Determinism a film by twin brothers Sanjit and Ranju Majumdar

Determinism is a ultra low budget feature film made by 24 year old identical twin brothers Sanjit and Ranju Majumdar. Sanjit and Ranju were born in Queens, New York to South Asian immigrant parents (father Bangladeshi, mother Indian) and raised in Pompton Lakes, a small, white, working-class town in New Jersey.

Determinism is a story about the dark side of friendship set in racially charged fictional college town in Pennsylvania, where students and drug dealers are often one and the same.

Synopsis

Alec, the film’s anti-hero, is an alienated South Asian. He’s always been an outsider, and he certainly doesn’t fit in here. New York is his Mecca. Tristan, his former best friend and a reformed cokehead, is a white guy, living with Alec’s ex-girlfriend, the beautiful, black Lynn. Tristan thinks he’s got it made.

Broke and cut off from his family after he flunks out of school, Alec sets off to free himself from the stereotypical role of “South Asian Geek” imposed upon him from birth. So opposed to typecasting that he can barely use a computer, he is determined to transcend Determinism — by any means necessary.

MI Indians - Alka Jupudi, professional singer from Canton

Alka Jupudi of Canton, MI is a professional playback singer and Bharathanatyam dancer. Alka teaches Indian classical and folk dances as well as classical and light music in all languages to kids and adults. She performs all over the US and in India.

If interested in learning Indian classical/folk dances please get in touch with Alka at al_rima [at] yahoo [dot] com or you can call her at (734) 340-4715

Here's Alka (Great Voce!!)

Indians in Forbes 400 Richest Americans List

Four men of Indian origin have made it to The Forbes 400 Richest Americans list. They are

• Kavitark Ram Shriram (ranked 281st)
  Net Worth $1.7 billion
  Chennai, India-born entrepreneur started at Netscape 1994. Created shopping site Junglee; sold to Amazon in 1998. Founded Sherpalo 2000, went on to back Yodlee, Zazzle.com (custom T-shirts, mugs, posters, stickers). Early investor, board member of Google still owns 1.3 million shares worth $600 million.
• Bharat Desai and family (ranked 321st)
  Net Worth $1.5 billion
  Born in Kenya, moved to India at age 11. Studied engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, moved to U.S. in 1976 for programming job at Tata Consultancy Services. Founded Syntel with wife, Neerja Sethi, while earning M.B.A. from University of Michigan.
• Amar Bose (ranked 321st)
  Net Worth $1.5 billion
  Started repairing radios in high school after WWII depressed father's import business. Fulbright scholar earned Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT. Began research on hi-fi sound. Started Bose Corp. 1964
• Vinod Khosla (ranked 355th)
  Net Worth $1.5 billion
  Green-tech advocate studied engineering at Indian Institute of Technology. Failed at attempt to start soy milk company catering to Indians without refrigerators. Earned biomedical master's at Carnegie Mellon, then Stanford M.B.A. Cofounded electric design automation company Daisy Systems in 1980. Two years later joined Andy von Bechtolsheim, Billy Joy, Scott Nealy to form Sun Microsystems.

Congratulations to Mandy Grewal

Congratulations to Indian American Mandy Grewal on becoming the new Pittsfield Township (Washtenaw County, MI) Supervisor. Mandy won the elections on August 5th.

Mandy Grewal for Pittsfield Township Supervisor

Please remember Mandy Grewal on August 5th, 2008. She is running for Pittsfield Township Supervisor. Grewal, born in Chandigarh ( India ), came to the U.S. for further studies. She has a PhD in Urban Planning from U-M and has been representing Pittsfield Township on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners for the past few years, where she currently serves as Vice-Chair.

Every single vote will count on August 5th – so please take the time to get out, vote and help make history by placing the first South Asian in such a leadership position in Southeast Michigan.

Varsha Sabhnani the torturer gets 11 years in Prison

New York millionaire Varsha Sabhnani was handed down a 11 year sentence today for keeping two Indonesian women as slaves, forcing them to work up to 20 hours a day for years after confiscating their passports.

Indian-born Varsha Sabhnani and her husband, Mahender Sabhnani, were convicted in December of forced labor, peonage, harboring aliens, document servitude and conspiracy in what prosecutors called "a case of modern-day slavery. (more at reuters)

Hey Varsha! guess what you have topped the "Google Hot Trends" list for this hour. Here's a snapshot from my Google Trends page (Note: By the time, you click Varsha might be no longer on the list as it is updated hourly).

