says, it offers the unique service of finding the right organization to work with, in a convenient city.

One can become a Working Board Member ($1,000) and serve in an advisory role to the program, or join annual board meetings and quarterly update calls; or become a General Member at $200, which is suitable for those who want to contribute to any of the five interest areas without getting involved in the program development.