The organization Kashmir Solidarity USA (KSUSA) along with Indian American Festival Committee (IAFC) celebrated India’s 75th anniversary of independence Aug. 15, 2022, at Forest Hill Blvd in Greenacres, Florida.

Sandy Mistry welcomed the guests including those the Mayor’s Public Information Officer Austin Lee, and Councilwoman Susy Díaz, who was elected to the Greenacres City Council in March 2022.

Surinder Zutshi along with Austin Lee, Councilwoman Susy Díaz, and Sandy Mistry raised the Indian flag on a 24 foot tall flag to fly the tricolor flag to celebrate the occasion. Mr. Zutshi thanked all the guests for their efforts in making the occasion a great success. The flag raising was followed by an India lunch catered and served by Palace Cuisine of India.

Councilwoman Díaz thanked Surinder K. Zutshi for his efforts and presented him with the proclamation from Mayor Joel Flores and read it to the guests.

Mistry thanked Mayor Flores for his proclamation which declared August 15, 2021 as India Independence Day and also congratulated Zutshi for his work on bringing the Indian and American community together as well as his efforts against global terror. Surinder Zutshi thanked the Mayor’s office and said that he wanted America and India to continue to work together as the 2 largest democracies in the world.

Kashmir Solidarity USA’s Congressional Coordinator Neil Zutshi noted how India and the U.S. are similar, “They both have their rule of law rooted in their respective constitutions which guarantee freedoms for all people regardless of race, sex,creed, or origin.” He thanked President Biden for fighting terrorism, including the recent death of Ayman Al Zawahiri, a most-wanted terrorist. He also praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for abrogating Article 370 which had given autonomous status to the region, and said, ” It’s a great honor for India how the celebration of 75th Year of freedom was celebrated in the valley since BJP got elected.”

Indian American business leaders are thriving in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to a new study by the Institute for Urban Policy Research at the University of Texas at Dallas.

The study in partnership with the Indian American CEO Council found that over 220,000 Indian-Americans live in D-FW, accounting for 40% of all Asian Americans in the D-FW area. And they’re leading in the workplace.

Indian Americans are twice as likely to work in management positions, compared with other Asian identities, according to the study as cited by the Dallas Morning News.Indian American CEO CouncilIndian American CEO Council.

It also found that the average salary of an Indian American in D-FW is $59,000, compared with an average white worker’s salary of $39,000.

Sanjiv Yajnik and Arun Agarwal, co-chairs of the Indian American CEO Council, told the News they facilitated the study to better understand the political, economic and cultural impacts of the Indian-American community in North Texas.

New York-based financial tech company SmartAsset analyzed 52 of the largest metro areas and ranked the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area as the No. 2 best place in the country for Asian-American entrepreneurs, behind San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, California.

The areas were judged based on prevalence of Asian-owned businesses, new business success and income and job security.

The study found that Asian-American entrepreneurs find the most success in California and Texas, the newspaper reported.

There are 19,031 Asian-owned businesses in D-FW, according to SmartAsset, and that number is 15.33% higher than two years ago. The Texas startup survival rate is 79.63%, and almost 16% of new businesses in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington are Asian-owned.

Yajnik, 65, originally from Kolkata and Agarwal, 50, told the news they came to Dallas to create careers that would make their children proud.

“Our kids are Americans,” Yajnik said. “We are first-generation immigrants. But we wanted them to feel proud of this country and also be proud of the heritage and know that their parents put the time and energy into enhancing this country.”

They started the Indian American CEO Council in 2018, their own “labor of love,” Yajnik calls it, to help bring business leaders together.

The council’s mission is to facilitate alliances between India and the US, act as a catalyst for economic and trade opportunities and strengthen relationships.

“We are Indian Americans,” Yajnik said. “We really wanted to give back to the wonderful land that has given us so much.”

Yajnik has been the president of financial services for bank holding firm Capital One for over 24 years. Agarwal, 50, from Jaipur, India, has been the CEO of NEXTT, a textile company, for over 14 years.

When they started the Indian American CEO Council, the pair didn’t want it to feel like a chamber of commerce or a narrowly focused organization, Yajnik says.

They wanted to find a way to bring together business leaders who shared an identity and heritage. “We believe in having a thriving, diverse community that adds excitement to the entire place,” Yajnik said.

Both men said they have experienced discrimination in varying forms. Agarwal explains he’s been in many situations where peers haven’t treated him right or treated him differently. But he keeps his head up in those situations.

He said he “communicates to the person where you see that obstacle. That really helps you to succeed.”

Yajnik and Agarwal, who was appointed to the Texas Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors in July, say Indian-American leaders can help diversify and better the country.

They want more underrepresented groups to hear their story and bring their families here, too. “We want this to be an inspiration for all, not only for Indian Americans,” Agarwal told the News.

Senator Jon Ossoff will work to strengthen economic, scientific, cultural, and security ties between the U. S. and India during the visit.

U. S. Senator Jon Ossoff will lead a delegation to India on an eight-day visit beginning August 30 to explore ways to strengthen bilateral economic, scientific and security ties.

“I am leading this U. S. delegation to strengthen the friendship between our nations and to meet the next generation of Indian leaders,” said Senator Ossoff. The 35-year-old from the U. S. state of Georgia is the youngest U. S. senator elected in three decades.

“We will also work to represent the Indian American community in Georgia, where the growing Indian diaspora is a thriving and beloved part of our community,” he said.

Strengthening ties
A statement released by his office said Mr. Ossoff will work to strengthen economic, scientific, cultural, and security ties between the U. S. and India during the visit.

The State of Georgia, which Mr. Ossoff represents in the U. S. Senate, is home to over 1,00,000 Indian Americans.

This week, Senator Ossoff sent a message to the Indian people on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence where he highlighted the importance of deepening ties between the two countries.

The U. S. delegation is scheduled to arrive in Mumbai on August 30 and depart from New Delhi on September 6.

“During his first two years in office, Senator Ossoff has written and passed legislation to strengthen civil rights, to boost domestic solar energy manufacturing, and to improve public health while leading bipartisan investigations of abuse and corruption as the Chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations,” the statement read.