Page 3 - Indian-americans

Hindu-Americans can play key role in Prez Biden's re-election: Official

The Democratic Party must mobilise Hindu-Americans as they can play a critical role in President Joe Biden's re-election next year, given the backlash his administration is facing from the Muslim-Americans amidst the Israel-Hamas war, according to a prominent Indian-American fundraiser for the party. Ramesh Kapur, a Massachusetts-based political fundraiser who was here to attend the winter retreat of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said Hindu-Americans and Indian-Americans have traditionally been overwhelming Democratic supporters, but in the last few election cycles, the Republican share in their vote banks has seen an upward trajectory. Kapur, who was also invited to the Holiday Party by President Biden at the White House, told PTI that he has submitted a detailed report to the DNC and party leaders as to why Hindu votes have become "very critical" for Biden's re-election campaign ahead of the 2024 general elections. Kapur, who claims that he helped convince California ..

Indian-American Vanita Gupta to step down as US Associate Attorney General

Vanita Gupta, the highest-ranking Indian-American in the Department of Justice, will step down as the Associate Attorney General of the US in February 2024. Gupta, the first woman of colour to serve as the Department of Justice's third-highest ranking official, led its "Reproductive Rights Taskforce to defend the reproductive freedoms that are protected by federal law," a statement by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Thursday. The 49-year-old has served as the Associate Attorney General since confirmation by the Senate in 2021 and will depart from the post in February 2024, according to the Department of Justice (DoJ). Acknowledging Gupta's "extraordinary service", Garland said that her commitment to the "pursuit of justice and relentless focus on bringing people together to find common ground made her an incredibly effective leader in dealing with some of the most complex challenges facing the American people." "She played an integral role in the department's efforts to

Indian-American Sikh leader says no support for Khalistan movement in US

A prominent Indian-American Sikh leader has said that there is no support for the Khalistan movement in the US, neither in the government nor in the community. Jassee Singh from the Sikhs of America organisation also urged the Modi government to provide a comprehensive developmental package for Punjab to address several key challenges being faced by the state, including the problem of illicit drugs among the youths. Modi Government's relationship with the Sikhs and the things that he has done for this community is unprecedented as compared to the previous governments. There is no doubt about that," Singh told PTI in an interview. "At the same time, there are several Sikh issues that need to be addressed. This includes the atrocities against the Sikhs in the 1984 riots. No Sikhs would forget this, Singh said. The Modi government has tried its best to address the concerns of the Sikhs, but there are a number of issues that he still needs to address, he said adding that the prime ...

Indian American varsity in Silicon Valley will have courses in AI & medical

The University of SiliconAndhra, the first-of-its-kind university in the US, being run by Indian Americans and offering courses in Indian dances and languages, is now expanding to a sprawling campus that would have a medical college, an international standard cricket stadium and is launching new courses in advance technologies like artificial intelligence. Many people can't believe that there is a university that offers graduate programmes in Indian arts and languages...Initially, we had students only from the United States, but now we have students even from India, Malaysia, South Africa and Dubai, Anand Kuchibhotla, president of the University of SiliconAndhra told PTI in a recent interview. Accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), a US Department of Education recognised and approved accrediting agency in the United States, the University of SiliconAndhra currently has its main campus in Milpitas, California. At present, it offers six Master of Arts, fi

Indian-American VC urges govt to reduce rules, regulations for startups

A top Indian-American venture capitalist from Silicon Valley has urged India to create a short-term inter-ministerial commission to review the rules and regulations governing the startups to facilitate them to be the next Google and Facebook of the world. The (Indian) government should focus on reducing the compliance burden on startups and businesses, Venkatesh Shukla, the former president of TiE Silicon Valley, told PTI in a recent interview here in California. I think the most important thing he could do is to create either a short-term commission or a committee, inter-ministerial, inter-departmental, to take a fresh look at the rules and regulations governing startups across all departments and figure out what makes sense and what is just a nuisance without adding a whole lot of value to the country, he said. A seed-stage investor, Shukla is the founder and general partner of Monta Vista Capital and has a proven track record of leading companies through rapid growth in his roles

South Asian Americans have woven Diwali traditions into fabric of US: Biden

South Asian Americans have played a key role in the development of the US, President Joe Biden has said, acknowledging the role of the community that has woven Diwali traditions into the fabric of the nation. To more than one billion Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists celebrating in America and around the world, we wish you a happy Diwali, Biden said in a message. Over the course of generations, South Asian Americans have woven Diwali traditions into the fabric of our nation -- symbolising the message of seeking the light of wisdom, love, and unity over the darkness of ignorance, hate, and division, Biden said. The message posted on X, formally Twitter, on November 12 has since gone viral and has over 2.1 million views. It's a message that has helped our nation emerge stronger from the past few difficult years and matters now more than ever. On this Diwali, may we reflect on the strength of our shared light and embrace the enduring spirit of this holiday and of our nation, Biden .

US SEC to impose measures to halt $130 mn fraud targeting Indian Americans

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday announced that it has obtained a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, and other emergency relief to halt an ongoing fraud targeting the Indian American community that has raised nearly USD 130 million since April 2021. Nanban Ventures LLC, its three founders Gopala Krishnan, Manivannan Shanmugam, and Sakthivel Palani Gounder, collectively known as the Founders, and three other entities that these Founders control are allegedly involved in committing the fraud, the SEC said in a press statement. Unsealed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the SEC complaint alleged that the defendants raised more than USD 89 million from more than 350 investors for investments in purported venture capital funds that the Founders managed through Nanban Ventures LLC. They also raised over USD 39 million from 10 investors which was later invested directly in the three other entities controlled by the Founders. The complaint .

