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Event in Washington celebrates America 250 and important role of Indian Americans
The program featured a distinguished lineup of lawmakers, diplomats, business executives, physicians and spiritual leaders
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Ishani Duttagupta - Sun, 26, Jul 2026
- 06:48 EDT
- 1886
Raja Krishnamoorthi along with other community members at the event. / Courtesy photo
More than 40 Indian-American organizations came together at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on July 25 to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary during a community-led celebration organized by the Indian-American Committee, according to a statement issued by the organizers.
The event brought together community organizations, elected officials, diplomats, business leaders and cultural performers in what the Committee described as a platform to celebrate the contributions of Indian Americans while strengthening collaboration among diaspora organizations across the United States.
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The evening began with the U.S. national anthem performed by Medha Shanbhag, followed by video messages from Art of Living Foundation founder Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. According to the Committee, both speakers reflected on themes of unity, service and responsible citizenship.
The organizers also shared a congratulatory message from U.S. Senator Steve Daines, who recognized the contributions of the Indian-American community and commended the Committee for bringing together organizations from across the country.
In addition to remarks previously reported from Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the event's congressional co-chair, the gathering also featured Rep. Shri Thanedar, according to the statement.
Poster of the event. / HandoutAmong those in attendance were Uttam Dhillon, former acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; former NASA Administrator Dr. Michael D. Griffin; aerospace executive Dr. Vivek Lall; oncologist Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori; and Asian American Hotel Owners Association Chairman Rahul Patel. The Committee also said more than 15 serving and former ambassadors attended the event under the coordination of Ambassador Pradeep Kapur.
During the program, Indian-American Committee Co-founder and Co-chair Ramesh Viswanath Kapur outlined plans to strengthen the community's public outreach. According to the statement, he announced an initiative to engage a professional public relations firm to help promote what he described as a more accurate and positive narrative of the Indian-American community across mainstream and digital media platforms.
Co-founder Dr. Suvas Desai highlighted the importance of bringing Indian-American organizations under a unified platform to strengthen advocacy efforts in Washington. Event Co-chairs Narsimha Koppula and Deepak Raj reiterated their commitment to continued collaboration among participating organizations, while Secretary Rajender Dichpally spoke about the Indian-American community's contributions in medicine, technology, defense, entrepreneurship and philanthropy, according to the statement.
The celebration also featured cultural performances by Grammy Award-winning vocalist Falu Shah, the South Asian a cappella group Penn Masala and a Bhangra dance troupe. The event was emceed by Priya Samant and Anju Preet Poddar, while Manish Sood of Intense Entertainment served as event manager, according to the organizers.
The Indian-American Committee described the gathering as one of the first major Indian-American community-led events in Washington to commemorate America's 250th anniversary. Organizers said they intend to build on the initiative by continuing to expand collaboration among Indian-American organizations and creating a long-term national platform for community engagement and civic participation.
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