Mandy Grewal - Candidate for Pittsfield Township Supervisor

Mandy Grewal an Indian American from Pittsfield Township (Washtenaw County, MI) is running for the post of Pittsfield Township Supervisor. We now see more and more Indian Americans making a mark in mainstream and local politics. This is Great!! And with Mandy Grewal's impressive work and educational background she definitely deserves our support. So spread the word!!

Mandy Grewal born in Chandigarh, India is a 14 year resident of Pittsfield Township (Wahshtenaw County, MI) and has the privilege of serving township residents as their elected County Commissioner. Mandy is also the Vice Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners and is Chair of the County Planning Advisory Board.

Commissioner Grewal has worked and published extensively in the area of domestic violence. She has worked with the National Organization of Women (NOW) in Washington DC to formulate and lobby policies and to present legislation. She served as Commissioner on the Michigan Women’s Commission from October 2001 through July 2003. Commissioner Grewal worked as a Program Specialist with the Great Lakes Commission to promote the bi-national regions environmental and economic prosperity. She also worked at the Washtenaw Development Council to attract and retain businesses in the region.

Mandy's Impressive Educational Background:
Mandy has a PhD in Urban Planning from University of Michigan and a
Master’s in Trade and Planning from Eastern Michigan University. Mandy is also a graduate of the Senior Executives in Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a graduate of MSU’s Michigan Political Leadership Program. Mandy did her BA in Economics and MA in Public Adminstration from Punjab University.

DJ Naveen - A Michigan Indian DJ with over 11 years experience

Meet DJ Naveen, a Indian DJ from Metro Detroit area who has over 11 years of experience. DJ Naveen has been trained in an intense program that includes music, voice, and audience participation techniques.

In addition to playing the music YOU want to hear, DJ Naveen is fully trained as a party MC!! He can perform introductions, announce special party activities and initiate audience participation, dances to get the party going.

Besides rocking out the Detroit area and all of Michigan, Naveen also performs in Ohio, Indianapolis, Chicago, the entire Midwest, and has done events as far as central America.

Check out this video Naveen has put together which gives you an idea as to what Naveen can do for your upcoming wedding or event. Contact DJ Naveen at (248-797-9707)

Indian Americans excel in 81st National Spelling Bee Competition

Desis rule in the 81st National Spelling Bee Competition which just concluded in Washington D.C.
Samir Mishra of Lafeyette, Indiana wins the Scripps National Spelling Bee 2008 after spelling guerdon. He wins $35,000 in cash plus more than $5,000 in other prizes. He is 13 years old. Sameer Mishra spelled "guerdon" to win the title.

Coming in 2nd was Sidharth Chand, 12, of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan a Detroit Country Day Middle School seventh-grader. This was his first year at the competition.

Congratulations to Samir Mishra and Sidharth Chand

Richa Gangopadhyay of Northville sets her eyes on Bollywood!

Richa Gangopadhyay, Indian Beauty and Miss India USA from Northville, MI is exploring opportunities in modeling and Bollywood.

This is what Richa had to say to NDTVMOVIES

Currently I am little busy with the many responsibilities that have come with the Miss India USA title. Besides this I am also actively exploring modeling and Bollywood.

I will be playing the lead female role in a Hindi movie being made by an independent Indian Director in the US.

I took this opportunity to explore what is involved in movie making and acting. The movie will give me a chance to play a very versatile role of a young woman journalist, settled in New York.

Apart from this, I have acted in school plays, but plan to take refresher classes as soon as I get more time. I was offered a sponsorship last year to attend Anupam Kher's 'Actor Prepares' school. Hope I can do that some day.

I absolutely love Bollyood films and am a huge fan of Hrithik, who is the perfect man in my mind. He is intense, thoroughly professional; master in his art yet a soft-spoken, non-snobbish person in real life.

Shah Rukh Khan has always been one of my all-time favourites from the first time I saw him in Baazigar.

Yes Richa I agree that Hrithik Roshan is a soft-spoken, non-snobbish person, a quality which is rare at that position. Good Luck Richa!

Congratulations to Nipa Shah of Novi, MI

Congratulations to Nipa Shah, President of Jenesys Group, Novi for being honored with "Top 10 Michigan Business Women". She was given the Global Business Award.

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Greater Detroit Chapter honored the Top 10 Michigan Business Women at the 14th Annual Awards Luncheon which took place on March 13 at the Detroit Yacht Club. (Reuters Link).

While accepting the award one of the thing Nipa said was

I strive to be a leader and a mentor. For all the women out there, whether you think about starting your business or want a career change, use me as a resource because I'm sure there is something that I can help you with.

