The high-octane foreign policy for the ruling NDA government of India requires Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make several international trips for global leadership summits and diplomatic missions in the first six months following the beginning of his second term. Evidently, PM Modi’s 2019 foreign visit schedule, which kicked off with his trip to the Maldives in June, was a talk of the town for various reasons.

The most watched out on Modi’s 2019 schedule of foreign trips is his upcoming visit to the United States for the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. During his visit to USA in September 2019, PM Modi will address a Climate Change summit at the UN on September 23, initiated by UN Secretary General, in response to having been approached to lead the Industry Transition Track and represent India. Among his prime ministerial trips, this will be PM Modi’s third visit to the UN General Assembly in New York.

If the grapevine is to be believed, Chicago and Houston had a toss over who would host Indian Prime Minister Modi on his upcoming visit to the US. It is said that Chicago lost the toss to Houston, as it played host to India’s Vice President Venkaiah Naidu at the World Hindu Congress in 2018.

What’s the most interesting about PM Modi’s visit to Houston in September 2019 is the ‘Howdy Modi’ event this Sunday (September 22), for which more than 50,000 Indian Americans have already registered. Both PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump will address the rally at the ‘Howdy Modi’ in Houston. The White House has confirmed Trump’s attendance at the Houston event and described it as a step towards deepening the US-India relationship in defence, trade and energy. The NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas is the Howdy Modi event venue.

“Howdy Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures” 

Titled the Howdy Modi, the Indian American community summit, to be held in honor of Narendra Modi, will see attendees from 48 US states, sharing cultural values and noble aspirations of two great democracies. Eminent business honchos, minority community leaders, US lawmakers and senior Democrats will be in attendance.

A 90-minute cultural extravaganza – “Woven: The Indian American Story” is on the agenda of the ‘Howdy Modi’ event organizers in Houston, with the motto to showcase the Indian American community’s love for the roots. As many as 400 artistes from across Texas and other US states will participate in the “Woven: The Indian American Story.”

With over 50,000 attendees, the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston will be thrice the size of each of the events held in New York, San Jose and Washington DC during Modi’s previous visits to the United States. The previous events held in honor of PM Modi were attended by a little more than 20,000 people. Notably, PM Modi is always eager to meet overseas Indians and connect them back to their roots.

According to the US Census 2010, Texas is home to the fourth largest Indian-origin populace. As of 2011-2015, the metro areas – Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Dallas Fort Worth-Arlington – have 84,000 and 74,000 Indian immigrants. But, a Pew Research Centre survey estimated that Houston alone had 125,000 people of Indian-origin in 2015.

Reportedly, Modi’s presence will take center stage at the climate meeting given the significance of India’s representation in the UNGA 2019. Earlier, he was honored with the UN Champions of the Earth Award for Policy Leadership.

Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a leading portal for Indian Americans publishing latest community, visa, immigration and aviation news. Indian Eagle, a leading international air-ticketing agency in USA, makes cheap business class flights to India cheaper with major airlines’ secret fare deals and guaranteed best service.

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Both Dallas and Houston have long been waiting for direct flights from Texas to India. Neither of DFW International Airport and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport has direct air connectivity to India, though each of the both Texan airports offers nonstop service to over 50 major cities across the world.

Texas Governor, Greg Abbott found himself stuck between Houston and Dallas when it came to considering the demand for nonstop flights to India made by both – Indians in Houston and Dallas Indians, before he left for a 9-day trip to India in March 2018. A direct link to India from Texas was a matter of discussion during his meeting with Suresh Prabhu, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation.

The meeting was concluded, with Greg Abbott saying, “When I get home, it’s going to be one of the issues I focus on. … I’m going to have Houston and Dallas battle it out and let the respective airlines battle it out,” according to Dallasnews.com.

Picture credit: Pinterest.com/zillow

In August 2019, the proposed, expected and awaited direct air connectivity to India from Texas has culminated in a Houston vs Dallas battle. It is highly speculated that with the consul general of India being in Houston, the prospects are better in favor of Houston Indians than Indians in Dallas.

On the other hand, the US IMPACT (US Indo-American Members Political Action Committee of Texas) launched a petition to collect minimum 50,000 signatures, before Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Houston in September, in order to make Dallas to India direct flights a reality.

With no fewer than 50,000 signatures, the petition titled “DFW2India” will be submitted to India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Air India’s Chairman Ashwani Lohani, Texas Governor, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian, and American Airlines CEO. The petition will also be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Houston visit. The objective of the petition is that the direct connectivity to India from Dallas, Texas is no more a desire; rather a need.

