Two Indian-American executives are among those appointed by US President Joe Biden to the country’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council, that advises the White House on how to strengthen critical infrastructure sectors.

Manu Asthana is the chief executive officer of PJM International, an organisation that coordinates the movement of electricity in 13 US states. The second appointee, Madhu Beriwal, is the founder of Innovative Emergency Management (IEM) — a company that assists government agencies with disaster preparedness, homeland security, public health and cybersecurity.

As the head of PJM, Asthana oversees the biggest power grid in North America. He has 21 years of experience in the fields of power generation operations, competitive retail electricity, electricity and natural gas trading, optimisation and dispatch and risk management.

Beriwal, meanwhile, has expertise in information technology, homeland security, national defence and disaster and emergency management. Her organisation is the biggest woman-owned homeland security and emergency management firm in the US.

The IEM founder was the architect of Hurricane Pam exercise — a federally-funded exercise to prepare for a catastrophic hurricane in Louisiana.

“In their 2006 report on Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Senate referred to “Hurricane Pam” as “a unique planning endeavor that resulted in functional plans that were … actually put to use in real-life situations before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina,” the IEM website said.

The National Infrastructure Advisory Council, of which Asthana and Beriwal will be members, was set up in 2001.

The council has done research in coordinating response during threats and disasters, improving sharing of intelligence and identifying and reducing complex cyber risks, among other fields.

The Indian-American community in Atlanta has come forward to raise USD50,000 to support Vatsalya Gram, an orphanage project run by Indian spiritual leader Sadhvi Ritambhara.

Several hundred Indian-Americans gathered at the Impact Center inside the Global Mall, a popular South Asian retail destination, to attend an event of Ritambhara, who is currently on a multi-city tour of the US.

In her remarks, she thanked the generous support the project has received from diaspora communities. Her remarks were followed by an hour-long discourse.

“This pious and saintly personality is taking care of thousands of neglected children and women. Moreover, she talked about living a stress-free life rooted in basic human values,” said Shiv Aggarwal, owner of the Global Mall and main organiser of the event.

Outside the venue, a number of Indian-American Muslims held a peaceful protest against the visiting Hindu leader. They urged the organisers to cancel the event and formally denounce Ritambhara’s alleged hateful andviolence-inciting comments against India’s religious minorities.

“She represents an ideology of hate and violence an ideology that is tearing India apart and threatening our communities here too,” alleged Zameer Khan, president of the Indian-American Muslim Council’s Atlanta Chapter.

In a separate statement, representatives of various Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Yezidi and Buddhist religious, cultural and advocacy organisations based in Georgia strongly condemned the propaganda being waged by “various radical and extremist groups” against the Hindu leader.

“Sadhvi Ritambhara, a revered saintly figure within the Hindu world, is gracing this occasion. A smear campaign, aimed at maligning her and attacking the organisers, as well as supporters, is underway across the nation on social media platforms by various extremist groups. The purpose of this hate campaign is to cause fear and intimidate the American Hindus, the fourth-largest religious minority in the United States,” said the joint statement.

Indian-origin Laxman Narasimhan has been named as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of coffee giant Starbucks. Laxman Narasimhan was the CEO of Reckitt, which also makes Durex condoms, Enfamil baby formula and Mucinex cold syrup. The 55-year-old, who previously worked at PepsiCo as its global chief commercial officer, has replaced Howard Schultz.

Starbucks said that Laxman Narasimhan will join the company on October 1 but will take the helm in April 2023. Until then, interim CEO Howard Schultz will continue to lead the company and Laxman Narasimhan will work closely with Howard Schultz through April 1.

In April-June, Starbucks reported a whooping demand due to strong sales in the United States as Covid restrictions in China have slowed the business.

“He is a strategic and transformational leader with deep experience in building powerful consumer brands,” Schultz said in a letter to employees welcoming Narasimhan.

WHO IS LAXMAN NARASIMHAN?

Laxman Narasimhan is a graduate from the University of Pune and completed his master’s degree in German and international studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylavania. He also has a master’s in business administration degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

He joined Reckitt in September 2019 and guided the company through the Covid-19 pandemic, which boosted sales of its health and hygiene products. He also served as global chief commercial officer at PepsiCo and also looked after the operations in Latin America, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Narasimhan has also served as a senior partner at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company where he focused on its consumer, retail and technology practices in the U.S, Asia and India.

On Thursday, Reckitt, announced that Laxman Narasimhan would step down as its CEO, following which FTSE-listed Reckitt’s shares fell 4 per cent.