The biggest blunder Donald Trump committed while imposing the highest tariff to bully India was to underestimate the strength of the Indian diaspora, which calls the shots in different walks of life in the USA.
“Indian Americans are becoming a political force,” wrote the New York Times. They have five senators and 40 representatives in federal state legislatures, giving them a political influence that far exceeds their demographic weight.
The 5 million-strong Indian-origin individuals are rated to be among the most influential figures dominating the USA’s political, economic, scientific, and cultural landscape. More than 75% of them hold a bachelor’s degree or advanced degrees in engineering, medicine, business, and law.
25 of the Fortune 500 companies, including Google, Microsoft, Adobe, and IBM, are headed by Indian-origin CEOs. From Fortune 500 companies to the U.S. administration, many people of Indian origin are not only making their presence felt in fields such as technology, finance, healthcare, the military, and academia, but also influencing public policy on important issues like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. They are a formidable force in America’s corridors of power – one that cannot be ignored or taken lightly.
Here’s a list of 50 prominent Indian‑origin individuals who matter in different walks of life in the USA as of today:
1. Kamala Harris— former Vice President of the United States
Kamala Devi Harris created history as the first woman, the first Black American, and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the office of the 49th Vice President of the United States as Joe Biden’s running mate in 2021. After relinquishing office as the 49th Vice President, she contested the Presidential election against Donald Trump – but lost. Though she declined to run for California governor in 2026, recent surveys indicate that she might be a popular choice in the 2028 presidential election.
2. Usha Vance – Second Lady of the United States
On January 20, 2025, Usha Bala Chilukuri Vance created history when she assumed the role of Second Lady by virtue of being married to VP J.D. Vance. This not only made her the first Indian American in the White House, but also the first Hindu, first Telugu, and first Millennial to hold that title.
3. Tulsi Gabbard – Director of National Intelligence (DNI)
A former U.S. Representative from Hawaii and lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, Tulsi Gabbard was sworn in as the eighth Director of National Intelligence on February 12, 2025. She is the first Hindu American to become Director of National Intelligence, which is a Cabinet‑level position, and the first female military combat veteran to serve in this role.
4. Kashyap “Kash” Patel – Director, FBI
On February 20, 2025, Kashyap Pramod Patel—known as Kash Patel—was appointed the ninth Director of the FBI. He is the first person of Indian origin to head the Bureau. Patel held influential national security roles during Donald Trump’s first term, as the national security advisor on the House Intelligence Committee, Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Chief of Staff to the Acting Secretary of Defence.
5. Sriram Krishnan – Senior White House Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence
On January 20, 2025, Sriram Krishnan, an Indian‑American technologist and venture capitalist, took over as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) at the White House – a newly created post. A B.Tech from SRM University before immigrating to the U.S. 41 year old Krishnan went on to co-author the American AI Action Plan to catalyze AI research, reduce regulatory friction, and promote “AI diplomacy” with international partners
6. Harmeet Kaur Dhillon – Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, DOJ
In April 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Harmeet K. Dhillon, a prominent Indian‑American conservative attorney, as the Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Born in Chandigarh, India, Harmeet started her legal career clerking for a federal appeals court before founding her own firm, Dhillon Law Group, and the non-profit Centre for American Liberty
7. Jay Bhattacharya – 18th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
On April 1, 2025, Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya, a prominent physician-scientist and health economist, took charge as the 18th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This made him the first Indian American to lead the NIH, which is the U.S. government’s primary medical research agency, and one of the largest biomedical research organizations in the world. Its mission is to improve health, prevent disease, and extend life by promoting cutting-edge biomedical and public health research.
8. Madhu Gottumukkala – Deputy Director, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
In May 2025, Dr. Madhu Gottumukkala was appointed as Deputy Director (Acting Director) of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the lead agency for protecting critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. It operates under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
9. Mathura Sridharan – Solicitor General of Ohio
Mathura Sridharan made history in August 2025 when she was appointed as the 12th Solicitor General of Ohio—a position responsible for representing Ohio in major appeals before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit, and the Ohio Supreme Court. Born to Indian parents and deeply connected to her heritage, her appointment raised racial comments when people trolled her online for — wearing bindi—a symbol of Hindu tradition.
