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GOPIO hosts webinar on Indian Diaspora's contributions to global tech
The webinar was led by industry experts from USA, India and Australia
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Staff Reporter - Sun, 09, Nov 2025
- 08:45 EST
- 15
Poster of the event / Handout: GOPIO
The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) organized the November edition of its webinar series, spotlighting how Indian-origin scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators are steering technological breakthroughs across continents, on Nov. 8.
Titled 'Shaping the Technologies for the Future – Role of Diaspora,' the forum brought together experts from academia and industry to explore the diaspora’s pivotal role in driving the next wave of global innovation.
The event was attended by Prof. N.P. Padhy, Director of MNIT Jaipur, the guest of honor for the session. The webinar was moderated by Prof. Prasad K D V Yarlagadda from Australia.
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Prakash Shah, the President of GOPIO International, kicked off the discussion by underscoring how STEM has powered India’s migration waves and global influence. He remarked, “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math have been a crucial driver of the waves of migration from India to the Western world in the last sixty years."
He added, “Originally dubbed the brain drain, this migration has fertilized every Silicon Valley in every Western country.”
He also recalled how the phrase "Better brain drain than the brain in the drain" silenced early criticism of the movement of Indian talent.
Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO’s Founder and Chairman, traced the organization’s evolution since 1989 and its mission to connect global Indian professionals with their homeland.
Dr. Abraham noted, “We have worked to bring the Indian diaspora into mainstream public life and address the issues of our community for thirty-six years,” he said. “Now we are expanding that mission to technology and innovation, building bridges between diaspora scientists, technologists, and entrepreneurs and their counterparts in India.”
Dr. Abraham further highlighted plans to foster collaboration in advanced computing, AI, nanotechnology, critical minerals, and clean energy. “We want to identify and network diaspora experts in each area so that they can strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem,” he emphasized.
As chair of the GOPIO Webinar Series, Sunil Vuppala welcomed the speakers and audience, describing the event as part of GOPIO’s broader effort to connect the diaspora’s intellectual capital with India’s growth story.
He noted, “Each month’s discussion brings forward voices from different parts of the world who are defining the global Indian identity through innovation and excellence,” he said.
The discussions were led by an expert panel consisting of Dr Anupam Shukla, Director of SVNIT Surat; Dr Himanshu Jain from Lehigh University; Dr. D. R. Nagaraj from Columbia University; Entrepreneur and public policy leader Bhavini Patel; Melissa Frakman the Founder of EMVC; Krishanu Acharya, the CEO of Suhora Technologies and Dr. Durga Das, the CEO of AiroWater.
Vuppala commended the speakers for representing both academic rigour and entrepreneurial drive. “This is what distinguishes the Indian diaspora — a commitment to knowledge, collaboration, and giving back,” he said.
The webinar concluded with a call for closer collaboration between global Indian innovators and their counterparts in India. GOPIO leaders reaffirmed their goal of expanding specialized technology councils, creating sectoral networks, and aligning diaspora innovation with India’s national growth priorities.
“From AI and space to minerals and water, the Indian diaspora continues to shape the world’s technological destiny,” Dr. Abraham said in closing. “GOPIO is committed to being that bridge.”
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