Dilawar was confirmed as SBA Deputy Administrator by the U.S. Senate in a bipartisan vote. As second senior-most official of the cabinet agency, Dilawar implemented the Biden Administration's priorities for the nation’s small businesses by ensuring equitable SBA financing ($56B in 2024), government contracts ($168B in 2023), and entrepreneurship programs across the country. Dilawar helped lead disaster response and recovery in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeast, Frances Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore MD, and wildfires in Maui, HI. Prior to joining SBA, Dilawar championed American businesses as Special Representative for Commercial & Business Affairs at the State Department. As the top commercial diplomat, Dilawar advocated for U.S. companies to compete and win abroad and ensure U.S. strategic competitiveness. He mobilized U.S. private sector to support Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion, advocated for commercial deals in strategic sectors such as energy, aviation and defense, and advanced tech, and pushed for better business environments in 24 bilateral visits across the globe.Before joining the Biden Administration, Dilawar was CEO at Lumiata, a Khosla Ventures- and BlueCross Blue Shields-backed AI company focused on reducing healthcare costs and improving patient outcomes. Previously, Dilawar was President at Freshworks. He founded the software company's North America business overseeing sales and marketing, customer success, and partnerships. Freshworks went public in 2021. Earlier in his career, Dilawar oversaw business operations at Yahoo!'s Platform & Infrastructure Division and was a product manager at Siebel Systems and SAP. Throughout his career, Dilawar has driven civic efforts at the federal, state, and local level focusing on economic growth and entrepreneurship. As the founding Chair of the California Entrepreneurship Task Force with Governor Newsom’s Office of Business and Economic Development, Dilawar promoted inclusive entrepreneurship bridging coastal regions with the state's rural heartland. He served on President Obama's White House Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and led the administration’s engagement with small businesses after the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.