The petition requires Indians/Indian-origin people in and around Dallas to furnish the petition form with certain details like how frequently they traveled to India in the past 3 years, what their preferred Indian destination is (Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata), what kind of trip to India they make – personal or business, and their personal reason for supporting the cause of starting direct flights to India from Dallas, Texas.

“India is definitely up there on DFW Airport’s list of target international destinations,” said John Ackerman, the executive vice president of global strategy and development. Currently, a few airlines offer one-stop service from DFW International Airport to 13 Indian cities. The size of Dallas’ Indian populace is bigger than the number of Indians in Houston by a few thousands, as per the 2017 data.

If the fulcrum of interest tilts towards Houston, either United Airlines or Air India will operate nonstop flights from Houston to India. If Dallas is favored, either American Airlines or Air India will provide direct flights to India from Dallas. In March 2019, American Airlines was planning to make a comeback to India with direct service from any of its US hubs.

“In November 2018, the Federation of Indian American Associations of Georgia presented a memorandum to Indian government, seeking assistance to make Air India operate direct flights from Atlanta to India. But, there is yet no response from the government of India. Hope, the petition seeking signatures in support of direct flights from Dallas to India meets with success,” said the editor of Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Travel, a most trusted air-ticketing partner of Indians in USA.

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Human trafficking for sex slavery is one of the most heinous crimes against the mankind. Anyone fighting against this evil is, undeniably, a hero. Recently, Indian American Minal Patel Davis emerged a hero for her exceptional pursuits in the direction towards combating human trafficking for child labor and sex slavery in the US state of Texas.

The Indian American community’s Dussehra celebration for the good’s victory over the evil seems continuing with the felicitation of Minal Patel Davis at a special event in the White House. The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo honored her with a presidential award for her outstanding contribution to the fight against human trafficking in Houston City. Her felicitation was attended by President Donald Trump.

The ‘Presidential Medal for Combating Human Trafficking’ from the US government is one of the nation’s highest honors bestowed upon those showing exceptional courage for the sake of humankind. Indian American Minal Patel Davis exclaimed that she found the official recognition of her efforts ‘unbelievable’.

Houston City Mayor Sylvester Turner, who declared Indian American Rukmini Kalamangalam as Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, had appointed Minal Patel Davis as a special adviser on human trafficking in 2015. Minal took the bull by the horns for alleviating the incidence of labor exploitation and sex slavery in Houston, the fourth largest American city. She helped Houston Mayor in advancing the systems to combat human trafficking, from a policy-level perspective.

Currently, Minal Patel Davis is busy implementing Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategic Plan across the city.

Texas is home to nearly 25% of trafficked humans in the United States, and Houston is an epicenter of human trafficking, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. One-fourth of human trafficking to the US occurs through Texas because of the state’s proximity to the border with Mexico. Texas houses 313,000 victims of forced labor and sex slavery, including 79000 minors and youth, according to findings by researchers at the University of Texas. January is the month of human trafficking awareness in Texas.

Minal Patel Davis is a most invited speaker at regional, national and international panel discussions on the evils of human trafficking and the ways to deal with it. Recently, she took flights to India and Canada, where she told the government officials about Houston Mayor’s approach towards combating human trafficking and discussed how municipalities could play instrumental in the fight against human trafficking.

One of the guest speakers at the United Nations World Humanitarian Summit, Minal studied MBA at the University of Connecticut, and pursued BA from New York University.

This story is part of our continued effort at Travel Beats, an Indian American community portal by Indian Eagle Travel to promote achievements of Indians in USA. We not only strive to make last-minute flights to India cheaper but also cater inspiring stories, community news, and travel updates to Indian Americans through our free newsletters.  

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It has been three months since Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of the United States in August 2017. It caused an irrecoverable loss to Houston and left many residents with traumatic memories of the devastation, which drove Indian American Rukmini Kalamangalam to pen a heart-touching poem “After Harvey.”

A first-generation Indian American resident of Houston, Rukmini Kalamangalam captured the most disheartening moments of Hurricane Harvey, pictured struggles for survival, and narrated about the futility of life in the hands of ferocious nature in her poem “After Harvey.” She has received Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate title for her soul-stirring poem on Hurricane Harvey in Texas. (Read the poem below)

The first Indian American to be awarded Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate title, Rukmini Kalamangalam studies at Carnegie Vanguard High School in Houston Independent School District. This prestigious honor from Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Houston Public Library, and Writers in the Schools entitles Rukmini to a number of benefits including a scholarship.

