Record More Than 130 Indian-Americans At Crucial Positions In US President Biden's Administration

United States President Joe Biden has appointed more than 130 Indian-Americans to crucial positions in his administration so far, the best representation from the community that contributes to around one per cent of the US population.

With this, Biden has fulfilled his promise to the community that he made as a presidential candidate in 2020. He also broke the records of his predecessor Donald Trump who appointed over 80 Indian-Americans, and Barack Obama, who appointed not less than 60 community members to important positions during his eight years of presidency.

Indian-Americans Elected At Various Levels

More than 40 Indian-Americans have been elected at various state and federal levels, including four in the US House of Representatives. Further, over 20 Indian-Americans are leading the top US organisations.

The first-ever presidential appointment was made during the 40th US President Ronald Regan's tenure. However, this time Biden has appointed Indian-Americans to nearly all departments and agencies under his administration.

M R Rangaswami, the founder and chief of Indiaspora, a US-based global organisation keeping track of Indian-origin leaders, said, "Indian-Americans have been imbued with the sense of Seva (service), and this is reflected in their enthusiasm to pursue positions in public service instead of the private sector."

Rangaswami, the Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, philanthropist and venture capitalist, added, "The Biden administration has now appointed or nominated the largest group to date and needless to say, we are proud of our people and their accomplishments for the United States."

Indian-Americans In The White House

The US President has closely connected with the Indian-American community since his Senator days. He created history in 2020 by choosing Kamala Harris, an Indian-origin woman, as his running mate.

According to the list compiled by Indiaspora, only a few meetings inside the White House or in Biden's Oval Office would not have an Indian-American presence, reported India Today.

Vinay Reddy is the speech writer, Dr Ashish Jha is the main advisor on COVID-19, Sonia Aggarwal is the advisor on climate policy, Neera Tanden is the senior advisor, Chiraag Bains is the special assistant on criminal justice, Kiran Ahuja heads the Office of Personnel Management, and Rahul Gupta is the drug czar for President Joe Biden in the administration.

Young Vedant Patel is the Deputy Spokesperson at the Department of State, and Garima Verma is the Digital Director in the Office of the First Lady. The US President has also nominated several Indian-Americans to pivotal ambassadorial posts.

According to the list, more than 40 Indian-Americans have been elected to various offices across the nation. Four are in the House of Representatives, Dr Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Pramila Jayapal; this includes four Mayors.

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