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Indian diaspora dominates global tech diplomacy list
The list features 6 Indians, ranging from UN leaders, politicians to philanthropy giants.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Fri, 09, Jan 2026
- 00:18 EST
- 161
(from left) (top) Amandeep Gill, Ajay Agrawal, Gobind Singh Deo, (bottom) Deodat Maharaj, Vilas Dhar and Suresh Venkatasubramanian / Tech Diplomacy Global 50
The Tech Diplomacy Global 50 named 6 Indian-origin tech leaders in their 2026 list of the world’s most influential leaders advancing responsible technology policy, digital governance, and international cooperation.
Led by the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute in collaboration with UNESCO, the list aims to promote inclusive, ethical and coordinated global approaches to emerging technologies, including AI, cybersecurity and digital trade.
One of the most significant names on the list is Amandeep Gill, a retired Indian diplomat who currently serves as the Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies at the United Nations. Gill holds a PhD in Nuclear Learning in Multilateral Forums from King’s College, London, a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Electrical Communications from Panjab University, Chandigarh and an Advanced Diploma in French History and Language from Geneva University.
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The list further includes Ajay Agrawal, an economist and professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Professor Agrawal is the founder of the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) and cofounder of NEXT Canada, both not-for-profit programs that support the commercialization of science via entrepreneurship.
The list also features Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital of Malaysia. Deo, a lawyer-turned politician, is an alumnus of the University of Warwick. His inclusion highlights the contribution of the Indian diaspora to digital leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.
The list also features Deodat Maharaj, the Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. He assumed the role in 2024 to advance science, technology, and innovation in the world's poorest nations.
Maharaj has over 25 years of international experience, including senior positions at the Commonwealth Secretariat, UNDP, and Caribbean Export.
The fifth Indian on the list is Vilas Dhar, the President of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, a $1.5 billion global philanthropy organization. Dhar holds a Masters' degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School and a degree in law from the New York University School of Law.
Also on the list is Suresh Venkatasubramanian, the Director of the Center for Technological Responsibility at Brown University. Venkatasubramanian is a Professor of Computer Science and Data Science at Brown University who directs the Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign (CNTR). He has previously served in the Biden-Harris administration and helped author the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.
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