Being a poet laureate of Houston, she will act as Cultural Arts Advisor to Houston Mayor’s Youth Council. Her work will be published in Houston Chronicle for one year. She is also eligible for one-year tenure of mentorship from Houston’s Poet Laureate, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton.

Also Check: Role of Indian Americans in Hurricane Harvey Relief Work

Rukmini Kalamangalam applied for Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate title several times earlier. She was required to submit five poems and three essays along with a resume to enter the competition every time. A board of experts interviews five finalists among the participants and selects only two every year. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner selected Rukmini for Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate 2017 title.

Rukmini does not want to rest on her laurels. Rather, she is all set to create a dedicated space for budding poets and young artists to share their creative work and experiences with each other. She does also plan to start a column in a local publication for students to get their poems published. Houston’s Young Poet Laureate 2017, Rukmini Kalamangalam knows no full stop until she initiates poetry readings in public places.

This story is part of our continued effort at Indian Eagle to promote achievements of Indians in USA. We not only strive to make US to India travel cheaper but also cater inspiring stories, community news, and travel updates to Indian Americans through our free newsletters. If you have any story to tell or share, do feel free to write to us at share@blogbox.indianeagle.com.   

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It has been a month (today, September 25) since Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast of USA on August 25, 2017 and left South Texas with a massive burden of devastation worth over $180 billion. The damage to public and private properties caused by #HurricaneHarvey2017 in and around South Texas includes the destruction of 200,000 homes (50,000 in Houston only), which may take five years to be rebuilt, according to the Governor of Texas.

However, every dark cloud has a silver lining. An Indian American couple donated USD 250,000 to Houston Mayor’s  Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund at a private event yesterday.

Houston Indian American Amit Bhandari and his wife Arpita Brahmbhatt Bhandari contributed the donation to the Harvey relief fund set up by Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner, on behalf of the Greater Houston Community Foundation of which he is a premium member.

Amit Bhandari is a Houston-based entrepreneur. He is the CEO and Chairman of BioUrja Group which trades in energy and agricultural commodities across the globe. His wife, Arpita Bhandari is the Vice President of Human Resources in the company.

The leading members of the Houston Indian community joined Mayor Sylvester Turner to thank the Indian American couple for having donated a lump sum to the Hurricane Harvey relief fund, and pledged more contributions to financially ease the relief work. Notably, Greater Houston Indian Americans have been trying all possible means to raise USD 1 million for the relief and rehabilitation fund.

Acknowledging the generosity of Indian Americans in general, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said, “Indian Americans have golden hearts. They always come up with voluntary aid during hard times like Hurricane Harvey. Their contributions are not limited to the Harvey relief and rehabilitation fund. They have been making great efforts for the welfare of Houston for a long time. The Indian community is vital to Houston and will help make the city what it was before prior to Hurricane Harvey 2017.”

The BioUrja founder and CEO Amit Bhandari said that volunteers of the Greater Houston Community Foundation helped rescue 700 victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. The community has also donated $1.5 million to several charitable organizations involved in Hurricane Harvey relief and rehabilitation.

The Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray lauded the Indian American community for their humanitarian efforts and generous contributions while thanking Amit Bhandari and Arpita Bhandari for donating $250,000 to the relief fund. He added, “Your generosity makes India proud. A community is great if it rises above its suffering. You have demonstrated that by contributing toward Hurricane Harvey relief.”

Role of Sewa International in Hurricane Harvey Relief 

Sewa International is another non-profit organization that deserves a special mention for its pivotal role in evacuating and rescuing people, including 247 Indian students at the University of Houston, from the floods caused by Hurricane Harvey, which is described as the costliest natural calamity in the US history.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Houston, Sewa International actively works for development and disaster relief in 20 countries including India. A team of over 800 volunteers from Sewa International, with the ‘can do’ spirit, jumped into the evacuation and rescue drive across Houston. Gitesh Desai, the President of the Houston Chapter of Sewa International, continued to supervise the volunteers and motivate them for better efforts from a hotel room though his own house was partly submerged in five feet of flood waters.

Sewa International raised a fund of $250,000 in ten days to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The volunteers tirelessly organized health camps, arranged temporary shelters, provided medical supplies and served hot meals. Several local organizations and Houston restaurants including Dinesh Purohit’s Cafe India contributed to the relief work by providing and distributing 30,000 meals a day across Greater Houston.

Indeed! Every single effort and every individual contribution towards service to humanity counts for achieving noble goals. We at Indian Eagle, a trusted travel booking partner of Indians in USA, did our bit by tweeting travel alerts and posting airlines’ travel waiver announcements on Facebook at regular intervals during and after Hurricane Harvey.

