Udai Tambar, an Indian-origin CEO involved in youth development services in the US, is among 15 experts appointed as members of the newly-formed racial justice advisory board in New York City.

Tambar, the CEO and president of New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL), was named as a member of the advisory board on implementation of the Racial Justice Charter Amendments, launched last week by mayor Eric Adams and mayor’s office of equity commissioner Sideya Sherman.

The board will help ensure that New York City continues to lead the nation in innovative, racial equity work and carries out the city’s newly enshrined charter changes, according to a statement by the Mayor’s office.

”I am excited to partner with the new advisory board to represent NYC’s most resilient communities,” Tambar was quoted as saying in the statement.

”A majority of the families we serve at NYJTL are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of colour) New Yorkers, and it is crucial that this new racial equity infrastructure ensures that they live in a society where they can flourish and achieve their fullest potential,” he added.

According to the statement, the amendments were voted into law during the November 2022 general election and are the first of their kind in the nation.

“These added a statement of values to the city’s charter; required the city to establish a racial equity office and commission, as well as racial equity-focused plans; and called for the city to measure the true cost of living for city residents,” the statement said.

Tambar most recently served as vice president of community health at Northwell Health and is currently the President & CEO of NYJTL, the largest non-profit youth tennis and education programme in the US.

He has devoted much of his career to serving youth, including serving as chief of staff and director of youth & children services for the NYC deputy mayor for health and human services and as the executive director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community, the statement said.

Tambar graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts and received a Master’s in Public Affairs from Princeton University. He most recently attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program and received a certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

Raj Subramaniam, the CEO of FedEx, a renowned global transportation company, and an Indian-American, was recently honored with the distinguished Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award.

Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
Raj Subramaniam, the CEO of FedEx, a renowned global transportation company, and an Indian-American, was recently honored with the distinguished Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award. This award is the highest civilian recognition bestowed by India upon individuals of Indian descent and Indian diaspora. Due to travel restrictions, Subramaniam, aged 55, received the award from Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, at a ceremony held at India House on Saturday instead of receiving it in India earlier this year.

Subramanian, 55, was presented with the award by India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu at a ceremony at the India House on Saturday since he could not travel to India early this year to receive the award. The other awardee, Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, was also present at the event. Subramanian is the president and CEO of FedEx Corporation, one of the world’s largest transportation companies. His international leadership experience and keen business insights have contributed immensely to the success of FedEx.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman is an award presented by the Government of India to individuals of Indian origin and diaspora who have made significant contributions in their respective fields and have enhanced India’s image in the international community. The award was instituted in 2003 to coincide with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (Non-Resident Indian Day) celebrations. Recipients of this award are chosen based on their achievements in various fields, including science, business, arts, and philanthropy, among others. It is considered the highest civilian award given by India to individuals of Indian origin residing outside the country.

Apple is likely to double the employment base at its contract manufacturers in India to around 2 lakh soon, according to government sources.

As per the sources, Apple CEO Tim Cook has sought government support to widen its components supplier base in India.

“Apple has created 1 lakh employment in India. Based on the discussions, we feel that they will double employment base very soon,” a government source said. Mr Cook has long-term policy stability to foster investments in the country, as per the source.

“He has also asked support to skill Indian manpower to suit the company’s requirement,” one of the sources said.

The government has offered Apple to define skill set, and it will support them in facilitating it.

Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has asked US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to expand the legal pathways for immigration, including by raising the cap for H-1B visas – the most sought-after by IT professionals from India.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

“We must expand legal pathways for immigration, including by raising the cap for H-1B visas,” Thanedar told Mayorkas during a Congressional hearing by the House Committee on Homeland Security on the Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security.

The H-1B visa allocations are capped at 85,000 visas per year, with 20,000 of those set aside for workers holding advanced degrees from US institutions.

Thanedar, a Democrat, said that the fact is that the US border security challenges are a symptom of the broader failure to overhaul the immigration system of the country. During the hearing, he was the only lawmaker to raise the issue of H-1B before the Homeland Security Secretary.

Thanedar said the Department of Homeland Security has a broad range of missions beyond the border that are critical to securing the homeland that deserves our attention.

“For example, we must make sure the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is able to carry out its mission to secure all modes of transportation. For far too long, TSA employees have laboured under unfair working conditions while frontline officers are receiving 30 per cent less pay and inferior labour protection when compared to other federal employees doing similar work,” he said.

“Republican proposals to address these issues have fallen far short, and have only come in response to more sufficient proposals from Ranking Member Thompson and other Democrats. Thankfully, last year Democrats voted to fund expanded labour rights and pay raises for TSA workers, which will take effect this July,” he added.

Japan has retained its position as the most favourable passport in the world, allowing visa-free entry to 193 global destinations, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which the country tops for the fifth consecutive year.

Singapore and South Korea came in a joint second on the ranking, followed by Germany and Spain, and then a slew of other European nations.

The US was among the top 22, with visa-free access to 186 places, matching the likes of Switzerland, New Zealand and Norway. China’s allows access to 80, the same as Bolivia’s. Russia’s is better, providing hassle-free entry to 118 destinations, while Afghanistan’s remained the weakest, with access to just 27.

The Indian passport was ranked 85th, giving visa-free entry to 59 destinations worldwide. In 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the country ranked at 82nd spot, 84th, 85th and 83rd respectively.

Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to, or get visas on arrival for destinations like Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macao, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Qatar.

The best passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index

1. Japan (193 destinations)
2. Singapore, South Korea (192 destinations)
3. Germany, Spain (190 destinations)
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg (189 destinations)
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden (188 destinations)
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (187 destinations)
7. Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States, Czech Republic (186 destinations)
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta (185 destinations)
9. Hungary, Poland (184 destinations)
10. Lithuania, Slovakia (183 destinations)

The worst passports to hold in 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index

Several countries around the world have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 40 or fewer countries. These include:
102. North Korea (40 destinations)
103. Nepal, Palestinian territory (38 destinations)
104. Somalia (35 destinations)
105. Yemen (34 destinations)
106. Pakistan (32 destinations)
107. Syria (30 destinations)
108. Iraq (29 destinations)
109. Afghanistan (27 destinations)

The ranking, published by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports’ access to 227 travel destinations.

The ranking, published by London-based immigration consultancy Henley & Partners, uses data from the International Air Transport Association to rank 199 passports’ access to 227 travel destinations. The methodology differs from other passport indexes like one published by financial advisory Arton Capital, which put the United Arab Emirates in pole position.