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Newsmakers of the Week FEBRUARY 27, 2026 | The Indian Eye 31

elevate SMU’s presence in the world- characterized as unlawful, reported Fox News.
wide entrepreneurial ecosystem. Scott, in his response, emphasized his pride in the work of the agency, re-
“Megha exemplifies the global jecting the premise that he or his officers needed a pardon. “I’m very proud of
leadership and entrepreneurial mind- the service that I provide, and I don’t need a pardon from anybody,” he said,
set that define the Spears Institute,” underscoring his view that the agency’s mission is lawful and necessary.
said Todd Milbourn, Dean and Tolleson The exchange escalated as Thanedar broadened his critique beyond the
Chair in Business Leadership at the specific shootings. He accused CBP and ICE agents of engaging in misconduct,
SMU Cox School of Business. “Her alleging racial profiling, unnecessary aggression in communities, and a lack of
experience scaling creative ventures accountability. “ICE thugs attacking our communities, targeting people for
and leading at the intersection of busi- their accents and the colour of their skin,” he said, articulating a sweeping in-
ness and culture makes her an extraor- dictment of agency practices.
dinary ambassador for our mission.”
Tolia will continue in her role as a ROHIT KUMAR SINGH
co-founding director of the Spears In-
stitute alongside her husband, Nirav Official named Chair of USISPF
Tolia, founder and CEO of Nextdoor.
Megha and Nirav Tolia have played an integral role in shaping the vision of re- Global Value Chains Committee
nowned civic and financial leader Dr. William S. Spears. In 2022, a generous gift
from Dr. Spears to the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist
University (SMU Cox) made possible the Institute that bears Dr. Spears’ name ashington, DC: The US-In-
and connects SMU students, alumni and the North Texas business community dia Strategic Partnership

with the tools, mentorship and networks needed to transform ideas into impact. WForum (USISPF) an-
“The Spears Institute is not just an academic initiative—it’s a community nounced the appointment of Rohit
built on possibility,” said Megha Tolia. “In Dallas and across SMU, we’re seeing Kumar Singh, former Secretary, Gov-
remarkable momentum in innovation and entrepreneurship. I’m honored to help ernment of India, as Chair of the USI-
extend that spirit globally and support the next generation of changemakers.” SPF Global Value Chains Committee
The appointment underscores the Spears Institute’s continued growth fol- and Advisor to the USISPF Board of
lowing a milestone year that included the inaugural LAUNCH Accelerator, Directors.
Hilltop Founders Pitch Competition and the Spears Innovation Awards. Each In a press statement, it noted that
initiative reflects the Institute’s commitment to experiential learning, mentor- Singh, in his role as Chair of the Glob-
ship and ecosystem-building at the heart of SMU’s entrepreneurial mission. al Value Chains Committee, will work
closely with USISPF’s global membership and government stakeholders to pro-
SHRI THANEDAR mote smooth, resilient and diversified supply chains, with a focus on regulatory
alignment, infrastructure readiness, and effective public-private collaboration.
Congressman confronts itiveness, accelerating manufacturing growth, boosting exports, and supporting
“Strengthening global value chains is critical to enhancing India’s compet-
immigration official in DHS sustained GDP expansion by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and integrat-
ing India more deeply into global trade networks”, the statement added.
It noted that Singh is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the
hearing 1989 batch, Rajasthan cadre, and a distinguished bureaucrat with decades of ex-
perience spanning economic governance, consumer markets, infrastructure de-
ashington, DC: In a tense velopment, digital governance, public health, and public-private partnerships.
and highly charged House As per the statement, Singh served as Secretary, Department of Consumer
WHomeland Security Com- Affairs, Government of India, where he led India’s first AI-enabled grievance re-
mittee hearing on Tuesday, Demo- dressal ecosystem, bringing a paradigm shift to consumer protection. Under his
cratic Representative Shri Thanedar leadership, consumer courts across India were digitized with e-filing, case track-
of Michigan confronted US Customs ing, and multilingual video conferencing, culminating in a landmark milestone
and Border Protection Commissioner in 2023, when more consumer cases were disposed than filed. He also expanded
Rodney Scott with blistering criticism the National Consumer Helpline into a 17-language, omni-channel platform.
of federal immigration enforcement, Upon his appointment, Rohit Kumar Singh said, “The next generation of
asserting that Scott and other senior global value chains will be digital, data-enabled, and trust-anchored. India’s
officials should “hope” for a pardon investments in infrastructure, manufacturing, and digital public goods create
from President Donald Trump given an unprecedented opportunity to integrate more deeply into global supply net-
what Thanedar described as repeated violations of the law by immigration agencies. works. I look forward to collaborating with USISPF to foster innovation, re-
Thanedar, a progressive Democrat who immigrated to the United States silience, and regulatory cooperation that enhance competitiveness and deliver
from India in the 1980s, pressed Scott and Acting US Immigration and Customs tangible economic outcomes.”
Enforcement Director Todd Lyons during a hearing examining oversight of “Rohit Kumar Singh brings an exceptional depth of policy experience and
the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies- including executional leadership to USISPF,” said Mukesh Aghi, President and CEO,
CBP, ICE, and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, reported Fox News. USISPF. “From pioneering AI-enabled consumer governance reforms to ad-
At the heart of Thanedar’s critique were allegations of misconduct by fed- vancing large-scale public-private partnerships and innovative financing for in-
eral immigration officers in Minnesota, where two people, Renee Good and frastructure development, his work reflects the kind of institutional leadership
Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by officers. Thanedar repeatedly challenged Scott needed to strengthen global value chains and economic resilience. His insights
and Lyons on their defence of law enforcement actions, accusing them of en- will be invaluable as USISPF continues to deepen cooperation across trade,
abling a culture of misconduct and indifference. infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks”, the statement said.
“You better hope you get pardoned because you will be held accountable
for the absolute disregard of the law your agencies have shown over the past To read more about Indian diaspora and Global Indians, log on to and follow
year,” Thanedar declared directly to Scott, raising the specter of presidential our website www.TheIndianEYE.com
pardons as a shield against legal consequences for enforcement actions that he

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