Indian American Couple murdered in their Troy, MI home

This is a real tragedy!. Brij Mohan Chhabra, 65 and his wife Aasha, 55 were shot to death in their home located on Delaware Street in Troy, MI. Two suspects have been arrested and will be arraigned on Thursday, March 13th.

According to Troy Police

To our knowledge the couple did not know the suspects. But we think the suspects sought them out in their home. We don’t know the motive, but we know this was not a random crime.

Observer and Eccentric Newspapers report

Madan Kaura, a longtime fellow yoga teacher of Brij Chhabra at Troy’s Bharatiya Temple, said Chhabra was devoted to a yoga movement that aims to achieve self-realization.

"He was a very special person," said Kaura, of Farmington Hills. "He was a spiritual person."

He said Chhabra enjoyed going to the Detroit Center of Self-Realization Fellowship ranch near Gaylord where retreats, classes and meditation are held. "He used to go there often."

"He was totally clean in every way," he said of his friend’s conduct and life.

Neighbors, meanwhile, said that Aasha Chhabra had multiple sclerosis and so could not leave the house much. She had caregivers come in during the day to take care of her.

Our Deepest Condolences to the friends and family of Brij and Aasha Chhabra.

Indian American is the top winner in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search

Shivani Sud an Indian American who attends Charles E. Jordan High School in Durham, North Carolina won the top prize in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. The winner was announced last night in Washington DC. Shivani Sud won a $100,000 scholarship.

Shivani had submitted a bioinformatics and genomics project to Intel Science Talent Search that focused on identifying stage II colon cancer patients at high risk for recurrence and the best therapeutic agents for treating their tumors.

A versatile student, Shivani Sud is a Teen Court student attorney, a Durham Rescue Mission volunteer and performs classical and modern Indian dance.(via)

There were a total of 40 Finalists from schools across United States as shown in this Google Maps Mashup. (Note: Indian American Shravani Mikkilineni from Michigan who attends Detroit Country Day School was one of the finalists.)

Sita and Manisha Kaura of Bloomfield Hills devise a quick way to learn English, expand vocabulary

Detroit News is reporting that the Indian American, Dad and Daughter duo (Sita and Manisha Kaura) have come with a method to

revolutionize education, to expand vocabularies, to increase understanding, to help everyone feel as passionately about words as they do.

There approach to vocabulary and spelling improvement revolves around 1,500 word parts, most derived from Greek or Latin, that they have identified as the most useful.

According to Dad

If you spent two weeks with us, you would have words coming out your ears.

In fact they have a manuscript ready. It contains 377 pages covering probably 20,000 words, fleshed out to 550 or 600 pages with illustrations.

Dad and Daughter contend that

We should not simply be memorizing words . We should be trained to recognize the fragments that form it, one of the 1,500 word parts they have determined to be key

Here are some examples:

sesquipedalian (I have no idea what this means, but lets follow Sita and Manisha Kaura's approach)

You can break up sesquipedalian into 3 parts: Sesqui, meaning one and a half; remember when Michigan celebrated 150 years of statehood with its sesquicentennial celebration in 1987? Ped, meaning foot. Alian, as in pertaining to words.

Sesquipedalian: as a noun, the word that means, "a long word."

Let's try another word: incommensurable

Sita Kaura pieced together in (not), com (together or consistent with) and mensura (measurement) and correctly defined it as disproportionate, or impossible to measure or compare.

Sita and Manisha!! If you are reading this blog post, do let us know your book title. I am sure lot of us would find it very beneficial.

Note:

Sita Kaura is a doctor who grew up in northwest India, lives in Bloomfield Township and runs a general practice in Southgate. Manisha Kaura is a sophomore at Detroit Country Day who likes tennis, go-karting and mountain biking, and bragged to her close friends about her fifth-grade graduation present -- the 2,662-page, 4-inch-thick, 12 1/2 -pound Webster's Third New International Dictionary.

Congratulations to Narendra Sheth on the 34th Anniversary of "Geetmala" Radio Program in Michigan

Today March 1st 2008, Narendra Sheth completes 34 years of hosting "Geetmala" an Indian Radio Program. Geetmala can be heard every Saturday on WPON 1460AM from 11 AM - 1 PM.

Tune into Geetmala to hear the latest Bollywood hits or yesteryears Bollywood Classics. In addition he does at times interview local Indian personalities.

Once again congratulations Mr. Sheth!! Your radio show has to be the longest (34 years, WOW!!) running Indian Radio Program in Michigan.

