South Asian Spotlight

AK Studios founder Awadhesh Kumar is connecting South Asian independent filmmakers with global festivals, distributors and audiences through a disciplined Los Angeles-to-India production model.

MobileX appoints Indian-origin finance and technology executive Raju Datla as chief financial officer to support its next phase of growth.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appoints Indian American technology executive Ajay Bhutoria to California’s engineering and geology regulatory board.

Indian American semiconductor executive Dipti Vachani will become CEO of Adeia and join the technology company’s board on Oct. 12.

Omnissa appoints Indian-origin technology executive and former Google Cloud and Palo Alto Networks leader Amit Singh as CEO.

Filmmaker and Mehta Studios founder Shivang Mehta is drawing on years of television production experience to build independent films, explore identity and create stories outside the traditional Hollywood system.

ASAN and The Asian unite NYC’s next generation of South Asian founders, investors, creatives, and professionals at a sold-out Manhattan gathering.

ASAN brought together fashion tech founders, investors and operators in New York ahead of Fashion Week to discuss fundraising, sustainability and growth.

Anuradha Palnitkar becomes the first Indian American woman to complete an unsupported bicycle ride across the United States.

ASAN brought together 100+ South Asian leaders in climate tech, renewable energy, sustainable finance, investing and public policy during Climate Week NYC.

Georgetown University appoints Indian American environmental policy scholar Aseem Prakash as its new McCourt Chair.

Aayka founder Aashumi Mody is making South Asian occasion wear more accessible through rental, resale, circular fashion and a community-driven marketplace in the United States.

Disney names Indian-origin technology executive and former Character.AI CEO Karandeep Anand its first companywide chief technology officer.

AECOM names Indian American attorney and former Los Angeles city official Manav Kumar chief legal officer, effective Oct. 3.

Certified Family Law Specialist Leena Hingnikar has built a career helping California families navigate divorce, custody, complex finances and major life transitions with clarity and cultural awareness.

UTMB names Indian-origin physician and former NASA medical leader Ronak Shah inaugural chair of its aerospace medicine department.

ASAN, Expert DOJO, Commercial Bank of California and SBI host 100+ founders and investors in Santa Monica.

Indian-born American author Salman Rushdie will receive the National Book Foundation’s 2026 lifetime achievement medal.

Indian American philanthropists Anuradha and Vikas Sinha give $20 million to establish a new artificial intelligence college at UNT.

Attorney and entrepreneur Kern Singh has grown The Singh Law Firm from a small practice into a multi-office California estate planning firm serving families, founders and business owners.

South Asian American writer Pratima Mani wins an Emmy as part of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s writing team.

Adobe names Indian American technology executive Anil Chakravarthy its next president and CEO, effective Dec. 1, 2026.

WashingtonExec names Indian American aerospace executive Vir Thanvi co-chair of its Space Council, a forum for government and industry leaders.

The University of New Mexico names Indian American chemical engineer Radhakrishna Sureshkumar chair of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

On September 9, 35 students will walk into Forge Prep in Livingston, New Jersey, becoming the first class in a new school founded by South Asian entrepreneurs Raj Shah and Anand Sanwal. Shah, Co-CEO of MS International (MSI), and Sanwal, founder of CB Insights, have...

A packed house gathered at the beautiful MSI Experience Center in Orange, California, for an event hosted by the Association of Los Angeles Physicians of Indian Origin (ALAPIO) and the Shah Happiness Foundation, bringing physicians, community leaders and families...

Scientist, entrepreneur and venture investor Preetha Ram is helping build the future of healthcare by backing diverse founders across digital health, life sciences and medical innovation.

Texas Tech names Indian-origin soil scientist and former USDA leader Sandeep Kumar chair of its Department of Plant and Soil Science.

Auburn professor Sathya Aakur receives a $561,000 NSF award to develop AI that helps robots reason about objects and their uses.

IXOPAY appoints Seattle-based Indian-origin technology executive Ajoy Krishnamoorthy CEO to lead its global payment infrastructure business.

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Kenny Dewan is using behavioral healthcare, education and Together in Giving to build a culture of purposeful philanthropy across generations.

ASAN and Aspire brought together 100+ founders, investors, and startup leaders in Milpitas for a sold-out Investor-Founder Connect focused on relationships, fundraising, and opportunity.

Neeharika Munjal, Founder and CEO of Young Indian Professionals of New England, is building a 10,000+ member network connecting Indian professionals through mentorship, entrepreneurship, culture, and community.

Indian American tennis players Shristi Selvan and Aarini Bhattacharya take the top two positions at the USTA Girls’ 16s National Championships.

George Mason University will name its Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in honor of Indian American donors Anil and Anupama Sharma.

Seven Indian American women earn places on Forbes’ 2026 50 Over 50 list for leadership across science, technology, finance, philanthropy and art.

University of Maryland names Indian-origin climate scientist Sumant Nigam a Distinguished University Professor, its highest academic honor.

Blue Shield of California appoints Indian American physician and healthcare innovation leader Kedar S. Mate to its board of directors.

Ambassador Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, India’s first Consul General in Los Angeles, brings more than two decades of diplomatic and public-service experience to strengthening India-U.S. ties across Southern California and the American Southwest.

Michigan Technological University names Indian American management scholar Manish K. Srivastava associate dean of its College of Business.

Indian American NASA astronaut Anil Menon completes his first spacewalk, helping prepare the International Space Station for a new solar array.

Emerson appoints Indian American executive Rudy Sengupta senior vice president, chief technology and AI officer, effective Aug. 15.

Payal Sawhney, Founder and Executive Director of Saahas for Cause, is expanding culturally responsive mental health, family wellness, domestic violence prevention, youth and older-adult programs across Southern California.

Procter & Gamble appoints India-born President and CEO Shailesh Jejurikar chairman of its board of directors, effective Aug. 1.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine appoints Indian-origin physician-scientist Shyam Visweswaran chair of its Department of Biomedical Informatics.

Amita Jain and Niteen Patkar donate $1.35 million to establish permanent UC Berkeley endowments for Hindi instruction and graduate students.

UNC-Chapel Hill names Indian-born advertising scholar Harsha Gangadharbatla interim dean of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media.

Ohio State appoints Indian American engineer Balasubramaniam Shanker interim dean of its College of Engineering, effective Aug. 1.

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine appoints physician-scientist Satdarshan Monga to chair its pharmacology and chemical biology department.

Dr. Pradip K. Shukla, Chapman University’s Shah Family Endowed Chair in Innovativeness, has spent more than four decades advancing entrepreneurship, mentorship and community leadership.