Navigating the Crossroads Between Business and Government
Nihal Chauhan F14
From a young age, Nihal Chauhan, F14 was drawn to foreign policy and the international sphere. He grew keenly aware of varied cultures as a high school student at the United World College, an international boarding school, which developed into an abiding interest in geopolitics and international relations.
This interest deepened as an undergraduate student at Japan’s Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. His professional journey upon graduating began at the Hitachi Corporation as one of the few international employees in Tokyo, where his work in the international marketing division and his observation of the relationship between the government and corporations in Japan intrigued Nihal. “I enjoyed the work but also saw meaning and value being in the intersection between government and business, seeking solutions to how government and business best work together.”
A year at the Tokyo-based United Nations University further inspired him to consider a career in global affairs after acquiring a graduate degree in international relations. He found Fletcher to be the most compelling choice after touring several campuses in the United States to pursue his preferred focus on international business and Asia-Pacific regional studies.
Nihal joined the Cohen Group, an advisory firm founded by former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen, in Washington D.C. after his Fletcher graduation. Seeking further challenges, Nihal joined the Chairman’s Office at Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, India’s largest and most international business conglomerate, two years later.
His global experience and knowledge of international markets, including that gained at Fletcher, proved valuable. Nihal’s role within the Tata Group grew rapidly as he worked closely with Tata’s leadership, including the group chairman, and helped set up Tata's first Global Corporate Affairs team, which was tasked with spearheading its external advocacy strategy and policy initiatives across key international markets.
Nihal served as the chairman's sherpa to the US-India Forum, the premier platform of business leaders to drive the US-India commercial partnership and as chief of staff to India’s Union Minister of External Affairs, attending the World Economic Forum in Davos. He represented Indian industry in dialogues to advance India's bilateral commercial partnerships with several countries including with Japan, South Korea and Singapore.
Recognizing Nihal’s contributions to commerce and international affairs, the Trilateral Commission named him a David Rockefeller Fellow, and in 2022 he was selected as an International Strategy Forum fellow from Asia by Schmidt Futures.
Nihal is currently part of the Government Affairs and Public Policy team at Google, leading policy partnerships in India. Fletcher remains important to him and integral to his journey. He has served as a class secretary and informally advises prospective Fletcher students who reach out to him. He stresses the importance of having real-world professional experience before applying and advises them to remain curious during their time at the school.