RAJASTHAN : Dr Purnima Voria’s life story seems a testament to quiet courage and relentless optimism -one that begins in the cultural heart of Rajasthan and stretches across continents, boardrooms, and global forums.
Born into an orthodox family in Ajmer and raised in Jaipur, Purnima grew up in conservative households of the desert state. What she could not have known then was that her journey would one day take her from the Pink City to the corridors of the White House, and eventually to the world’s most influential economic forum in Davos.
Married at the vulnerable age of 18, Purnima moved to the US soon after. Her early years in America were devoted to family but fate intervened abruptly in 1992, when her husband suddenly abandoned her and their three daughters.
“There were moments when I thought of returning to India. But I realised that the US offered opportunities my daughters could not afford to lose.” Purnima took up multiple odd jobs, frequently slept barely an hour or two at night.
Her first job was at a department store, JC Penney, where she learnt the basics of American consumer culture and business practices. She later sold Tupperware door-to-door. “Business was in my blood,” she says. The early 2000s brought another turning point. After the Y2K slowdown, Colorado witnessed massive job losses, and resentment against outsourcing—particularly towards India—was growing. Where others saw fear, Purnima saw possibility.
She began engaging with political leaders, business communities, and policymakers, advocating for stronger US-India trade relations.
This advocacy led to her appointment as an advisor in the US Department of Commerce. Over the next decade, she worked closely with federal agencies and participated in high-level engagements involving US Presidents and Indian leaders alike.
In 2014, she was appointed Advisor to the then US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker.
Encouraged by India’s former Vice President and ex-Rajasthan CM Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, she founded the National United States India Chamber of Commerce (NUICC) in 2005, aimed at promoting trade between the two nations.
Purnima hosted PM Narendra Modi in the US, attended presidential receptions, and facilitated investment dialogues across sectors.
Recognition followed: a Congressional Medal of Distinction, the Wall Street Journal’s Businesswoman of the Year award, a United Nations SDG 16 honour, and multiple accolades.
Purnima recalls her childhood in Rajasthan with great fondness, saying that “my best teachers were my late parents. My father Mishri Lal Nagar was a self-made millionaire who was an entrepreneur by heart.”
At the Pravasi Rajasthani Divas in Jaipur last year, she presented investment proposals worth `1,000 crore from the US—a gesture that drew widespread attention.
Her efforts caught the attention of CM Bhajan Lal Sharma who praised her endeavours.
She has since been entrusted with leading the New York chapter of the Rajasthan Foundation, a government-backed initiative to strengthen ties with Non-Resident Rajasthanis.
This week, Purnima represented India and Rajasthan at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. The 2026 theme, “A spirit of dialogue,” resonated deeply with her mission of building bridges across nations.
At Davos, she participated as a panel speaker in discussions on Quantum and AI, Water Sustainability, and Global Diplomatic Leadership.
She has initiated discussions with the state government to set up a Rajasthan pavilion at the World Economic Forum in 2027. “I am here because I love my state,” she says. “Rajasthan belongs on the world stage.”