10. Vice Admiral Vivek Hallegere Murthy — Surgeon General of the United States
Vice Admiral Murthy, who served as Surgeon General under Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden has been the first Surgeon General of Indian descent and, the youngest active-duty flag officer —holding the rank of Vice Admiral—in the federal uniformed services. As Surgeon General, Murthy led the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, commanding over 6,000 public health officers working across the country
11. Dr. Raj Iyer — U.S. Army Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Dr. Raj G. Iyer created history when he became the U.S. Army’s first-ever civilian Chief Information Officer, holding a civilian rank equivalent to a three‑star general. As CIO, he served as the principal advisor to the Secretary of the Army on all matters relating to information management and technology, guiding over 15,000 personnel across approximately 100 countries. His efforts reshaped the Army’s digital infrastructure and earned him the Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal.
12. Captain Shanti Sethi — Director, National Security Council
Captain Shanti Sethi commanded USS Decatur from 2010 to 2012. This made her the only Indian‑American woman and one of the first female officers to command a major U.S. Navy combat warship. During this tenure, she also became the first female commander of a U.S. Navy vessel to visit India. She served as Defence Advisor to the Vice President and is now serving as Director, National Security Council, providing counsel on critical military and security issues.
13. Dr. Raj Salwan – Mayor of Fremont, California
Dr Raj Salwan, a veterinary doctor by profession, created history when he was elected as the first Indian‑American mayor of Fremont city – often called “California’s Little India” because of its large Indian-American population. Fremont had a population of around 226,000 —Indian-origin residents who make up approximately 62% of its population. Fremont is among the wealthiest communities in the Bay Area with the average household income of about $213,700, which makes it one of the happiest cities in America.
14. Zohran Mamdani – Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City
Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a 33‑year‑old Indian‑origin state assembly member and son of filmmaker Mira Nair, is the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New York City following a stunning primary victory in June 2025, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo. If elected, he could be NYC’s first Indian-American and Muslim mayor—and one of its youngest.
15. Suhas Subramanyam – U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 10th District
On January 3, 2025, Suhas Subramanyam created history when he took charge as the first Indian-American member of Congress from Virginia. Born in 1986 to immigrant parents from Bengaluru and Chennai, Subramanyam served as a White House technology policy advisor under President Obama. He began public service in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2020, becoming the first South Asian American to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. He later served in the Virginia Senate in 2024 before winning his Congressional seat.
16. Raja Krishnamoorthi – U.S. Representative of Illinois, 8th District
Born in New Delhi in 1973, Raja Krishnamoorthi began his career clerking for a federal judge before working on Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and serving in several Illinois state government roles—including special assistant attorney general and deputy state treasurer. Elected to Congress in 2016, Krishnamoorthi has represented Illinois’s 8th District. He holds the distinction of being the first Indian-American or South Asian American to chair or rank as top member on a full Congressional committee. He currently serves as Ranking Member of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. A staunch opponent of President Trump, Krishnamoorthi announced his plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Dick Durbin in 2026. If elected, he’d be the second Indian-born U.S. Senator in history – yet another milestone in the growing influence of the Indian-American community in US politics.
17. Shri Thanedar – U.S. Representative, Michigan, 13th District
Born in Karnataka in 1955, Shri Thanedar migrated to the U.S. to pursue a PhD from the University of Akron in 1979 and became a U.S. citizen in 1988. In 2022, he won an election to the U.S. House representing Michigan’s 13th District. In 2025, he introduced seven articles of impeachment against President Trump—a bold move that triggered harsh backlash, including racist attacks.
18. Ghazala Hashmi – Democratic Nominee for Virginia Lieutenant Governor
Ghazala Hashmi, an educationist turned legislator, born in Hyderabad, made history in June 2025 by winning the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s lieutenant governor—becoming the first Muslim and first Indian-American to be nominated for state-wide office in Virginia. In 2019, she became the first Muslim and South Asian American elected to the Virginia Senate.
