South Asian Spotlight

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.

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.

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.

Indian-American legal scholar Raj Bhala has been named a distinguished professor at the University of Kansas, recognizing his global impact on trade law.

Procter & Gamble taps Mumbai-born Shailesh Jejurikar as CEO, succeeding Jon Moeller on Jan 1 2026—a landmark leadership shift at the $400 billion consumer-goods giant.

Dr. Amit Chakrabarty becomes AAPI President 2025, pledging unity, youth leadership, political advocacy, and a global healthcare role. Read the highlights from AAPI’s 43rd convention in Cincinnati.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin appoints 6 Indian Americans to top state boards in STEM, healthcare, education, and women’s advocacy across the Commonwealth.

Educator Binal Patel becomes Executive Director of Neighborhood Villages, leading the charge for high-quality, affordable early childhood education reform.

Indian-American scholar Shobita Parthasarathy joins NASEM to promote ethical, inclusive science communication and shape public trust in science policy.

Five Indian-Americans, Tanuja Singh, Latha Ramchand, Amish Shah, Rupal Thanawala, and Aman Brar, were recognized in IBJ Media’s 2024 Indiana 250 list for shaping the state’s future through education, business, and innovation.

TIME100 2025 honors Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics, led by Indian-American CEOs, for breakthrough innovations in gene therapy, CRISPR, and non-opioid drug development.

Dr. Kartik Balachandran, a biomedical engineering professor, has been appointed interim associate dean for research at the University of Arkansas College of Engineering. He will lead efforts to expand research and secure external funding.

Indian-American climate expert Dr. Manvendra Dubey has been appointed to a UN panel to assess the global impact of nuclear war, covering climate, health, and socioeconomics.

Parag Pathak, a professor at MIT and a market design expert, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for his groundbreaking research in education and urban economics.

Planetary scientist Meenakshi Wadhwa has been named Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego. She will lead Scripps Oceanography and drive interdisciplinary research in ocean, earth, and atmospheric sciences.

Indian-American physicist Mani L. Bhaumik gifts $3 million to UCLA to support a new postdoctoral fellowship in Physics, Astronomy, and Chemistry. The program aims to foster research, innovation, and scientific leadership.

Indian-American exec Ike Anand becomes CEO of ALSAC, the engine behind St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, steering a record $12.9 billion expansion plan.

Finance heavyweight Nik Jhangiani becomes interim CEO of Diageo, tasked with stabilizing the $70 billion spirits giant and driving cost cuts plus next-gen growth.

Yale University names historian Sunil Amrith as Vice Provost for International Affairs. A MacArthur Fellow, Amrith will lead Yale’s global engagement, partnerships, and research strategy.

Renowned neuroradiologist Dr. Achala Vagal has been named chair of the Department of Radiology at UC College of Medicine, effective August 1, 2025.

Dr. Jagdish and Madhuri Sheth donate $100K to KSU, launching a marketing scholarship for first-gen students at Coles College of Business.

Indian-American academic Dr. Darshana T. Shah receives the 2025 Carole J. Bland Phronesis Award for her transformative contributions to faculty development and mentorship in medical education.