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Achievement
Indian-Americans, a Visible Force
in Obama Administration
By Ravindra Kolhapure, New York
Americans of Indian origin constitute an emerging public life in successive
political force in the United States. This Indian-American presidencies from Clinton to
community is today striving to promote better Bush to Obama, in keeping
understanding between the US and India.
with their rising numbers in
The transition team of the newly elected US President
terms of population.
Barack Obama has roped in a number of Indianless
There are around 2.5 million Indian-Americans in the US,
Americans, mostly specialists and leading academicians,
than the Chinese, whose estimated population is
to assist the Democrats in assuming the responsibilities of about 3.2 million. However, the Indian-Americans have
the administration.
an edge over their Chinese counterparts with regard to
participation in American political affairs. The Indian-
Today, there are as many as 26 Indian-Americans serving
Americans, with their familiarity with Democratic
in the Obama Administration. In fact, the Obama
traditions and better facility with English leading to better
Administration has more Indian-Americans in senior
assimilation, seem to be doing well in the political sphere.
positions than any US government. Prominent among
This explains their increasing numbers in the Obama
them are:
Administration.
Arun Majumdar: Director of the Advanced Research
Keen observers witnessed a remarkable moment during
Projects Agency Energy in the US Department of Energy.
the recent Obama-Singh meeting in Washington that
Vivek Kundra: Federal Chief Information Officer. was barely captured by the cameras. As the two leaders
Farah Pandith: US Special Representative to Muslim met for their one-on-one, Singh's principal assistant and
communities.
note-taker was his private secretary Jaideep Sarkar, a
young man from the Indian Foreign Service. And aiding
Richard Verma: Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Obama was Anish Goel, a senior staffer of the National
at the State Department.
Security Council and a rising star of the US Foreign
Vinai Thummalapally: US envoy to Belize.
Service. Similarly, when the US side engaged New Delhi
Aneesh Chopra: First Chief Technology Officer.
on Af-Pak issues, the Indians found, much to their
surprise, that the Senior Defense Advisor to the late
Rajiv Shah: Undersecretary for research, education and Richard Holbrooke, Special Representative for
economics and chief scientist in the Agriculture Afghanistan and Pakistan was Vikram Singh.
Department.
It's a sight that has become increasingly common in
Anju Bhargava: Member, Faith-based advisory council. Washington Americans of Indian origin walking the
corridors of power that were once an all-American
Rajen Anand: Executive Director, Policy USDA Center
domain. The United States, like India, has the rare ability
for Nutrition and Promotion.
to absorb foreigners, minorities, and immigrants into the
Ro Khanna: Deputy Assistant Secretary for domestic mainstream without much effort.
operations of the US and Foreign Commercial Service,
Today, at least half dozen Indian-Americans are running
International Trade Administration.
for Congress, 2010 elections also to the US House of
Preet Bharara: US attorney for Southern District of New Representatives. The fact that most aspirants are in the
York.
27-40 age group augurs well for the Indian-American
Subash Iyer: Special Assistant to Karen Mills, political future. Nikki Haley Randhawa has become the
administrator of the US Small Business Association. first Indian-American woman to win Governor's elections
in South Carolina. There are Indian-Americans who are
There has been an incremental increase in the profile of widely tipped as lateral entrants at a future date such as
Indian-Americans in the administration, politics, and Fareed Zakaria and Indra Nooyi.
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