Inspiring Stories of Indian Americans in Philanthropy   

• Indian American Teens Help the Poor with Sanitation
• Indian American Flies Solo to Raise Fund for Cancer Patients
• New Jersey Sikhs Serve Free Meals in 80 Locations
• 19-year-old Indian American Girl Teaches Poor Girls Self Defense
• These Indian American Women are Agents of Change in India

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Hurricane Harvey in the Gulf Coast of USA has thrown normal tempo of life out of gear. Air travel to and from South Texas and Louisiana is temporarily disrupted following the shutdown of operations at seven airports and the cancellation of 9000 flights. Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby Airport (HOU) will remain closed for commercial flights until noon (CST) on August 31, 2017 as per the latest update. Major international airlines have announced waiver for travelers looking to cancel or reschedule travel to, from, or through the cities affected by Hurricane Harvey.

We at Indian Eagle compiled details of the following airlines’ travel waiver which is subject to the airlines’ terms and conditions pertaining travel dates, origin cities, arrival cities and seat availability.

United Airlines’ Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey

United Airlines has called off its operations at Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and cancelled flights to and from Houston until noon (CST) on Thursday, August 31. The suspension of United Airlines’ operations at Houston may continue beyond August 31 if required. United flights to and from other cities in and around Texas may be delayed or affected due to Hurricane Harvey.

United Airlines announced to offer a travel waiver from August 25 to September 5, 2017 for the flights to, from and through the cities affected by Hurricane Harvey, including Austin (TX), Alexandria (LA), Baton Rouge (LA), Brownsville (TX), College Station (TX), Corpus Christi (TX), Harlingen (TX), Houston (TX), Lake Charles (LA), Lafayette (LA), Laredo (TX), McAllen (TX), New Orleans (LA), San Antonio (TX) and Shreveport (LA).

United Airlines will waive its change fee and fare difference (if there is any) for one-time change of date or time in the itineraries of the flights booked on or before August 25, 2017 for travel between August 25 and September 20, 2017 if the travel cabins (fare class), the origin cities and the arrival cities are the same as originally ticketed.

United Airlines will waive only its change fee, not fare difference (if there is any) for rescheduling travel (on request) for departure after September 20, 2017 and modifying origin or arrival city in the booked itineraries with travel dates until September 5. Rescheduled tickets must be used within one year from the date of issuing the original tickets.

Delta Airlines’ Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey 

In response to the impact of Hurricane Harvey on air travel, Delta Airlines has come up with a waiver for those looking to cancel their travel. Those having Delta flight tickets for travel dated between August 25 and September 7, 2017 are entitled to a refund in the event of flight cancellation or flight delay by 90 minutes or more. You can claim a refund if a segment (s) of your ticket remains unused by September 7, 2017.

Delta Airlines, too, will entertain requests for one-time change of date or time in the booked tickets for departure by or on September 20, 2017, without any fee. As per Delta Airlines’ latest update available at Indian Eagle, you are eligible for refund or change fee waiver only if you travel on Delta flights to, from, or through the cities affected by Hurricane Harvey, not beyond September 20, 2017. The cities are Austin (TX, AUS), Alexandria (LA, AEX), Baton Rouge (LA, BTR), Houston (TX, HOU, IAH), San Antonio (TX, SAT), Shreveport (LA, SHV), New Orleans (LA, MSY), and Lafayette (LA, LFT).

Delta Airlines’ change of date fee will be waived for rescheduling travel beyond September 2017, but fare difference between the original ticket and the rescheduled ticket may apply. You must complete the travel before the ticket expires (within one year from the date when the origin ticket was issued). You may have to pay fare difference for modifying your itinerary (origin or destination city change) even for traveling on or before September 9, 2017.

If your Delta Airlines flight ticket cannot be rescheduled within the above-mentioned guidelines, you can cancel it and book a new ticket against the unused value of the canceled ticket. Delta Airlines’ change fee and fare difference will apply in this case.    

American Airlines’ Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey

Those traveling to, from, or through Alexandria, Austin, Baton Rouge, Beaumont, Brownsville, College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston (HOU and IAH), Laredo, Lake Charles, Lafayette, McAllen, New Orleans, Shreveport and San Antonio may avail American Airlines’ change fee waiver for rescheduling their travel in the event of Hurricane Harvey.

American Airlines’ change fee waiver is available for rescheduling travel booked on or before August 28, 2017 for traveling on or before September 7, 2017 given the disruption of commercial air connectivity in South Texas due to Hurricane Harvey. American Airlines flight tickets may be rescheduled for traveling not beyond September 20, 2017 and without changing the origin or destination city.

