Several Indian Americans from Pennsylvania (PA) state assembly, government and academic institutions, business ventures, advocacy groups and the health sector have been named in the City & State’s Power of Diversity: Asian 100 list for 2023.In the commonwealth’s hundred leaders list, Indian-origin individuals constitute a significant number from diverse sectors including legislatures, academicians, CEOs, hoteliers and medical professionals for their remarkable contribution to the state and county’s cumulative growth story.

Over the years, India’s contribution has surged in both quality and quantity. The City & State’s Power of Diversity list is a reflection of the same.  President of the Pennsylvania State University Neeli Bendapudi, State legislators Nikil Saval and Arvind Venkat, president and CEO of Temple University Hospital Abhinav Rastogi, president of Arcadia 

University Ajay Nair, executive Director of Indian American Impact Neil Makhija, vice president of  Government& External Affairs & Community Impact, Comcast Keystone Region Alka Patel are among the Indian Americans featured in City & State’s powerful Asian-American list for 2023 for Pennsylvania.

In the Asian 100 list, Anantha Shekhar, senior vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Vibhas Madan, dean, Drexel University LeBow College of Business; Sunil Singhal, director, Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratory; Vice Chair, Translational Research; William Maul Measey Professor in Surgical Research, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine; Nish Vartanian CEO, MSA Safety; Dave Goswami, CEO, Integrated Project Services; Arun S. Prabhakaran, president, Urban Affairs Coalition; Neil H. Shah and others prominent individuals have been named for their valuable contribution to the society and economy of the state.

India-born well-known academician across the US and India’s academic circle, Penn State President Bendapudi has gained a reputation due to her approach to addressing challenges since becoming the first Asian American to head the commonwealth’s preeminent public university in 2022. She was recently appointed to co-chair an Association of American Universities task force mandated to expand higher-education partnerships between America and India.

Legislator Saval was Philadelphia’s first Asian American Ward leader and co-founded Reclaim Philadelphia, a progressive group – all while displaying the vision that has won him attention in and beyond the commonwealth, according to his bio. As a senator, Saval scored US$125 million for his Whole-Home Repairs Program, which funds homeowners’ and small landlords’ infrastructure upgrades.

An emergency physician, Venkat is the first-ever Indian American and the first physician in a half-century elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives – and the only Asian American state-level elected official west of Harrisburg.

Indian Americans are actively participating in electoral politics across the US from local self-governance to the US Congress and their representation has been growing with time.