South Asian Spotlight

The University of Arkansas Global Campus named data specialist Uthara Unnikrishnan employee of the quarter for modernizing systems that support online learners.

Indian American technology leader Tripti Sinha now holds an ex officio board seat as Internet2 president and CEO, strengthening her impact on U.S. research networking.

Indian American technology leader Nachiket Deshpande has been appointed CEO of California-based Impetus Technologies, guiding its enterprise data and AI ambitions.

NiCE has appointed Indian American executive Arun Chandra as chief operating officer to lead its new Global Customer Operations division and drive its AI first CX strategy.

Indian American gastroenterologist Hemant Roy has been named chair of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, strengthening academic medicine in the Midwest.

Indian American physician and executive Deep J. Shah has been elected Vice Chair of Georgia’s Board of Regents, strengthening leadership in the state’s public university system.

Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, becoming the first Muslim and South Asian American to lead America’s largest city, marking a generational and cultural milestone.

Ghazala Hashmi has been elected Virginia’s lieutenant governor, becoming the first Muslim woman and South Asian American to hold statewide office in the Commonwealth’s history.

A standing-room-only event at Chapman University celebrated the rise of South Asian American entrepreneurs, featuring MSI founders Manu and Rika Shah and next-gen leaders.

UC Irvine will honor engineer-executive Jai Krishan Hakhu with its 2025 Lauds & Laurels Distinguished Alumni Award for global industry and community impact.

Purdue University appointed Rao S. Govindaraju as vice president for Institutes and Centers at Discovery Park District, advancing campuswide research impact.

Sonia Raman becomes the first person of Indian origin to be named head coach in the WNBA when the Seattle Storm hire her to lead the team.

Pritam and ALAPIO turned a sold-out concert into a one million dollar fund for free surgeries, with ASAN uniting culture, community, and care.

Former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma has joined the T. Rowe Price Group board of directors, bringing deep global and policy expertise.

Ulteig has appointed Bhupinder Singh, a veteran technology leader, to its board of directors to accelerate its digital transformation strategy.

Wingify has appointed Indian-American tech leader Aarthi Ramamurthy to its board of directors, strengthening its U.S. strategy and product vision.

S. Paul Kapur has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, strengthening U.S.-India ties.

Srikanth Padmanabhan, Indian-American executive and former Cummins operations leader, joins the board of Terex Corporation effective December 1, 2025.

Molson Coors has appointed Indian-origin executive Rahul Goyal as its next CEO effective Oct. 1, marking a new era for the beverage industry giant.

T-Mobile has appointed Srinivas “Srini” Gopalan as its next CEO starting Nov. 1, bringing global telecom expertise and South Asian leadership to the role.

Rep. Kathy Castor honored PikMyKid co-founders Chitra Kanagaraj and Saravana Pat Bhava with the 2025 American Dream Award for school-safety innovation in Tampa.

The 2025 Volunteer Excellence Awards by ASAN and Shah Happiness Foundation honored 12 winners and 16 finalists for outstanding community service in Anaheim.

APAPA honored Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive with its Corporate Stewardship Award on Sept. 19, recognizing philanthropy and leadership in California.

The Shahzia Sikander retrospective “Collective Behavior” has opened at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, running from September 17, 2025 through January 25, 2025. Sikander (born 1969, Lahore, Pakistan) now based in New York, is widely recognized for...

NPR named Sonali Mehta executive director of NPR Music, tasking the Indian American leader with strategy and growth of the Tiny Desk era beginning Sept. 22.

The University of Michigan named physician-leader Anand Parekh its inaugural chief health policy officer on Sept. 12, bringing federal and think tank experience.

Swarthmore College has appointed alumna and marketing leader Jyothi Das to its Board of Managers, adding South Asian executive expertise to its governance.

Baiju Bhatt, Robinhood co-founder, was named among the Top 10 youngest billionaires on the Forbes 400 list, highlighting Indian American success in fintech.

Tejasvi Manoj, a 17-year-old Indian-American from Texas, has been named Time magazine’s 2025 Kid of the Year for her cybersecurity work defending seniors from online scams.

Indian-American Amit Kshatriya, a 20-year NASA veteran, has been appointed as Associate Administrator and COO, overseeing the agency’s Moon and Mars missions.

Indian-American economist SP Kothari, MIT-based and SEC alum, has been named Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Blume Ventures and Celesta Capital and Blume Ventures, US-based South Asian led funds, help launch a 1B alliance to back India’s deep tech. Announced Sept 2, 2025.

Eptura named Indian American executive Raj Batra as CEO on Aug. 28, tasking the Siemens veteran to accelerate AI and automation in workplace tech.

Tripti Sinha has been named president and CEO of Internet2, the U.S. research and education network, bringing three decades of leadership to the role.

Large-scale sculptural installation by Anila Quayyum Agha transforms space with projected shadows in Seattle’s Seattle Asian Art Museum, blending craft and concept.

Four Indian American leaders were named Life Sciences Voice Rising Stars for 2025, recognizing emerging leadership shaping health innovation and patient care.

South Asian American professor Dev Chidambaram of UNR wins the 2025 Rusty Award for Mid‑Career Excellence in Corrosion from the Electrochemical Society.

Indian American CEO Chandra Dhandapani of Magnit Global wins the 2025 Corporate CEO Award from Tech Titans—honoring her innovation and leadership in workforce management.

Indian American entrepreneur Nishant Garg has joined CTIA’s Reverse Logistics and Service Quality leadership council, shaping U.S. wireless repair and sustainability policy.

Akshay Bhatia sank his first PGA Tour hole-in‑one during the BMW Championship, earning a BMW iX and unlocking a full Evans Scholars college scholarship for a youth caddie.

Clemson University has named Ramesh Jeganathan chair of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences, bringing decades of leadership in nutrition research and mentoring.

Massachusetts declared August 15 as “India Day” in honor of the 4th International India Day Parade at Boston Harbor, celebrating Indian American contributions statewide.

UNMC has named Pune-born pathologist Pranav Renavikar, MBBS, an assistant professor in pathology, microbiology and immunology, strengthening care and training in Nebraska.

Vishal Talwar, formerly of Accenture, has been named Executive VP, Chief Digital & Information Officer and President of FedEx Dataworks, accelerating supply‑chain innovation.

Ajay Khorana, an Indian American finance executive and academic, has been appointed Dean of Pace University’s Lubin School of Business, effective September 1, 2025.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals CEO Reshma Kewalramani named to Fortune’s 100 Most Powerful People in Business 2025—marking a milestone for Indian‑American biotech leadership.

Indian-origin lawyer Mathura Sridharan becomes Ohio’s 12th Solicitor General. MIT alum and federalism expert, she now leads state appellate litigation. Learn more about her career, background, and AG Yost’s defense amid backlash.

Cal Poly Humboldt honors Indian-American climate strategist Anand Gopal with its 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award for global leadership in clean-energy policy.

Florida Cancer Specialists welcomes Indian-American oncologist Nikhita Kathuria-Prakash, MD, enhancing multidisciplinary cancer care at its Lake City clinic.

CoRegen appoints Indian-American physician-scientist Sonal Gupta, MD, PhD, as Chief Medical Officer to steer first-in-class SRC-3 inhibitor into human trials.