If you booked American Airlines tickets on or before August 23, 2017 for traveling by August 31, 2017, you may request to reschedule the ticket for traveling by September 13, 2017 without paying the airline’s change of date fee. If you wish to change the travel class or the departure city or the arrival city, fare difference may apply.

Lufthansa’s Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey

Daily Lufthansa flights to and from Houston, Texas have been cancelled until August 31, 2017 due to the severe weather inclemency caused by Hurricane Harvey. Lufthansa has offered to rebook the cancelled flights without any fee.

Virgin Atlantic’s Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey

Those who booked Virgin Atlantic Airways flights to, from, or through Houston (HOU and IAH), San Antonio (SAT), and Austin (AUS) for traveling between August 25 and September 7, 2017 may cancel their tickets and rebook flights for traveling on or before September 20, 2017 without paying the airline’s cancellation penalty. You can call Virgin Atlantic Airways’ flight disruption service line: 0344 209 8711 in the UK or 1 800 862 8621 in the US.

Rebooking of flights is subject to availability of seats in the same travel class for traveling on or before September 20, 2017.

British Airways’ Travel Alerts for Hurricane Harvey

British Airways flights to and from Houston (TX), Austin (TX), and New Orleans (LA) have been called off until August 30, 2017. Given the aftereffects of Hurricane Harvey in South Texas, British Airways has announced to rebook travel (on request) for its customers up to September 20, 2017.

Indian Eagle Travel

We are at work 24×7 to assist our customers in rescheduling or cancelling their travel to, from, or through the cities affected by Hurricane Harvey in and around South Texas. We do appreciate your patience since we are experiencing high call volumes (1-800-615-3969). We are in contact with the airlines which operate flights to and from Texas and Louisiana. However, be advised to check your flight status (delayed or cancelled) on the operating airline’s website.

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Houston selected 10-year-old Yash Semlani, an Indian American boy, as its Inaugural Young Ambassador. Houston City’s Mayor Sylvester Turner felicitated Yash for his achievements as a young community leader and awarded him a proclamation for his contributions, at a ceremonial event in the city hall.

Houston Mayor’s Young Ambassador Program seeks to educate the students of elementary and middle schools on how to develop leadership traits at a young age. The program is also aimed at achieving the goal of making them learn about the objectives and functions of city government so that they can acquire citizenship skills. It also connects Houston’s school students with the city initiatives in different niches, thereby enabling them to have a good understanding of their city and participate in community events for their personal growth as well as development.

Being an Inaugural Young Ambassador of Houston, Yash Semlani will contribute to welfare programs and participate in special events for not only the Indian community but also other communities. He will be working with the community leaders for one month in three areas including children’s hunger, children’s literacy and communal harmony in diversity.

10-year-old Yash Semlani from the Houston Indian community is a 5^th grader. He is a young community leader and budding entrepreneur too. He is the co-founder of Make a Difference Entrepreneurs, Inc. (M.A.D.E), a nonprofit organization for kids having entrepreneurial potential. M.A.D.E provides those kids with the opportunity to nurture their entrepreneurial spirit and learn business skills.

Yash Semlani recently started interviewing successful kid entrepreneurs and young business owners from across the United States, with the focus on their source of inspiration, their role models or mentors, their business, their role in community service, etc. The insightful interviews will be published in a video series titled “GET MADE!”

Yash Semlani’s video series of interviews is based on the principle, “Kids relate and connect best with other kids.” The upcoming episodes of “GET MADE!” will walk kids, who are potential entrepreneurs, through various phases of a business from market research to brainstorming to planning to execution.

This 10-year-old Inaugural Young Ambassador of Houston has made several achievements and received many prestigious honors including the Texas Governors Youth Entrepreneur Award, and the Ernst & Young Youth Entrepreneurship Award. He has got speaking opportunities across USA and overseas.

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Atlanta-based Patti Tripathi is up with the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition, which features 13 powerful women activists, humanitarians, entrepreneurs and professionals from different communities. A tribute to women power and an initiative for women empowerment, the Saris to Suits Calendar seeks to raise funds to drive campaigns against domestic violence and gender inequality. Proceeds from sales of the calendar go to support a number of women-aiding activities by several non-profit organizations in USA.

