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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline NOVEMBER 21, 2025 | The Indian Eye 20

GOPIO Webinar Showcases Diaspora

Driving Global Innovation

OUR BUREAU
New York, NY
he Global Organization of People of Indian
Origin (GOPIO) hosted its November 2025
Twebinar, “Shaping Technologies for the Fu-
ture – Role of Diaspora,” bringing together leading
scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, and inno-
vation leaders from around the world to spotlight
the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in
shaping global technological progress.

The event highlighted advancements in
areas such as artificial intelligence, nan-

otechnology, critical minerals, space sur-
veillance, sustainable engineering, fintech,
and atmospheric water technologies —
and emphasized how diaspora expertise is Speakers and Organizers: Top Row (left to right): Dr. Thomas Abraham, Siddarth Jain, Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda, Prakash Shah;

increasingly central to the world’s innova- Middle Row (left to right): Vatsala Upadhyay, Sunil Vuppala, Bhavini Patel, Prod. Himanshu Jain; and Bottom (left to right):
tion landscape. Melissa Frakman, Krishanu Acharya, Prof. N.P. Padhy and Dr. Durga Das

Opening the session, GOPIO Interna- tem,” he emphasized. Dr. Jain highlighted breakthroughs such as so-
tional President Prakash Shah said the we- Webinar Chair Sunil Vuppala welcomed the lar-concentrating glass mirrors, glazing technolo-
binar reflected how STEM fields have de- speakers and audience, describing the session as part gies for energy-efficient buildings, and glass com-
fined India’s migration story for six decades. of GOPIO’s broader mission to connect the dias- posites for next-generation wind turbines. “The
“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math pora’s intellectual capital with India’s growth story. next frontier is moving from electronics to pho-
have been a crucial driver of the waves of mi- “Each month’s discussion brings forward voices tonics,” he added, pointing to the material’s role
gration from India to the Western world in the from different parts of the world who are defining in sustainable agriculture as a controlled-release
last sixty years,” he noted. “Originally dubbed the global Indian identity through innovation and fertilizer.
the brain drain, this migration has fertilized ev- excellence,” he said. He praised the event’s experts Dr. D.R. Nagaraj, Henry Krumb Professor
ery Silicon Valley in every Western country.” for representing both rigorous research and entre- at Columbia University, discussed “Mines of the
He recalled how the once-controversial exodus of preneurial dynamism — qualities he said define Future” and the strategic role of critical minerals.
Indian scientists eventually came to be celebrated. the Indian-origin professional community globally. “Minerals are the backbone of civilization —
“Better brain drain than the brain in the drain,” Two directors of India’s National Institutes of without them, we’d be hunter-gatherers,” he
he said, citing a phrase that silenced early critics. Technology — Dr. N.P. Padhy (MNIT Jaipur) and said. “Clean energy and technology depend on
“There is no doubt now that Indian scientists and Dr. Anupam Shukla (SVNIT Surat) — were special minerals as much as energy depends on mining.”
engineers have played the most crucial role in the guests at the event. Director Padhy spoke of India’s Nagaraj outlined how 54 critical minerals — in-
technological advances of the last sixty years in ev- scientific transformation and how partnerships with cluding lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements —
ery branch of technology.” the diaspora can accelerate national objectives. underpin global supply chains. He called for pre-
GOPIO Founder and Chairman Dr. “India today is not just a participant but a driver cision mining using AI, robotics, and analytics to
Thomas Abraham reflected on the organiza- of global technology,” he said. “The synergy be- ensure sustainability and reduce geopolitical risk.
tion’s journey since 1989 and its longstand- tween domestic talent and diaspora experience is “We cannot have clean energy without mining, and
ing commitment to connecting global Indi- essential for achieving leadership in clean ener- we cannot mine without energy,” he said.
an professionals with India’s development. gy, space research, and digital transformation.” Dr. Durga Das, founder and CEO of Airo-
“We have worked to bring the Indian diaspora He stressed that interdisciplinary research must Water, showcased atmospheric water technology.
into mainstream public life and address the is- guide India’s innovation agenda. “We must move “There’s seven times more water in the air than in the
sues of our community for thirty-six years,” he beyond silos — AI, materials science, and sustain- ground, yet we wait for it to rain and dig for it,” she said.
said. “Now we are expanding that mission to able engineering must come together to meet real Her company’s devices are already helping cities
technology and innovation, building bridges be- human needs,” he added. like Cape Town and Chennai combat water crises.
tween diaspora scientists, technologists, and en- Dr. Himanshu Jain, Distinguished Chair The webinar concluded with a call
trepreneurs and their counterparts in India.” at Lehigh University and currently at UC Da- for deeper collaboration between dias-
Dr. Abraham outlined GOPIO’s emerging focus vis, presented on the future of glass in sus- pora innovators and institutions in India.
on advanced computing, AI, nanotechnology, crit- tainability, clean energy, and healthcare. “From AI and space to minerals and water, the In-
ical minerals, and clean energy. “We want to iden- “Glass is the oldest man-made material, but its dian Diaspora continues to shape the world’s tech-
tify and network diaspora experts in each area so future applications — from photonics to climate nological destiny,” Dr. Abraham said. “GOPIO is
that they can strengthen India’s innovation ecosys- change — are transforming industries,” he said. committed to being that bridge.”

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