Silicon Valley now deeply enmeshed in all things Trump: Indian American venture capitalist

WASHINGTON: The Silicon Valley is now deeply enmeshed in all things Trump, who has roped in some of the best brains and entrepreneurs from here, a top Indian American venture capitalist has said. "Silicon Valley is now deeply enmeshed in all things Trump. I am very excited to work with my fellow venture capitalist and tech entrepreneur friends like David Sacks, Chamath and Sriram Krishnan in bringing back an innovation friendly regulatory system," Asha Jadeja Motwani told PTI.

One of the early investors in Google, Silicon Valley-based venture capitalist Motwani has invested in more than 100 startups and is a big believer in India's startup ecosystem. Her late husband Prof Rajeev Motwani of Stanford University created Google algorithms before it was a company and was a mentor to its founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.

President-elect Trump has roped in several of the key players from Silicon Valley. He has named David Sacks as the White House AI and crypto czar and appointed Indian American Sriram Krishnan as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence.

"The tech industry has been harassed and hounded by ideologues like Lina Khan for too long. It would be a breath of fresh air if she was replaced by someone who understands the strategic importance of American technology leadership in a hostile world," Motwani said in response to a question.

Motwani has been one of the early supporters of Trump from Silicon Valley.

Over the past few years, she has emerged as a big supporter of Indian startups.

The Motwani Jadeja Foundation is hosting the India Pavilion at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025, taking place from January 7-11 in Las Vegas. Over the years, the Foundation has worked consistently to amplify India's presence on this prestigious global platform, showcasing India's dynamic and growing startup ecosystem, she said in a post on X.

This year, the Pavilion will feature 10 promising Indian startups, exemplifying the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that continues to rise exponentially in India. As the world's largest technology showcase, CES provides a unique opportunity, and the Foundation is pleased to support the Indian startup community in taking center stage, she said.