Mumbai Beauty Shagun Sarabhai wins Miss India Worldwide Pageant

Mumbai beauty, Shagun Sarabhai, wins the Miss India Worldwide Pageant which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 23rd. Now Shagun Sarabhai has her eyes set on Bollywood.

Michigan Indian Beauty, Richa Gangopadhyay of Northville, MI who also took part in the pageant, unfortunately came up short. Great effort though, Richa!!

Shagun Sarabhai	Richa Gangopadhyay

Thanks to Mumtaz Haque, Rajiv Sanghvi and Subhash Kelkar

Last week was my wife Alka's Birthday and I wanted to surprise her.

So I sent out emails to Michigan Indian Radio Hosts Rajiv Sanghvi (Swar Bahar), Subhash Kelkar (Geetanjali) and Mumtaz Haque (Manoranjan) requesting them to play my wife's favorite song - "Uthe Sab Ke Kadam..." from Bollywood Hindi Movie of 1979, "Baton Baton Mein".

Subhash Kelkar, Mumtaz and Rajiv sent me a prompt reply, agreeing to play the song.

I am glad I did what I did because it had a very positive effect on her. When they announced her name and played the song, there was no pain visible, there was smile and happiness all over.

Once again our thanks and appreciation to Subhash Kelkar (hear him every Saturday from 9 AM - 10 AM on WPON 1460 AM), Mumtaz Haque (hear her every Sunday from 9 AM - 11 AM on WPON 1460 AM) and Rajiv Sanghvi (hear him every Sunday from 11 AM to 12 Noon on WNZK 690 AM)

You can contact them at
Subhash Kelkar - indianradio [at] yahoo [dot] com
Rajiv Sanghvi - mydesimusic [at] gmail [dot] com
Mumtaz Haque - mumtaz1460 [at] yahoo [dot] com

Subhash Kelkar can be heard 24/7 on the web

Michigan's Top Rated Indian Radio Host Subhash Kelkar, also known as "Amin Sayani of Indian Radio in United States", now can be heard 24/7 on the web. (You can also hear him every Saturday from 9AM - 10AM on 1460 AM)

To listen to Subhash Kelkar 24/7 visit eprasaran.com

eprasaran.com has 2 channels, Hindi and Marathi. On the each of the channels, one can hear Hindi/Marathi music "on demand", i.e. click on any active link and the program plays. One can also fast forward & rewind songs at will.

At eprasaran.com Subhash Kelkar's voice can be heard 24/7 in programs without commentary i.e., his voice is heard at the beginning of the hour to introduce the theme of the program followed by non-stop music for an hour.

Youth Leadership Development Program for Indian-American youth

Michigan India Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Youth Leadership Development Program for Indian-American Youth. The purpose of this program is to prepare youths to deal with the challenges and opportunities of working in the global economy.

The classes run from February 23rd thru April 26th 2008. It will be held on Saturdays from 1-2.15 pm.

The Program Brochure states

By participating in this program, youths will develop or enhance their skills in:

• Communication
• Public Speaking
• Team Building &
  Problem Resolution
• Decision Making
• Collaborative Thinking
• Leadership

Check out miicc.com for pricing and other details

Indian Doctors returning back to India

Surendra Garg a Detroit based interventional cardiologist who has over 24 years of experience, is returning back to India. Dr. Garg is joining Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital in Vaishali in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital has been set up by another Indian-American Doctor, Dr. Dinesh Bhargava who decided to return to India. Dr. Bhargava went to Albany in 1974 and did his residency and training at the University of Rochester and the Westchester County Medical Centre. Dr. Bhargava is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and of the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Garg tells Times of India

"It is good to return to the motherland. I am really thrilled to be back with a mission to serve people in India that offers you equally promising opportunities. Things have changed a lot over the years,"

S.N. Mishra, president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the apex body of Indian doctors has this to say

"Indian health services are witnessing manifold growth in terms of quality and size and they are financially viable too. As a result, many Indian hospitals offer very attractive packages to doctors."

(more at Times of India)

Mumtaz Haque to interview Jennifer Granholm on February 10th, 2008

Just got word from Mumtaz Haque (host/producer of Manoranjan Show) that Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm will be on Manoranjan Radio Show this Sunday (February 10th, 2008). The show airs every Sunday on WPON 1460 AM from 9 AM - 11 AM.

Contact Mumtaz at mumtaz1460 [at] yahoo [dot] com or through her website for any questions/concerns for the governor.