Former CNN news anchor and TriPath Media founder, Patti Tripathi unveils who and what the role models are in the 2017 edition of her calendar which does not objectify women unlike fashion calendars of skimpily clad models. We are honored to profile the inspiring women leaders, who have graced the calendar and supported the move by featuring in the latest edition, at Travel Beats, an Indian American Community portal by IndianEagle. (Know more about Patti Tripathi) 

Hardeep Melamed

Hardeep Melamed, a Punjabi American entrepreneur, is one of the faces in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar. The CEO of PurseN, she has been in the fashion industry for the past 20 years. Her career in the fashion retail niche started at an early age. After a stint in managing fashion retail stores in Houston, Atlanta and Los Angeles, Hardeep opened her own store, Mint Beverly Hills, in Houston and Atlanta. A mother of two children, she has launched her own clothing line, Forte.

Kiran Chetry

A Nepali American, Kiran Chetry is an award-winning journalist and the Editor in Chief of the first bimonthly magazine, “The Nepalese American Magazine,” which highlights the Nepali American community’s contributions to the socio-economic progress of USA. A mother of two, Kiran Chetry has been into anchoring, reporting and television broadcasting since 1995 during her professional journey from Maryland to Pennsylvania to California. She prides herself on featuring in the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017.

Dr. Renu Khator

One of the influential Indian American women, Dr. Renu Khator is the President and Chancellor of the University of Houston (UH). Recently she has been inducted into Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for her remarkable contribution to the academic progress of Texas. As Chancellor of Houston University, she is at the helm of a system that caters to over 70,000 students. Born in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Renu Khator pursued her masters and PhD in political science at Purdue University. She is an eminent scholar in the global environmental policy and a published author too.

Raaheela Ahmed

Raaheela Ahmed in the league of women for Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition is a financial advisory associate and an elected member on Prince George’s County Board of Education in Washington DC Metro Area. She won the Sally Byrd Citizenship Award for her outstanding leadership role at the University of Maryland. Raaheela Ahmed is a double graduate with a B.S. in finance and a B.A. in economics.

Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia

Another powerful face of innovation, leadership and entrepreneurship in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar, Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia is an Indian American biotech entrepreneur, MIT professor, cancer researcher and biological engineer. Born in Boston, she started her career as a faculty at the University of California, San Diego in 1999 and then became an associate professor. Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia along with her students has launched 10 biotech companies to improve human health through medical innovations. She is a proud winner of the Lemelson-MIT Prize, the ‘Oscar for Inventors.’

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai is the most familiar face among the women that Saris to Suits Calendar features in its latest edition. The youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner and a staunch activist for girls’ education, she needs no introduction. Her human rights advocacy for education has become a global movement. The United Nations named July 12 “Malala Day” in support of her advocacy for all girl children’s access to adequate education.

Roopa Unnikrishnan

One of the role models of women empowerment for Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar 2017, Roopa Unnikrishnan is a published author, innovation consultant and a Rhodes Scholar from Chennai, India. An ardent advocate of athletics in India, she received the Arjuna Award (India’s highest sporting prize) in 1999. Roopa Unnikrishnan pursued MBA at the School of Business, Oxford University and married Sreenath Sreenivasan, the Chief Digital Officer of New York City.

Rayna Chandra

Rayna Chandra is the youngest of all women supporting Patti Tripathi’s initiative for women empowerment. A World Champion Ballroom dancer, she turned 18 in September this year. She does lots of charity and dances to benefit several initiatives like PACE for girls and Saris to Suits. Based in Florida, she traces her roots to Hyderabad and Bengal. She aspires to study law aiming to help victims of domestic violence. Her surgeon father and dentist mother are well known for their philanthropic activities in Florida.

Dr. Nazeera Dawood

Dr. Nazeera Dawood is a courageous activist for women and a health & wellness ambassador for Fulton in the Greater Atlanta Area. She has been working for community health improvement from India to Atlanta. She serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Fulton County Office of the Chairman Board of Commissioners and works as the health promotion program manager for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness. In 2014, Fulton Country honored her and recognized her leadership by declaring October 1 as ‘Dr. Nazeera Dawood Appreciation Day.’

Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan

The bravest of all role models featuring in the 2017 edition of Saris to Suits Calendar, Cara Elizabeth Yar Khan is a fighter and activist. Born in Hyderabad and raised in Canada, she was diagnosed with a rare, progressive muscle-deteriorating condition at 30. However, it couldn’t hold her back from becoming a humanitarian and working for the underprivileged children on behalf of UNICEF. Cara E. Yar Khan went on to work in Angola, China, Botswana, Madagascar, Haiti and Mozambique. Though she needs the support of two leg braces and canes to walk, she plans to cross the Grand Canyon on horseback in April-May 2017 to fight discrimination against the physically challenged.

