Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar has proposed legislation aimed at amending the Small Business Act to offer increased financial assistance to small enterprises. Dubbed the “Loans in our Neighborhoods (LIONS) Act,” the bill seeks to augment the maximum gross loan amount for section 7(a) loans from $5 million to $10 million. The primary objective of this initiative is to fortify the support network available to small businesses, recognizing their pivotal role in local economies and communities, as stated in a press release from Thanedar’s office. The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) 7(a) Loan Program stands as a vital resource for aiding…
Author: Nupur Rohila
Nupur Rohila
Love, nature, women's empowerment, and social issues make up the bulk of Nupur's writing topics. She earned a Master of Arts in Ancient History and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Delhi University before she began writing. It just so happens that Nupur also aced the Junior Research Fellowship exam for history. At present, Neha is working as a freelance content writer.
Ashwin Ramaswami, hailing from a Tamil Nadu immigrant family, represents a significant milestone as the first Indian-American of Generation Z to vie for a State or federal legislature in the United States. At 24, his bid for Georgia State Senate District 48 underlines a fresh wave of youthful politicians emerging within the community. His narrative embodies the quintessential American Dream as the offspring of parents who migrated to the U.S. in 1990. A voice of his generation, Ramaswami aims to champion equality of opportunity, drawing from his personal upbringing and career in software engineering, election security, and technology law and…
Sethuraman Panchanathan, the director of the National Science Foundation, along with nine other Indian Americans, has been elected to the esteemed National Academy of Engineering (NAE), known for its leadership in engineering service to the nation. Among the new international members, Thalappil Pradeep, the Deepak Parekh Institute Chair Professor and a professor of chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India, stands out as one of the 21 distinguished individuals. With this addition, the NAE now boasts a total US membership of 2,310 and an international membership of 332, as per an NAE press release. Election to the…
Shekar Narasimhan, an Indian American, was awarded the 2024 Commercial Real Estate Finance (CREF) Distinguished Service Award by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). This recognition was bestowed upon him during the Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo held in San Diego on February 12. Narasimhan, currently serving as the Managing Partner of Beekman Advisors, Inc., specializes in offering strategic advisory services to companies and investors in the real estate finance sector. The award, considered the highest honor by fellow MBA CREF members, underscores Narasimhan’s significant contributions to the commercial real estate finance industry and underscores his ongoing dedication to advancing its…
Scheduled for February 17 and 18, 2024, the conference aims to provide a platform for informed discussions and insights into India’s diverse landscape and promising future. Co-chair Taniya Bajaj emphasizes the participation of renowned experts and global influencers across different sectors to enrich the discourse on India’s trajectory. The event encompasses a wide array of topics, ranging from geopolitics and business dynamics to cultural contributions and societal challenges. The conference agenda includes panel discussions, keynote speeches, and interactive sessions, spread across two days at prestigious venues like the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School. Panels cover topics such as…
Indian American NASA scientist Rahul Ramachandran’s essay, “From Petabytes to Insights: Tackling Earth Science’s Scaling Problem,” is now available on NASA’s EarthData. It discusses the challenge of scaling in Earth science due to growing data volumes and proposes incorporating artificial intelligence into informatics as a potential solution. Ramachandran emphasizes the multifaceted nature of Earth science’s scaling problem, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses technical aspects of data management along with broader scientific processes and ethical considerations. He highlights the continuous nature of the evolution of data and research life cycles, emphasizing the role of artificial intelligence foundation…
Azad M. Madni and Srinath Ekkad have received prestigious recognitions from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Laura McGill, president of AIAA, described the Class of 2024 AIAA Honorary Fellows and Fellows as esteemed figures within the aerospace field, lauding their remarkable contributions and standing within the science and engineering community. AIAA defines honorary fellows as individuals who have achieved eminence in the aerospace industry, embodying the highest standards in aeronautics and astronautics. Azad M. Madni, bestowed with the title of honorary fellow, holds professorial positions at the University of Southern California, including the Northrop Grumman Fred O’Green…
It is expected that mall operators will see a year-on-year increase of 9-10% in rental income for the current financial year, followed by a slightly lower growth of 8-9% in 2024-25. This growth is driven by robust occupancy levels, trading value growth, and rental escalations. In India’s top six cities, around 9-10 million sq ft of new supply is anticipated in 2023-24 and approximately 6 million sq ft in 2024-25. Despite healthy net absorption in the first three quarters of the financial year, vacancy levels rose to 20% by December 2023 due to recent operational new supply yet to reach…
Bhavini Patel’s journey begins with supporting her single mother’s food truck business in Pittsburgh, transitioning to founding a tech startup post-graduation from Oxford University. Now, she sets her sights on a new venture: running for the US House of Representatives, aiming to secure Pennsylvania’s 12th District seat currently held by Democrat Summer Lee, whose unconventional stances have stirred controversy in the district. Patel, aged 30, has amassed over $310,000 in campaign funds, with around 70% sourced locally, and has garnered endorsements from key labor unions and various elected officials, reflecting the community’s support for her candidacy. Her narrative embodies the…
U.S. Representatives Ami Bera and Andy Kim have proposed a resolution urging the swift, secure, and ample delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip. The resolution, led by Rep Bera, addresses the aftermath of a terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th, resulting in tragic loss of life and the displacement of millions. It calls on the Biden Administration to facilitate the secure flow of aid convoys, ensure unimpeded delivery by humanitarian organizations, and distribute fuel to support their operations. The resolution also emphasizes oversight to guarantee proper aid delivery and advocates for a humanitarian pause to…
