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Prakash Shah appointed new president of GOPIO
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) officially swore in its new executive team during a virtual ceremony on Jan. 31.
Prakash Shah / Courtesy Photo
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) has appointed Prakash Shah as its president. Along with him, a new executive team was officially sworn in during a virtual ceremony on Jan. 31, following elections conducted the previous month.
Shah, a well-respected figure in the Indian diaspora community, previously served as the Global Ambassador for GOPIO and later as the Convener of the GOPIO Convention 2024 in New Jersey. He is also a Founder Life Member of the organization, having been involved since its inception in 1989. Additionally, he is a former chairman of the New Jersey Development Authority.
Apart from GOPIO, Shah has also been involved in founding many leading communities, including the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), and the NYC-based India Chamber of Commerce of America (ICCA).
He was also a presidential appointee under President Clinton to the Southern Africa Fund and was Chairman of the New Jersey Development Authority under Governors Florio and Whitman.
In his acceptance speech, Shah outlined his vision for GOPIO’s future, emphasizing the importance of revitalizing inactive chapters and engaging young leaders to elevate the organization.
He said, “It is my ambition to try and activate those regions and chapters that are not active now so that GOPIO does become a functioning network for the 38 million-strong Indian diaspora. We need many young leaders to get involved in the GOPIO to take GOPIO to a new level.”
Shah, in his acceptance speech, also announced plans to relaunch the GOPIO Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in various global locations. “We will officially relaunch the GOPIO Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in different parts of the world. We are having our next convention in Brisbane, Australia, March 28-30, under the leadership of Umesh Chandra,” he further stated.
Alongside Shah, other key members of the newly elected leadership team include Umesh Chandra from Brisbane, Australia, as executive vice president; Kewal Kanda, a community leader from the Los Angeles area, as vice president; and Jasbir "Nami" Kaur, a former IBM official and New York-based social activist, as global ambassador. International coordinators elected include Ishwar Ramlatchman for Africa and Dhiraj Ahuja for South Asia.
Virtual voting for the new executive team / Courtesy PhotoThe virtual election process adhered to GOPIO’s bylaws and was overseen by a four-member committee appointed by the executive council.
The committee was chaired by Mridul Pathak, Dinesh Mittal, Manohar Dev, and Prashant Gupta, providing technical support. The election was conducted under the supervision of GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, using the eballot.com platform for the vice president position, while all other positions were filled unanimously.
Dr. Abraham welcomed participants from across the globe and provided an overview of GOPIO’s 36-year history and its significant achievements.
“GOPIO chapters around the world have been doing a lot of organizational groundwork in many countries to promote leadership in public service, and the thrust has been to promote and involve the Indian Diaspora in the larger society and local communities wherever they live,” Dr. Abraham remarked.
Several GOPIO chapter presidents and community leaders congratulated the new leadership team. Outgoing president Lal Motwani also shared his achievements and thanked his team.
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