Dr. Vanila Singh

An Indian American of Rajasthani origin, Dr. Vanila Singh is a powerful proponent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) for women and girls. She is also an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Stanford University. Based in California, Dr. Vanila Singh advocates the national health policy and motivates immigrants to take part in public service as well as political affairs. Among the inspiring leaders in the Saris to Suits Calendar 2017 edition, she is trained in Kathak and Bharatnatyam.

Reshmee M. Bharratt and Puneet Kaur Sandhu

Reshmee M. Bharratt and Puneet Kaur Sandhu are also associated with Patti Tripathi’s Saris to Suits Calendar. Reshmee is an accountant at PwC in Orlando and a member of the Saris to Suits board. Puneet Kaur, a UK-born Punjabi American in Florida, is one of the volunteers for Saris to Suits. An aspiring documentary filmmaker, she is looking to pursue masters in journalist at City University of New York.

Join the Saris to Suits, a non-profit initiative and contribute to empowerment of economically disadvantaged women in developing countries including India. All contributions to this noble charity are exempt from federal tax under 501(C) 3 Revenue Code in USA. For more information, log on to SarisToSuits.org or write to Info@SarisToSuits.org. You can also post your queries in the comment section below.

Note: All the photographs are copyright protected and belong to SarisToSuits.org. Downloading the photographs is strictly prohibited. Any violation of the copyright will result in a legal action.

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Indian American women from different walks of life are hitting new heights of fame and success. Recently Indian American Neera Tanden, the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress, became one of the co-chairs of Hillary Clinton’s presidential transition team. Now 61-year-old Indian American Renu Khator, who leads a major research university in the US, is the talk of Texas.

Renu Khator, the first foreign-born Chancellor and President of the University of Houston (UH), is all set to be inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame for making immensely significant contribution to the academic progress of Texas, the second largest state in North America.

Born in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where eminent Indian American entrepreneur and philanthropist Frank Islam hails from, Dr Renu Khator will walk into the hall of fame at Texas Women’s University of Denton on October 21 this year. A Doctor of Philosophy in political science and public administration, Renu Khator is highly credited for steering the University of Houston towards a prestigious position among the topnotch research universities in the United States.

She is the first Indian immigrant to helm a comprehensive public research university in the US. Several members of the illustrious national academies in science and engineering have joined the University of Houston during her eight years of service. Undergraduates are scoring better grades to add to the academic excellence of the university. She along with other women leaders to be inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame have inspired generations of Texans to achieve new goals and reach new heights, according to the statement from Governor Greg Abbott. (Read stories of Indian American women’s achievements in different fields)

• Politician Tulsi Gabbard moved the US postal service to release Diwali stamp
• Crain’s New York Business Magazine featured 4 Indian American Women in different fields
• Professor Bharati Mukherjee received Pride of American Award among the 2016 Great Immigrants
• Two Indian American women among White House Fellowship finalists in 2016
• Indian American women are great change makers in USA and India
• Piya Mitra, cofounder of Induz in California, received American Heritage Award

Dr Renu Khator was senior vice president of the University of South Florida before her appointment for a dual position at the University of Houston in 2008. As Chancellor of the UH, she helms a system which is responsible for over 70K students and whose annual economic impact on the Greater Houston Area is worth approximately $3.8 billion. It is because of her leadership that the UH was declared a tier one university in 2011.

To be inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame is not Dr Renu Khator’s first major achievement. She was appointed a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Board of Directors. She was elected chair of the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education (ACE), a major coordinating body for colleges and university in the US.

Indian American Renu Khator is a renowned scholar in the field of global environmental policy too. She is also a published author with several books and articles to her credit.

Travel Beats is a digital publication for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a leading travel organization for Indians in America. Travel Beats publishes latest news and stories of Indians in USA.

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The Indian American community will be having a gala time in August and September as the calendar of Indian events in USA is full of cultural programs for them. We have listed the best of upcoming events in California, Seattle, New Jersey, Houston, Dallas, Cleveland and Nashville for Indians in USA. It will make your search for Indian events in August and September easier.

Jai Ho! Independence Dance Party in Seattle, Washington

The 6^th annual Independence dance party on August 6 is one of the most awaited Indian events in Seattle. This event triggers the festive season for Indians in Seattle. Celebrate the 70^th Indian Independence Day by dancing all night to the best Bollywood beats. Do get dressed in orange or white or green as there is a dress code.

• Date: August 6
• Venue: NECTAR LOUNGE,412 North, 36th St, Seattle, WA
• Organizer’s Phone: 503-810-2510

20^th Festival of India in Duluth, Georgia

Initiated in 1997 to celebrate the 50^th Independence Day of India, the Festival of India is one of the popular Indian events in Georgia. Now Indians in Georgia will celebrate the 20^th edition of the event as the 70^th Indian Independence Day on August 6 in Duluth.

