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    Newsmakers of the Week                                                   APRIL 03, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 30

                             NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK

                       Selected stories about Indian diaspora from our website www.theindianeye.com

                              RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI                                                       PIYUSH GOYAL

                Congressman Concedes Defeat in                                    Eli Lilly President discusses steps to

               Illinois Senate Democratic Primary                                         strengthen ‘Make in India’

                     ashington, DC: Indian-origin Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi has
                     lost the Illinois Senate Democratic primary to Lieutenant Gover-  ew Delhi: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held
            Wnor Juliana Stratton, marking a significant political shift in a closely   a meeting with Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President and President
            watched race to succeed long-serving Senator Dick Durbin.           Nof Lilly International, discussing India’s growth trajectory and the com-
                With more than 90 percent of votes counted, Stratton secured just over   pany’s expanding presence in the country.
            40 percent of the vote, while Krishnamoorthi trailed with approximately 33   Sharing details of the meeting on X, Goyal said on Friday that the dis-
            percent. Another contender, Congresswoman Robin Kelly, finished a distant   cussions focused on Eli Lilly and Company’s increasing operations and in-
            third with around 18 percent.                                       vestments in India, and ways to further strengthen the ‘Make in India for the
                A Race Marked by Late Momentum                                  world’ initiative.
                The contest saw a dramatic turnaround in its final weeks. Krishnamoor-  “Held a meeting with Patrik Jonsson, Executive VP and President, Lilly
            thi, a four-term Congressman, had led earlier opinion polls and mounted a   International, USA. We discussed the India growth story, Eli Lilly & Compa-
            well-funded campaign. However, Stratton gained momentum late in the race,   ny’s expanding operations and investments in India, and the steps to further
            aided by strong backing from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and shifting voter   strengthen Make in India for the world,” the post read.
            sentiment, particularly on immigration issues.                          Earlier in the day, Piyush Goyal held a virtual meeting with Harry Theo-
                Her victory underscores the influence of party establishment support and   haris, Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He highlighted that the dis-
            evolving policy priorities among Democratic voters in the state.    cussions revolved around deepening cooperation between India and Greece.
                Following the results, Krishnamoorthi conceded defeat and congratulated   “Held a virtual meeting with Mr. Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of
            Stratton, expressing confidence in her ability to carry forward Durbin’s legacy.  Foreign Affairs, Greece. Discussed ways to further deepen India-Greece co-
                In a reflective message, he highlighted his personal journey as an immi-  operation in trade, investment, tourism, maritime connectivity and other ar-
            grant, noting that he came to the United States as an infant after being born   eas of mutual interest. India values its growing partnership with Greece and
            in New Delhi. Emphasising the opportunities offered by the country, he de-  looks forward to advancing this engagement further,” Piyush Goyal said on X.
            scribed his rise from modest beginnings to serving in Congress as part of the   Goyal also held a “productive interaction” with Aadit Palicha, Co-found-
            broader American dream.                                             er and CEO of Zepto, focusing on skilling, innovation, and strengthening sup-
                Stratton’s victory positions her as the Democratic nominee in the Novem-  ply chains.
            ber general election, where she will face Republican candidate Don Tracy.   Taking to the social media platform X, Goyal shared details of the meet-
            In heavily Democratic Illinois, the primary winner is widely considered the   ing, highlighting discussions around youth and entrepreneurship.
            frontrunner for the Senate seat.                                        “A productive interaction with Aadit Palicha, Co-founder & CEO of Zep-
                If elected, Stratton would make history as one of the few Black women to   toNow,” he said. “Our conversation focused on strengthening skilling initia-
            serve in the U.S. Senate, reflecting both the diversity and changing dynamics   tives for our youth and leveraging innovation-led entrepreneurship to build
            of American politics. The race was triggered by the retirement of Senator   globally competitive enterprises,” the minister added.
            Dick Durbin, creating Illinois’ first open Senate contest in decades. It also   He further noted that the meeting also explored ways to integrate farmers
            highlighted broader themes shaping U.S. politics, including the role of cam-  into modern supply chains. “Deliberated on the deeper integration of farmers
            paign funding, ideological divisions within the Democratic Party, and the in-  into modern supply chains to enhance market access and value realisation,”
            creasing prominence of diverse candidates.                          he said.
                Krishnamoorthi’s defeat ends his bid to become one of the few Indi-  The interaction comes amid the rapid rise of India’s startup ecosystem,
            an-Americans in the U.S. Senate, but his political career and national profile   which has become a key driver of economic growth and innovation.
            remain significant within the Democratic Party.                                                              Continued on next page... >>

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