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FIIDS to host fourth annual Capitol Hill Day
More than 170 Indian American delegates will meet U.S. lawmakers to advocate on key community and policy issues.
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Staff Reporter - Sun, 21, Jun 2026
- 14:38 EDT
- 19
Event's poster / FIIDS
The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) will host its fourth annual Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C., on June 23, bringing together more than 170 Indian American delegates from 25 states for meetings with U.S. lawmakers.
The event, described by FIIDS as one of its marquee advocacy initiatives, is expected to draw between 170 and 175 delegates from across the country.
Also Read: FIIDS urges Trump administration to ease H-1B visa delays
The organization said it has already secured about 100 meetings with elected officials and congressional staff and expects that number to exceed 125 before the event begins.
“This is one of our marquee events on Capitol Hill and unique in a way that delegates from all over the USA come and meet elected officials and their staffers in person, raising issues of Indian American interest,” FIIDS chief Khanderao Kand said in a video statement.
Kand said the initiative seeks to represent the concerns of the more than 5.1 million Indian Americans living in the United States and amplify the community’s voice in policy discussions on Capitol Hill.
The advocacy meetings will focus on strengthening the U.S.-India partnership, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, supply chain resilience, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a strategic trade and connectivity initiative linking India, the Middle East, and Europe.
Delegates are also expected to highlight the contributions of Indian Americans across sectors, including technology, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and academia, while raising concerns about discrimination and hateful rhetoric directed at members of the community.
“We also talk about the Indian American contributions and at the same time create awareness about rising discrimination and hateful comments concerning Indian Americans,” Kand said.
Immigration reform will be another major focus of the discussions. FIIDS plans to advocate on issues including H-1B visas, employment-based green card backlogs, and protections for children who age out of dependent visa categories.
Kand said the organization will emphasize the role of highly skilled immigrants in maintaining U.S. competitiveness and call for measures to make the immigration system more efficient and frictionless.
A key issue this year is critical minerals, which are essential to semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and defense technologies. Kand noted that the United States has limited access to many critical minerals and that China controls a dominant share of global supplies.
“This issue actually first came to Congress when we raised it in 2024. At that time, many elected officials were not aware about it, and we have consistently raised that issue,” he said.
The focus on critical minerals, immigration reform, Indo-Pacific security, and technology cooperation builds on issues FIIDS has championed during previous Capitol Hill advocacy efforts.
In 2024, more than 135 Indian American delegates from 22 states met nearly 100 elected officials to discuss immigration reforms, emerging technologies, Indo-Pacific security, and measures to address bias and hate crimes targeting Indian Americans.
FIIDS has positioned Capitol Hill Day as an effort to increase the policy influence of the Indian American community, which the organization argues remains underrepresented in Washington despite its growing economic, professional, and civic contributions.
The organization said this year’s event has attracted strong participation from youth leaders, women, and community representatives from across the country.
The Capitol Hill meetings will be followed by the US250 and U.S.-India Partnership Summit in the evening.
The gathering is expected to bring together elected officials, State Department representatives, embassy officials, think tank leaders, and members of the Indian American community to discuss the current state of bilateral relations and opportunities to further strengthen the U.S.-India partnership in the years ahead.
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