• Date: August 6
• Venue: Infinite Energy Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097
• Organizer’s Phone: 404-915-0497

Kailash Kher’s Live Concert in Cleveland, Ohio

One of the most loved Indian singers, Kailash Kher will be performing live in Cleveland on August 13. The musical event is expected to be one of the most exciting Indian events in Ohio as Kailash Kher will be performing for the Indian community in Cleveland for the first time ever.

• Date: August 13
• Venue: Playhouse Square, 1501 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115

70^th Independence Day Celebration in Nashville, Tennessee

Indians in Nashville don’t lag behind when it comes to celebrating the Independence Day of India in USA. Said to be the biggest of all upcoming Indian events in Tennessee, the 70^th Independence Day will be celebrated on August 16 in Nashville. Nashville’s Indian community is gearing up with cultural performances.

• Date: August 21
• Venue: Vanderbilt University, Langford Auditorium, Garland Ave, Nashville, TN 37212
• Organizer’s Phone: 615-430-1762

Shreya Ghoshal Live Concert in Houston, Texas

Among the Houston events in September, Shreya Ghoshal’s live concert has already sent waves of excitement across the Indian community in Texas. Hold on to your breath until Shreya Ghoshal spellbinds you with her melodious voice on September 2.

• Date: September 2
• Venue: Arena Theatre, 7326 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074
• Organizer’s Phone: 713-545-4115

Sonu Nigam & Atif Aslam Live Concert in Houston, Texas

A musical extravaganza by such popular singers as Sonu Nigam and Atif Aslam awaits the Indian community in Houston this September. They will entertain Indians in Houston with electrifying numbers from Bollywood films on September 23.

• Date: September 23
• Venue: NRG Arena, 1 NRG Parkway, Houston, TX 77054

Radio Zindagi Ganesh Utsav in Milpitas, California

Indians in Milpitas in California celebrate Ganesh Utsav like Ganesh Puja in Mumbai, Hyderabad and other Indian cities. For the popularity of its maiden edition in 2015, Radio Zindgi Ganesh Utsav in Milpitas has become one of the best Indian events in USA. The Milpitas Ganesh Utsav 2016 is a 4-day cultural extravaganza starting on September 8. A 15-feet tall Ganesh statue will be worshipped this year.

• Dates: September 8, 9, 10, 11
• Venue: Milpitas Sports Center, 1325 E Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA 95035
• Organizer’s Phone: 510-387-5381

Ilayaraja Telugu Live Music Concert in San Jose, California

Good news for Telugu music lovers in San Jose Indian community! Music maestro Ilayaraja will take you on a musical ride with his popular songs on September 10. Acclaimed singers Hariharan and Chitra will sing alongside Ilayaraja at this Telugu Live Music Concern among the upcoming events in San Jose.

• Date: September 10
• Venue: San Jose Event Center, 290 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA 95192
• Organizer’s Phone: 408-785-2282

Gulzar in New Jersey

Indians in New Jersey are eagerly waiting to catch up with eminent Indian celeb Gulzar in Rahway on September 17. Gulzar will sing some of the best songs from his collection in a live concert among the upcoming Indian events in New Jersey.

• Date: September 17
• Venue: Union County Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, NJ 07095
• Organizer’s Phone: 973-652-6607

Onam Celebrations in Pleasanton, California

The Indian community in California is all set to celebrate Kerala’s biggest festival Onam on September 18 in Pleasanton. This upcoming festivity is an opportunity for California Indians to get together. With a grand Onam feast and traditional revelries like Pookkalam, Maveli along with Thiruvathira dance, this upcoming India event in California is second to none.

• Date: September 18
• Venue: Senior Center, Pleasanton, 5353 Sunol Boulevard, Pleasanton, CA 94566
• Organizer’s Phone: 309-310-1539

Dream Team USA Concert Tour 2016

Bollywood stars including Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra and Karan Johar are all set to enthrall Indians in USA with the ‘Dream Team’ musical concert. One of the most awaited Indian events in USA, the six-city musical tour kicks off on August 12 in Houston and will travel to San Jose on August 13, Atlanta on August 14, Chicago on August 19, Los Angeles on August 20 and New Jersey on August 21.

• Dates: August 12, August 13, August 14, August 19, August 20, August 21
• Venues: Houston, San Jose, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey

Travel Beats by IndianEagle, a leading travel organization, is an Indian American community portal sharing latest news, stories and events for Indians in USA. Subscribe to Travel Beats’ free newsletter for the latest and interesting updates.

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