Shravani Mikkilineni in Intel Science Talent Search 2008 - Finals

Shravani Mikkilineni an Indian American who attends Detroit Country Day School has made it to - Intel Science Talent Search 2008 - Finals. She is one of 40 finalists from all over United States which includes 8 Indian - Americans.

Check out this Google Maps View of Indian-American Finalists which shows the High School Locations.

Senator John McCain seeks Indian American support

As you know, Indian Americans are being solicited by all the candidates who are seeking the 2008 Presidential nomination. And Indian Americans have been providing support to many candidates through grass roots efforts at various local and national levels.

In Michigan, I've looked high and low and cannot for the life of me get connected to Indian Americans supporting the Republican party. I'm familiar with the Michigan Indo American Democratic Caucus (http://www.miadc.org/) but have been unable to locate the Republican caucus supported by the Michigan Indian Americans.

But in my role as the founder of the Michigan India Chamber of Commerce (www.miicc.com), I've been approached by a member of the McCain Asian American Coalition group and have been asked to help spread the word out to Michigan Indian Americans about Senator McCain's campaign.

So here it is.

The Michigan Republican primary is on Tuesday, January 15th and Mr. McCain seeks Indian American support. He has scheduled a ton of events in Michigan between now and then and you can view them by going to his calendar: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Calendar/ And if you wish to participate in the Asian American coalition for the McCain party, contact Mr. Kishan Putta at kputta [at] mccain08hq [dot] com.

Please note: The Michigan India Chamber of Commerce (www.miicc.com) is a non-partisan business and professional organization. This blog is not to be construed as an endorsement of Mr. McCain by the Michigan India Chamber of Commerce. The Michigan India Chamber of Commerce's vision and mission is to help promote news and information to the Michigan Indian American community.

Indian American Sam Singh - Former Mayor of East Lansing, Michigan

Sam Singh an Indian American Former Mayor of East Lansing, MI has a BIG and I mean real BIG Agenda planned. Lansing City Pulse is reporting

Come March 2008, 12-year East Lansing Councilman and two-year mayor Sam Singh will finally find himself in a place where zoning and economic development are not on the agenda: Antarctica.
(Note: Keep checking Sam Singh's journey for the next 16 months which will take him to over 25 countries by visiting his website/blog.)
Instead of analyzing bike lane proposals, wooing developers or smoothing university-city relations, Singh will be running a half-marathon along pristine shores thronged by penguins and seals at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The Antarctic Marathon is one of the more exotic stops in a 16-month, globe-girdling trip Singh began Dec. 31.

Singh, 36, has dreamed of the trip since he was a teenager, when he started an ambitious list of places to visit before he died.

“For a long time, I thought this would be the type of experience I’d do when I retired,” he said. “Then you get fears of ‘Will I be healthy enough?’ or ‘Will I be able to do it because of family situations?’”

Sam Singh is going to mix Community Service along with his travels. This quote from his website

A major component for my travels will be to work with nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations throughout the world. I will use this section to highlight groups I work with as well as compiling the trends in the field of international volunteering.

Missing Indian Woman from Chicago now not missing

Anu Solanki a 24 year old Chicago area Indian Woman who went missing is not missing after all. It turns out that she wanted "A Clean Break from her marriage". So what did she do... She hooked up with a Indian male from Los Angeles Area who she was in touch with for a year and headed off to Los Angeles.

All this drama cost the Chicago Law enforcement approxmately $250,000. They spent hours looking for Anu Solanki which also involved police divers searching the Des Plaines River and also involved helicopters. Wonder who is going to foot the bill.

For more on this story check out MyFox Chicago and CNN

Amul Thapar - First Indian American Federal Judge

Amul R. Thapar, the 38-year-old (born in Troy, MI) son of India-born immigrants, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the first federal judge of South Asian descent in U.S. history.

On December 13th Mr. Thapar joined the the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. For more on this story check out Indiawest Online.

Isha Jain - Young Indian American who rocks (CNN)

CNN Profiles Isha Jain in the category "Young People WHO Rock". Wow! what a talented girl. Isha who is a junior at Freedom High School, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is described by her teachers as the type of student they find once in their lifetime if they are fortunate. Here's what CNN writes:

In the fifth grade, she started a math camp. By sixth grade, Jain was breezing through college-level work and trigonometry classes. When she was in the eighth grade, she aced advanced calculus.