19. Ranjeev Puri – Minority Leader, Michigan House of Representatives
Ranjeev Puri made history in 2020 as the first Sikh‑American elected to Michigan’s legislature. In January 2025, Ranjeev Puri became House Minority Leader. He is now the highest‑ranking Indian‑American, South Asian, and Sikh‑American in any state legislature across the country
20. Usha Reddi – Former Mayor of Manhattan, Kansas & State Senator (2023–2025)
Usha Reddi migrated to the United States in 1973 and started working as an educator in Kansas before entering politics. She served two terms as Mayor of Manhattan, first from 2016 to 2017 and again in 2020. In January 2023, Reddi was elected as a Kansas State Senator for District 22. In the November 2024 general election, Reddi was narrowly defeated, bringing her Senate term to an end in January 2025.
21. Neera Tanden — Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council (2023-2025)
Neera Tanden has served as director of the United States Domestic Policy Council from 2023 to 2025, overseeing key issues including healthcare, education, immigration, and economic opportunity. Prior to this role, she was a senior advisor and staff secretary to President Joe Biden from 2021 to 2023. Tanden has worked on several Democratic presidential campaigns, including those of Michael Dukakis in 1988, Bill Clinton in 1992, and Barack Obama in 2008. She also worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate campaign and 2008 presidential run as a senior policy advisor. A seasoned policy strategist, she is President and CEO of the Centre for American Progress (CAP), and has held senior roles across government, think tanks, and political campaigns. Tanden has been a prominent voice in Democratic policymaking for over two decades.
22. Arvind Subramanian — Economist & Former Chief Economic Advisor, Govt of India
Arvind Subramanian is a distinguished economist known for his influential role in shaping India’s economic policy. He did his B.A. (Hons.) Economics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, followed by M.Phil. and D.Phil. degrees from the University of Oxford, before serving as the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Government of India from October 2014 to June 2018. After his tenure, Subramanian transitioned to academia and policy research and has authored books like India’s Turn (2008) and Eclipse (2011). His 2018 Economic Survey report garnered global attention, with over 20 million views across 190 countries.
23. Asha Rangappa — Former FBI Special Agent & Senior Lecturer at Yale
Born on November 15, 1974, Asha Rangappa is a former FBI special agent and a senior lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs. Her father an anaesthesiologist and her mother an accountant, migrated from Karnataka to USA where she trained at the FBI Academy and served as a special agent in the New York Division. Her responsibilities included collecting classified information about foreign agents, conducting undercover operations, as well as surveillance and interrogation. After leaving the Bureau in 2005, Rangappa transitioned to academia and served as an associate dean at Yale Law School and later as assistant dean of admissions. She is currently a senior lecturer at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs, where she teaches courses such as national security law and information warfare. Rangappa also writes op-eds for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and serves as an editor for Just Security
24. Vanita Gupta — Former U.S. Associate Attorney General (April 22, 2021, to February 2, 2024)
Vanita Gupta was the first woman of colour and the first civil rights attorney to hold one of the top three positions in the Department of Justice — as the 19th United States Associate Attorney General.
After her departure from government, Gupta was named the 2025 Woman Lawyer of the Year by the Women’s Bar Association of D.C. and has transitioned into academia and advocacy. She now serves as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at NYU School of Law, continuing her work in legal education and civil rights
25. Aruna Miller — Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
Born on November 6, 1964, in Hyderabad, India, Aruna Miller’s political career began in 2010, when she became the first Indian-American woman in the state legislature. In 2023, Aruna Miller won the election and was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland —becoming the first South Asian woman, first Asian American, and first immigrant to hold state-wide office in Maryland. A practicing Hindu, Miller created a sensationby taking the oath of office on the Bhagavad Gita.
(To be continued)
[…] Also Read: 50 Indians who matter in different walks of life in USA #1 […]