5 months ago
2
Top bipartisan American lawmakers and governmental leaders hailed the India-U.S. ties and contributions of the Indian diaspora, saying the concern is “vital” for bid and stableness astir the globe and called for further strengthening bilateral ties.
The Consulate General of India successful New York hosted a peculiar reception successful New York connected Saturday (January 31, 2026) to commemorate the 77th Republic Day of India.
Consul General of India successful New York, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan and Deputy Consul General Vishal Harsh welcomed the dignitaries astatine the reception.
The reception was attended by authorities officials, leaders from business, academia and culture, respective salient members of the Indian-American community, members of the diplomatic corps and guests from assorted spheres of life.
Addressing the gathering, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer underlined that the Indian assemblage successful his authorities is "our fastest migrant assemblage successful Delaware, arsenic it is successful galore places crossed the country." He recalled the migrant travel of the parents of Delaware’s Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez, the archetypal Indian-American to clasp the presumption successful the United States.
"The migrant acquisition present and the accidental to clasp freedom, clasp acquisition and physique wealthiness not conscionable for yourselves but for American communities crossed our state is thing truly truthful enmeshed successful the Indian-American community," helium said.
Mr. Meyer is slated to sojourn India successful March, starring a concern delegation to Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
U.S. Representative Nick LaLota, Republican from Suffolk County, described the increasing Indian assemblage arsenic the “third I” connected Long Island successful New York, aft the Italian and the Irish communities.
Mr. LaLota cited the illustration of Indian-American entrepreneur and laminitis and CEO of Bolla Oil Corporation, Harry Singh, who came to the U.S. “with thing but has built an empire of hundreds of state stations” crossed Long Island, personifying the hard-working tone of the Indian-American community.
U.S. Representative for New York's 17th Congressional District Mike Lawler said the narration betwixt the U.S. and India is cherished and “one that we request to proceed to foster.
"When you speech astir the world's oldest ideology and the world's largest democracy, that concern is captious for bid and stableness astir the globe,” helium said.
Mr. Lawler, who serves connected the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the narration betwixt India and the U.S. is paramount to the enactment of the committee.
"I fundamentally judge that India is the astir important state erstwhile it comes to the United States’ quality to guarantee bid and prosperity astir the globe. As we determination forward, the narration betwixt the United States and India indispensable beryllium paramount, and we indispensable get that narration backmost connected way and moving successful the close direction," helium said amid applause from the guests.
Mr. Lawler recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s code to a associated league of the Congress astatine the United States Capitol successful 2023, describing it arsenic a “momentous" occasion, wherever “we saw the stone prima vibes that helium (Modi) has. People were ecstatic to spot and to perceive from the Prime Minister and we privation to proceed to physique that narration and to fortify it.”
He further said that from Delaware to New Jersey and New York, “we person a ample and vibrant Indian-American community... We privation to guarantee that our Indian-American assemblage continues to grow, continues to thrive economically, and that we proceed to beforehand and observe the galore taste contributions of the Indian-American community.”
Mr. Lawler besides presented proclamations to Mr. Pradhan for efforts to fostering a beardown U.S.-India relationship.
Congresswoman Laura Gillen, successful her remarks, recalled the earlier years she spent successful Kolkata moving for Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity.
"I developed a heavy emotion for India, a heavy emotion for the Indian people. That emotion I transportation guardant now, not lone gathering the relationships with our incredibly vibrant Indian-American assemblage present successful the United States, the immigrants who made our state better, who are serving america arsenic engineers, doctors, successful technology, successful each the fields," she said.
Ms. Gillen expressed gratitude to the Indian-American community, saying determination is “bipartisan interest” successful making definite the narration betwixt the United States and India is strong.
New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar underlined the contributions of Mahatma Gandhi and the archetypal Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru.
She besides highlighted efforts to state Diwali a schoolhouse vacation successful the metropolis of New York, saying that “now cities and states crossed the federation are pursuing our lead" successful declaring the Diwali holiday.
Also read: The ambit and the limits of ‘diaspora diplomacy’
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi, who was re-elected to the station successful the November 2025 elections, said that arsenic helium commenced his 2nd word successful office, "I americium openly, unapologetically Indian... While I ne'er instrumentality connected nationalist oregon national issues, I volition not shy distant from the information that the United States needs to person amended relationships with India.”
Mr. Joshi added that the beardown Indian-American assemblage crossed the country, including those successful business, entertainment, healthcare, beingness sciences, and government, “have capable clout and foodstuff to commencement making a nationalist propulsion connected this” and “all of america collectively request to enactment our heads together” to guarantee a stronger narration betwixt India and the U.S..
Mr. Pradhan, successful his remarks, said that India-U.S. relations are anchored connected a broad planetary strategical concern manifested successful the multi-faceted collaborations successful each sphere of quality endeavour and backed by bipartisan governmental enactment successful some countries.
Ahead of the India-AI Impact Summit to beryllium hosted aboriginal this period successful New Delhi, Mr. Pradhan listed bilateral collaborations successful the tract of Artificial Intelligence, including the caller MoU signed to acceptable up the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence astatine IIM Ahmedabad.
Indian-American philanthropist and Grammy-winning creator Chandrika Tandon, an alumna of IIM-A and her hubby Ranjan Tandon person acceptable up the AI schoolhouse with an endowment money of ₹100 crore.
Mr. Pradhan described the Indian-American assemblage arsenic a “strong pillar" of enactment for maturation of the bilateral collaboration.
He said the American enactment attending the reception are "strong advocates of India-U.S. concern and basal by the Indian diaspora successful their respective constituencies.”
“I judge that the India-US narration is astatine the constituent of inflection, driven by the radical of our 2 countries. It volition lone get amended and amended successful the coming time,” helium said.
The solemnisation featured vibrant taste performances, including Bhangra presumption and soulful instrumental renditions. It included a dedicated pavilion connected ‘Make successful India’ and show of ‘One District One Product’ initiatives arsenic good arsenic a curated scope of Indian textile products, showcasing India's artisanal traditions and determination craftsmanship.
