It is now a well-established fact that the 25-million-strong Indian diaspora has made a mark in all sectors worldwide. These Indian-origin individuals have served the countries where they chose to settle down with honour and pride. While some frequently go through the motions of acting as bridges between their homeland and the world, it is debatable if they have done enough for their homeland, like, for instance, the Jews, who are a powerful lobby influencing decision-making in favour of Tel Aviv across the globe. Of course, the Indian diaspora does contribute to the economy by sending $135 billion worth of remittances (2024-25). These remittances cover almost 50 per cent of our trade deficit. But surely there is more they can do.
This debate has been reignited by the colourful and noisy victory in the New York mayoral election of Zohran Mamdani, born to Indian parents. It is being hailed as a sign of the growing influence of Indian-origin individuals in politics and has generated a lot of interest among the liberal intelligentsia in India. However, it is a moot point if Mamdani can be a bridge between India and the US, given his trenchant criticism of Donald Trump and Narendra Modi as well.
In any case, Indians tend to forget their country once they make it big abroad. Take the case of other notable Indian-origin politicians, who have made significant marks internationally – like Rishi Sunak, UK PM till recently, and Kamala Harris, former US Vice President. Harris did not even bother to visit India once during her tenure as VP. She identified herself more as black than South Asian. As for Sunak, the boyish, ever-smiling son-in-law of Infosys boss Narayana Murthy, it will be pertinent to note that the final push for the India-UK FTA came from his successor, Keith Starmer.
But the recent splash made by a slate of Indian-Americans not just in New York, but also in the rest of the US in high-profile electoral races will continue to make headlines for some months to come. They belonged mostly to the Democratic Party, signalling that it was again becoming the political dispensation of first choice of Indians living in the US. Indeed, for America’s 4.9 million-strong Indian-American community, the results may also come as welcome news amid a sharp uptick in racial rhetoric against the diaspora in some corners of US politics.
While Mamdani became New York’s first Indian origin mayor, the Hyderabad-born Senator Ghazala Hashmi was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia, becoming the first Muslim American woman to be elected to statewide office anywhere in the US. Meanwhile, Aftab Pureval saw off a challenge from US vice-president JD Vance’s half-brother Cory Bowman to win re-election as mayor of Cincinnati in Ohio.
On election day, dozens of Indian-American candidates ran for offices ranging from county supervisors to state senators. A number of them running in New Jersey and Virginia – both states with sizable Indian-American populations – found electoral success. Balvir Singh, the first Sikh elected to New Jersey’s State House, was comfortably re-elected to another term in office. Hoboken mayor Ravinder Bhalla will join Singh in the state’s assembly after winning his election against Republican challengers, including Indian-American candidate Kaushal Patel.
Meanwhile, former Obama administration official J.J. Singh won re-election to Virginia’s State House, while Senator Kannan Srinivasan kept his seat in the state senate. Indian-American candidates also won offices at the local level, including in states like South Carolina.
However, it was not a night of unmitigated success for Indian Americans. Former US Treasury official Dini Ajwani was unable to win the election as mayor of Hoboken in New Jersey, while Karen Bhatia lost her race to become a county legislator in New York.
The recent results also open the way for a set of high-profile political races involving Indian-Americans across the country over the next year. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is the frontrunner to win the Republican Party’s nomination to become governor of Ohio. Meanwhile, Nirav Shah has announced his candidacy to become the Democratic nominee for governor of Maine. Both elections will play out over the next year. Only two Indian-origin politicians have served as governors of US states in the past: Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and Nikki Haley in South Carolina. Meanwhile, the crucial midterm elections next year will see incumbent US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi run to become only the second Indian-origin senator in American history from the state of Illinois. The story will go on.
Now that Mamdani and others have won, the easier part is over. The challenge begins now, given the slew of impossible promises like taxing the rich or bringing down house rents that have been made. But will India ever figure in their calculus? Unlikely.