Who is served by philanthropic initiatives and how?  My recent research in India’s microfinance industry has urged me to revisit taken for granted notions of donation and assistance that implicitly structure our conversations about helping to transform the conditions of… Read more

There’s no doubt that our community now holds some influence in the United States. As we play an increasingly larger role on the national political stage, it is obvious that Indian Americans are enjoying: A big “thank you” from President… Read more

Growing up in Bangalore, I went to a very proper Christian school where I was taught by nuns, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Basically, I was brought up to be a good Samaritan, and maybe I am one.   I would go… Read more

As a literary critic, I also study mythmaking.  Human beings tell stories that have subtle (and sometimes blatant) ways of excluding and including others, shaping as well as tweaking minds. In this blog I will discuss India’s inclusive spiritualism.  Myth… Read more

Currently, India spends about $20 per person per year on healthcare and spending more once seemed like a peripheral concern, taking a back seat to basics like food and sanitation.  However, in the past decade, as the Indian economy has… Read more

Two major narratives came out of the energizing Indiaspora conference – we as Indian Americans have been immensely successful, with some exceptions, and we should attend to India’s major needs. I find these narratives compelling and informative, especially our commitment… Read more

Indian Americans are possibly the most Democrat leaning group of any community in the United States other than African Americans. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 65 percent of Indian Americans identified themselves as Democrats and just… Read more

When Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke have a meeting, I feign interest. But when the meeting is in New Delhi with their Indian counterparts, I’m all ears.