South Asian Spotlight

Indian American author Megha Majumdar wins the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction for her novel A Guardian and a Thief.

The Consulate General of India marked a milestone with its first major event at its new Downtown LA office, strengthening U.S.–India economic and civic ties.

Indian-origin filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir earns two Oscar nominations, marking a major milestone in documentary storytelling and representation in US cinema.

Four Indian American students – Divya Ganesan, Rishika Kartik, Pranav Pattatathunaduvil, and Maya Prakash – were named 2026-27 Schwarzman Scholars.

Indian American hotelier Prakash Maggan was appointed Chair of the IHG Owners Association Global Board, leading advocacy for thousands of hotel owners worldwide.

Indian American astronaut Sunita Williams, a record-setting space explorer, retired from NASA after a distinguished 27-year career that included three ISS missions.

Indian American executive Arpit Davé was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Information Officer at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, leading digital transformation.

At CES 2026, South Asian founders, civic leaders, and organizations stepped up in Las Vegas-signaling a new economic future as the city looks beyond tourism.

Sri Lankan American astrophysicist Ray Jayawardhana was appointed the next president of the California Institute of Technology, marking a historic leadership role in U.S. higher education.

Ketan Bhuptani became the first Indian-American Deputy Mayor of Livingston Township, marking a milestone in local governance and civic leadership.

Indian-origin entrepreneurs Ankur Jain, Adarsh Hiremath, and Surya Midha were recognized on Forbes’ elite 40 Under 40 list of the world’s richest self-made billionaires.

Indian-American tech leader Jayshree Ullal, CEO of Arista Networks, tops the Hurun India 2025 Rich List with an estimated net worth of $5.7 billion.

Padmaja Patel, a board-certified internist and lifestyle medicine leader, has been appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee.

Suby Valluri, an Indian-origin Cornell Tech LL.M. student, has won the inaugural Michael Mills Memorial LegalTech Scholarship for his work at the intersection of law and technology.

MIT professor Kripa Varanasi was elected a 2025 National Academy of Inventors Fellow, recognizing invention leadership with real-world impact.

Indian‑American innovators Karandeep Anand and Sriram Krishnan have been named TIME’s 2025 Persons of the Year for their leadership in artificial intelligence.

Indian American Menka Soni has made history as the first Indian‑American woman to take her oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita after being elected to the Redmond City Council in Washington.

A $4 million bequest to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will expand physician-scientist training through an endowed chair and fellowship.

Sim Attariwal has been appointed as a human rights commissioner in Washington, DC, bringing community advocacy and equity leadership to the city.

Indian American academic leader Poonam Arora has been appointed dean of the Undergraduate School at Babson College, a key role shaping future entrepreneurial leaders.

Indian‑American tech executive Neal Mohan has been named TIME Magazine’s 2025 CEO of the Year, recognizing his leadership as CEO of YouTube.

Indian-origin leader Pranita Venkatesh was unanimously sworn in as mayor of San Carlos, California, marking a milestone for South Asian American civic leadership.

Indian American attorney Jaspreet Singh has been appointed to New Jersey Governor‑elect Mikie Sherrill’s Transition Advisory Council, marking a historic milestone in the state’s incoming leadership.

Apple has named AI leader Amar Subramanya vice president of AI, signaling a shift in how it will build, govern, and ship Apple Intelligence across devices.

Indian‑American scholar Gurpreet S. Dhillon has been named dean of UNO’s College of Business Administration, bringing global expertise in technology, cybersecurity and business education.

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.