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Indian Americans urged to engage next generation
Indian American organisations discussed entrepreneurship, digital outreach and cultural programming as ways to reconnect with younger generations drifting away from traditional community institutions.
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Lalit K Jha (IANS) - Sun, 10, May 2026
- 07:35 EDT
- 51
Glimpse of the event / New India Abroad
Raleigh: Community leaders and entrepreneurs at the “India Abroad North Carolina Dialogue 2026” called for stronger engagement with younger Indian Americans, warning that many second-generation youths were drifting away from traditional cultural and community institutions.
The discussion at the Hindu Society of North Carolina focused on how Indian American organisations must adapt to changing generational attitudes and communication habits.
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Entrepreneur Sandesh Sharda said younger Indian Americans were more likely to connect through innovation, mentorship and entrepreneurship than through traditional community activities.
Gimpse of the event / New India Abroad“In Washington, we formed the Indian American Business Impact Group,” Sharda said, adding that the organisation had launched youth leadership and startup funding initiatives.
“Believe it or not, the hard-to-reach 16-to-24 age group is attending these events,” he said.
Sharda said the group offers up to $25,000 in seed funding for promising startups led by young founders.
Professor Maneesh Pandeya, who moderated the first panel discussion, said many younger Indian Americans were increasingly shaped by social media and digital culture rather than traditional religious institutions.
“They have their own questions and their own reasoning is different,” Pandeya said.
Madhu Sharma said first-generation immigrants needed to rethink how they approached identity and integration.
“We have to change our thinking,” Sharma said, adding that younger Indian Americans already saw themselves as fully American while maintaining Indian roots.
“We can still be proud Hindu and Indian, while also being proud Americans integrated into mainstream society,” she said.
HSNC chairperson Sajjan Agarwal acknowledged that many younger Indian Americans were less connected to traditional community structures.
“Our children come when they are young, but later they don’t want to come,” Agarwal said.
He said community organisations needed broader cultural programming and stronger integration with mainstream society to remain relevant.
Pandeya suggested temples and cultural centres could host film festivals, food festivals, music events and youth-focused educational initiatives to sustain engagement.
“Maybe you bring in more activities — film festivals, food festivals, music festivals,” he said.
The discussion also highlighted the growing importance of Instagram and other digital platforms in reaching younger Indian Americans.
“Most information is consumed through Instagram,” Sharda said, proposing larger collective digital platforms to showcase positive Indian American contributions and success stories across the United States.
The event brought together elected officials, diplomats, entrepreneurs and community leaders to discuss the evolving identity and future direction of the Indian diaspora in the United States.
Indian Americans remain among the youngest and fastest-growing immigrant-origin communities in the country, with second-generation Indian Americans increasingly shaping public life, business, technology, media and politics.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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