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GOPIO gala to honor five Indian American achievers
The event will honor Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Anil Diwan, Ajay Ghosh, Nitin Mhatre and Hemchandra Shertukde for their contributions and achievements.
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Staff Reporter - Fri, 29, May 2026
- 04:16 EDT
- 127
(from left) (top)Dr. Anil R. Diwan, Senator Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, Ajay Ghosh, (bottom) Nitin Mhatre and Prof. Hemchandra Shertukde / GOPIO
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO)-Connecticut Chapter has announced that it will honor five Indian Americans for their services to the community and society at the 20th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Awards Banquet on June 13.
Scheduled to be held in Darien, Connecticut, the event will recognize Connecticut state Sen. Prof. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox, entrepreneur Dr. Anil Diwan, journalist Ajay Ghosh, CEO Nitin Mhatre and Prof. Hemchandra Shertukde, recognizing their achievements in profession and service to the nation.
Several Connecticut lawmakers are expected to attend this event.
Commenting on the award selection, GOPIO-CT President Mahesh Jhangiani said, “We select the awardees who have made an impact in our society and/or those who provide outstanding service.”
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GOPIO International Founder President Dr. Thomas Abraham and chairman of the GOPIO-CT Awards Committee said, “These awardees are role models for our new generations, and GOPIO-CT has done a great job in building up a good image of India and Indian Americans in Connecticut.”
In the Entrepreneurship and Business Achievements category, Dr. Anil R. Diwan, the founder, president and executive chairman of NanoViricides Inc., will be honored. He is known for pioneering antiviral “nanoviricide” technology designed to target and destroy viruses.
He led the development of NV-387, a broad-spectrum antiviral drug candidate, not a vaccine, that has shown activity in company studies against viruses including COVID coronaviruses, influenza, RSV, Mpox, Smallpox, Measles and Ebola.
In the political leadership category, GOPIO-CT will recognize Sen. Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox. Gadkar-Wilcox has served in the Connecticut State Senate since 2024, representing the 22nd District, and is also a professor of legal studies at Quinnipiac University. A Fulbright-Nehru Scholar from 2015 to 2017, she conducted research in India on constitutional values and democratic institutions.
Ajay Ghosh is a veteran journalist, media leader, educator and health care professional with more than three decades of experience in journalism, academia and clinical social work. GOPIO-CT will be honoring him in the Journalism category.
He is the publisher and chief editor of The Global Net News and Health and Wellness News and has held senior editorial roles with The Asian Era, The Indian Express (North America) and the Universal News Network, while he is the founder president of the Indo-American Press Club.
From the corporate leadership landscape, Nitin Mhatre was selected.
Mhatre became CEO of First County Bank in April 2026, leading a community bank that has served Fairfield County and Connecticut for more than 174 years.
Previously, he served as CEO of Berkshire Bank and held senior leadership roles at Webster Bank and Citibank. He holds engineering and MBA degrees from Mumbai University along with executive education from Harvard Business School.
Last on the list is veteran professor Hemchandra M. Shertukde. He has been a distinguished professor in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture at the University of Hartford for nearly four decades.
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur with a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut, he is an accomplished educator, researcher, inventor and entrepreneur.
The awardees will be honored at GOPIO-CT's 20th Anniversary Celebrations during the Awards Banquet. Special recognition will be given to the chapter's founding members: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Viresh Sharma, Sangeeta and Paul Ahuja, Meera and Bhom Banta, and Gharry Gill.
Past presidents Sangeeta Ahuja, Shailesh Naik, Shelly Nichani, Anita Bhat, Ashok Nichani and Jaya Daptardar will also be recognized. Additionally, Sharon Priya Banta will receive special recognition for her service as the chapter's youth coordinator in the early years.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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