Indian-Americans condemn rising instances of hate against Hindus in Canada

A group of eminent Indian-Americans has condemned the brazen hateful comments and a hostile environment against Hindus in Canada and asked Ottawa not to mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror and endorse hate crimes by being silent on the issue. The demand by Indian-Americans came after an offensive video from a pro-Khalistan group threatening Hindus in Canada to leave the country went viral. It is concerning to see Khalistani terrorists repeatedly threaten Hindu Canadians by desecrating and scarring Hindu sacred spaces on Canadian soil. Silence in the face of such brazen Hinduphobia - or worse, the justification that this is an acceptable form of political expression - is tantamount to the endorsement of hate crimes, said Professor Indu Vishwanathan, co-founder and co-director of the Understanding Hinduphobia at the Hindu University of America. The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should not mix freedom of expression with freedom for terror. He should instead stop

Who is Vivek Ramaswamy? The Indian-American Republican presidential nominee

The millionaire entrepreneur-turned-politician ranks fourth after republican nominees Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and Nikki Haley

LIVE updates: RIL ties up with Oberoi Hotels to co-manage 3 projects

Catch all the latest news updates LIVE from across the globe here

US Congressional delegation's visit solidified ties: Indian Americans

The ongoing visit to India of a US Congressional delegation led by Indian American lawmaker Ro Khanna has further solidified deep ties and underscores a unique vision that can serve as a blueprint to advance the bilateral relationship, according to Indian Americans. The four-term Congressman representing Silicon Valley in the House of Representatives, Khanna on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and attended the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Tuesday where the prime minister hoisted the national flag. During his trips to New Delhi and Mumbai, he has met leaders of the civic society, Bollywood superstars, including Amitabh Bachchan, and the opposition leaders. I am happy that elected members of the US Congress are present here today on the occasion of our celebration, Modi said in his Independence Day address. I was honoured to visit Raj Ghat on India's Independence Day to pay my respects to Mahatma Gandhi, one of th

Indian-American engineer Hirsh Vardhan Singh enters race for 2024 US polls

The former governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the other two Indian-Americans seeking for the Republican candidature for the 2024 US presidential election

AI: A friendship whose time has come

America-India partnership stands poised to reshape the world's dynamics if both sides play their cards right

US lawmakers, Indian-Americans condemn Indian consulate attack, seek probe

American lawmakers and several Indian-American community organisations have denounced the recent attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco and called for a thorough probe into the incident to bring perpetrators to justice. While the right to protest is ingrained in the US Constitution, no one has the right to engage in violence, they said in separate statements and tweets on Friday. They also condemned the threats issued to Indian diplomats, including India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, by separatist Sikhs and called on the Biden administration to ensure safety of foreign diplomats. A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 and posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words "violence begets violence" emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carrie

Consulate attack: Indian-American bodies condemn incident, seek probe

American lawmakers and several Indian-American community organisations have denounced the recent attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco and called for a thorough probe into the incident so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. While the right to protest is ingrained in the US Constitution, no one has the right to engage in violence, they said in separate statements and tweets on Friday. They also condemned the threats issued to Indian diplomats, including India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, by separatist Sikhs and called on the Biden administration to ensure safety of foreign diplomats. A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 and posted on Twitter, showed the act of arson at the Indian consulate in San Francisco. The video, with the words "violence begets violence" emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, one of India's most-wanted terror

Thousands of Indian-Americans to benefit from latest US move on Green Card

In a move that could benefit thousands of Indian-Americans waiting for their Green Card, a US President's advisory commission has approved the recommendation that more than 2,30,000 unused green cards for family and employment categories since 1992 be recaptured. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. This includes the recapture of more than 2,30,000 unused employment-based green cards from 1992 to 2022 and processing a portion of these every fiscal year in addition to the annual limit of 1,40,000 for this category, Indian-American entrepreneur Ajay Bhutoria, who is a member of President Biden's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, said in his set of recommendations submitted before the commission on Thursday. "Recapture Unused green cards and Prevent Future Green Card Waste" aims to addres

India shows US how not to do affirmative action after court's judgement

Many Indian Americans, who feel that they - like others of Asian descent - have an unfairly hard time getting into elite universities, seem to be doubly irate at any echo of the system

'Indian Americans played significant role'..., says PM Modi during dinner

PM Modi also said that the State dinner evening has become quite special by the presence of the people of the two countries, as he called them most precious assets

Indian-American Dev Shah wins 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee

Dev Shah, a 14-year-old Indian-American eighth-grader from Florida, who correctly spelled the word "psammophile" has won the prestigious 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Shah correctly spelled the word to win the 95th national bee and the USD 50,000 prize on Thursday. It's surreal...My legs are still shaking, he said at the competition in National Harbor, Maryland. After much anticipation about a possible spell-off, a smiling Shah won by correctly spelling psammophile, a plant or animal that thrives in sandy areas, the Washington Post newspaper reported. Psammo meaning sand, Greek? he asked. Phile, meaning love, Greek? Shah instantly identified the roots of his word, but asked for all the information just to be safe, while smiling slightly in a way that suggested he was pretty sure he had it, the New York Times newspaper reported. This was Shah's third attempt. His previous two attempts were in 2019 and 2021. Shah's parents hopped on stage, visibly emotional, and his mother s

Lawmakers introduce legislation in US Cong to protect documented dreamers

Long-term visa holders known as documented dreamers, who are estimated to be about 250,000, grew up legally in the US but risk deportation when they turn 21 years old