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Newsmakers of the Week OCTOBER 10, 2025 | The Indian Eye 33

Vikas Khanna becomes brand from smartphones to data centers.”
Her research group develops
ambassador for US Cranberries electronic design automation tools,
which are specialized software that
aid in the design of computer chips
used in everything from smartphones
ew York, NY: The India of- to data centers.
fice of the Cranberry Institute “Designing chips is complex,
N(CI) has announced Chef Vi- time-consuming and resource-inten-
kas Khanna, the internationally ac- sive, and AI has shown enormous
claimed Michelin-star chef, author, potential in addressing challenges of
and philanthropist, as the brand am- scale, automation and optimization
bassador for U.S. cranberries for the in this area,” she says.
2025-26 season. In addition to the award recogni-
This collaboration brings Chef tion, Chhabria will receive $100,000 in unrestricted funding.
Khanna on board to represent the She underscores the importance of this resource in supporting research
Cranberry Institute globally, high- projects and enabling them to move faster and increase scale when using AI
lighting the superfruit’s health benefits to automate the design of computer chips.
and versatility in cuisines worldwide. “Training AI for chip design is especially challenging because of the lack
Chef Vikas Khanna’s passion for of open-source, industrial-scale chip designs make it difficult to create and
wholesome ingredients and his dedi- test AI models,” she says. “This award helps bridge that gap by creating col-
cation to creating culinary experiences that inspire make him the perfect am- laboration opportunities with Google. Mentorship and access to industry
bassador for increasing awareness about cranberries. perspectives — and possibly computational resources — help keep our work
As part of the association, Chef Khanna will lead conversations around industry relevant and advance AI in chip design.”
cranberries across health, nutrition, and festive occasions, engaging audiences
in India and around the world. Prem Bhandari
Speaking about the collaboration, Chef Vikas Khanna said, “Food, for me,
is about balance, nourishing the body while celebrating culture and joy. Cran-
berries carry that duality beautifully; they are rich in health benefits yet equally inaugurates WFM new meal
vibrant in taste and colour. I am honoured to partner with The Cranberry Insti-
tute to share their story across borders, especially in India, and inspire people sponsorship initiative
to bring them to their tables in new and meaningful ways.”
Mr. Sumit Saran, India Representative of The Cranberry Institute, added,
“We are very delighted and honoured to be associated with renowned culinary dison, NJ: The World Food
maestro, Chef Vikas Khanna. His extraordinary talent and passion for food have Movement (WFM), inspired
not only elevated Indian cuisine on the global stage but have also inspired count- Eby the Akshaya Patra Foun-
less food enthusiasts. His unique ability to connect health, heritage, and gastron- dation and ISKCON Bangalore, has
omy makes him the ideal ambassador for the fruit. Through this association, launched a new initiative to provide
we aim to build awareness of cranberries’ nutritional and culinary strengths.” freshly cooked meals to those in
“Dried cranberries are the most common available form in the market. need. Shri Prem Bhandari, Chairman
They are easily available in dry fruit stores and on leading e-commerce plat- of Jaipur Foot USA and President of
forms. In addition, cranberry juice and several cranberry-based food products the Rajasthan Association of North
are also easily available across the country,” added Mr Saran. America (RANA), graced the occa-
sion as the esteemed guest by person-
Vidya Chhabria honored with ally serving in the WFM kitchen participating in every stage from cooking to
packing meals. Widely recognized for his humanitarian service and leadership
Google award within the global Indian diaspora, his presence served as a true source of in-
spiration for both volunteers and the wider community, WFM organizers said.
Working shoulder to shoulder with volunteers, Bhandari helped prepare
empe, AZ: Vidya Chhabria has been named a recipient of the inaugural and dispatch freshly cooked meal packets for community college students and
Google ML and Systems Junior Faculty Award, which recognizes ear- food insecure individuals across New York and New Jersey.
Tly-career faculty whose research is advancing the frontiers of machine The formal launch of this initiative will take place at a special musical fund-
learning and systems. raising concert, “Melody with a Mission,” featuring award-winning artist Abby
An assistant professor of electrical engineering in the School of Electri- V, on September 28, 2025, at NJPAC, Newark, NJ, starting at 4:00 PM. The
cal, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of event seeks to bring the community together in support of eradicating hunger.
Engineering at Arizona State University (ASU), Chhabria’s research inter- Naveena Neerada Dasa, Executive Director, Strategy and International
ests lie in computer-aided design, or CAD, for very large-scale integration, or Relations, World Food Movement, said: “It is an honor for us that Shri Prem
VLSI, systems. Her work primarily focuses on physical design, optimization Bhandari personally served in our kitchen. His commitment to humanitarian
and analysis algorithms. service perfectly aligns with our mission.”
She is one of more than 50 assistant professors across 27 U.S. universi- Following his service in the kitchen, Shri Prem Bhandari personally con-
ties selected for the award by a distinguished group of Google engineers and tributed $1,200 to sponsor 100 meals, thereby formally launching the meal
researchers. Chhabria highlights Google’s commitment to collaborating with sponsorship initiative. He appealed to the diaspora and community members
academia and its recognition of research in leveraging machine learning for to sponsor meals on occasions such as birthdays, children’s birthdays, wedding
hardware design. anniversaries, or other auspicious days.
“Being recognized by Google via this junior faculty award is extremely re-
warding, not just to me but to our entire group,” Chhabria says. “The research To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
our group does focuses on developing electronic design automation tools, spe- our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
cialized software that aid in the design of computer chips behind everything

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