Investing in America: The Indian Story

The U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), in partnership with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), has launched "Investing in America: The Indian Story" initiative at the InterContinental Hotel, 505 Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL.

This from Earth Times:

Investing in America, which was unveiled by India's Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Kamal Nath, showcases the positive contributions made by Indian companies to the U.S. economy, from the creation of jobs, to best management practices exchanges between U.S. and Indian managers, to innovative new business strategies undertaken by Indian companies operating in America.

The USIBC-FICCI initiative highlights the top Indian companies operating in America including The Tata Group, Ranbaxy Laboratories, HCL Technologies, Mahindra USA, Satyam Computer Systems, Essar Group, Wockhardt USA, Thermax, ITC Group, Bharat Forge America, Kotak Mahindra, and Jet Airways among others.

more at Earth Times.

Indian-American from Michigan donates $1 million to Community College

Michigan India Community Blog: Harish Rawal of Jackson, MI donates $1 million to Jackson Community College

Indian-American Clerk shot dead in Vallejo City, California

Hindu is reporting

Surinder Kumar, a 55-year-old clerk at a '7-eleven' store in Vallejo city, was shot during a robbery, since investigators found an undisclosed amount of cash missing from the register, police said. Kumar died early Friday morning after a customer found him with gunshot wounds behind the counter, Vallejo police said.

It described the suspects as two black males, but said that no further details were immediately available. The police was also seeking public's help to find the killers of Kumar. The customer contacted police in the wee hours saying Kumar was behind the counter, bleeding and unconscious, police said.

Hindu further adds

Surinder Kumar, who immigrated to the USA from Ludhiana in 2000 along with his family, had been working the graveyard shift at the store for about six years

Our Deepest Condolences to the family and friends of Surinder Kumar.

Indian-American Postmaster

Jagdeep Grewal of Burlingame, California has been appointed as Daly City, California Postmaster.

Jagdeep Grewal becomes California's first Indian American Postmaster.

This from IndiaWest:

Jagdeep Grewal began her postal career in 1988 as a clerk in the Orinda, Calif. post office. She was appointed as postmaster for the nearby town of Pacifica in 2005 and has served as officer in charge for several Bay Area stations.

Daly City Mayor Carol Klatt also praised Grewal’s leadership skills and said she looked forward to working with her.

Winnie Groux, San Francisco District Manager, said "Jagdeep takes everything she does to heart. She absolutely cannot stand to fail."

"Jagdeep will be a great asset to Daly City," said Groux.

Desi Grandma rooting for Barack Obama

Here's a Desi Grandma who is so..so enthusiastic for Barack Obama. So what inspired her to take part in the OBama campaign. In her words

I was reading his book "Dream of my Father" and I had tears in my eyes. In my heart I fealt he is like a son for me. That inspired me to take part in the campaign

(via)

Padma Lakshmi in "Most Desirable Women of 2008" List

Padma Lakshmi an Indian American is ranked #66 in AskMen Magazine's "Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2008" List. Why Padma Laxmi is ranked #66?

Padma Lakshmi sure knows how to turn the heat up in the kitchen. This Indian-American beauty is best known for her hosting gig on Top Chef, making men throughout the country take an interest in the culinary arts for one hour every week. And while our No. 66 Most Desirable Woman spent 2007 with a starring role in most of your fantasies, she also appeared on the cover of Industry magazine and released her second cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet. Upon hearing of her place on this list, Padma said, "Thanks to all those who voted for me!"

Indian Americans in Intel Science Talent Search 2008 contest - Finals

There are 8 Indian Americans among the 40 finalists from all over United States in Intel Science Talent Search 2008 Contest - Finals.

Following are the names: Shravani Mikkilineni - Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI, Shivani Sud - Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, NC, Hamsa Sridhar - Kings Park High School in Kings Park, NY, Ashok Chandran - Smithtown High School East in Saint James. NY, Isha Jain - Freedom High School in Bethlehem, PA, Ayon Sen - Westwood High School in Austin, TX, Vinay Venkatesh Ramasesh - Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science in Denton, TX, Avanthi Raghavan Lake Highland Preparatory School in Orlando, FL.

Check out this Google Maps View of Indian-American Finalists which shows the High School Locations along with a description of projects they worked on which took them to the finals.

From Intel Talent Search Website:

this year's Intel STS finalists - hailing from 19 states and representing 35 schools - will travel to Washington, D.C. in March to compete for scholarships, meet with national leaders, interact with leading scientists and display their research at the National Academy of Sciences. The top winner will receive a $100,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. Each finalist will receive at least $5,000 in scholarships and a new laptop featuring the Intel® CoreTM2 Duo processor.