Her taste for science started at 9 when she created a paradigm to explain the molecular structure of candy. It sounds sweet, but also sophisticated -- teachers in the U.S. and abroad have used her methods in the classroom. Before she was old enough to buy sweets at a PG-13 movie, her candy-making findings were featured at major scientific summits.

Recently, 16-year-old Isha used both skill sets to identify what causes growth spurts. Not only did she think her findings were cool, but so did the journal "Developmental Dynamics," which published her work. The Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology went beyond just the thinking: It gave her a cool $100,000 scholarship.

Congratulations Isha!!

Indian Americans in the News

Dilip Dubey

Gov. Jennifer Granholm and CEO Dilip Dubey cut the blue ribbon on Netlink Software Group America’s new headquarters located at Madison Heights, MI last week. Company officials describe Netlink as an IT and business process consultancy. (via)

---

Nipa Shah

Nipa Shah President of Novi, MI based Jenesys Group LLC who was featured in Detroit News last month, was featured yesterday in Great Lakes IT Report and WWJ.

Sid Vaidya - A Successful Indian American

Sid Vaidya - A Successful Indian American from Michigan was recently interviewed by Nipa Shah on her weekly Podcast titled "Round Table India".

Sid Vaidya , is the Managing Director for the Global Sales, Service and Marketing and leads EDS initiatives to achieve horizontal process focused IT services to General Motors Global Sales, Service and Marketing.

Sid joined General Motors in 1979 where he was responsible for payroll and personnel systems. Since transitioning to EDS in 1985, he has held various leadership positions. Sid worked on numerous GM account teams, serving as Client Executive for GM North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing, Division VP for GMAC Insurance Corporation, Division Manager for GM Corporate Staffs, Regional Manager for Advanced Materials Systems, Account Manager for Industrial Relations and Director of Information Processing Center. (Note: I was working at EDS in the early 90's in their Industrial Relations Group and Mr. Vaidya was the Account Manager then. It was fun to attend his town hall meetings. He was/is a dynamic speaker).

Sid Received GM President’s Council Award and was EDS honoree for Leaders Inner Circle in 1998.

Sid served on the strategic board of advisors for the Clinton Valley Boy Scouts and is a member of Central Michigan University President’s advisory board. He was a participant in Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management Program and University of Virginia-Impact of Technology in Business processes at Darden Graduate School.

Sid earned his MBA in Marketing from Eastern Michigan University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Click here to listen to the Podcast. Sid gives good advice on how to deal with issues related to accent. He also mentions that to get ahead you have got to be 1)Good Listeners 2)Talk slowly and clearly 3)Don't just keep talking about yourself like the tons of degrees you might hold or how your day went, instead talk about how the person you are talking to is doing, how was their day...etc.

Ron Shahani of Northville, MI featured in Detroit Free Press

Ron Shahani, one of our community members is featured in today's (12/16/2007) Detroit Free Press.

Ron Shahani is the founder and President of Acro Service Corp. which is located in Livonia, MI. Acro has grown from a staffing company with a single client to a $100-million multinational company.

Some quotes from the Detroit Free Press Article:

In May, Shahani was honored by the Detroit Regional Chamber as an Emerging Global Leader. In March, he was one of 10 representatives from the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership who went to India to promote Detroit as an excellent business location.

When asked what will improve the Business Climate in Michigan, this is what Mr. Shahani had to say

"We must diligently work to revive the auto industry, while at the same time, and this is key, work to rapidly grow alternative industries in Michigan. We should take an interest in the auto industry's issues, and if we are in a position to do so, buy at least one American car per family, so we can experience the tremendous improvements that have been made. In terms of growing alternative industries, I think we should aim to make Michigan the Silicon Valley of the Midwest. Lastly, I think we need to accelerate the revival of Detroit, making it a desirable place for anyone to safely live, work and have fun."

Indian American Lawmaker from Maryland arrested for DUI

Baltimore Sun is reporting that Kumar P Barve, the house majority leader in Maryland legislature and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, was arrested on Thursday night in Gaithersburg, Maryland and charged with driving while impaired by alcohol.

This additional info from Baltimore Sun

Kumar Barve failed a field sobriety test and was found to have a 0.10 blood-alcohol level through a preliminary breath test, which is not admissible as evidence in court. The legal limit is 0.08.

Barve was handcuffed and taken to a county police station in Gaithersburg, where he refused a blood-alcohol test.

Police charged him on four counts: driving under the influence, driving while impaired, failure to obey a traffic device and failure to drive right of the center line.

What's ironical here is that Kumar P Barve was one of the sponsors of a 2001 bill that changed the Maryland state's legal blood-alcohol level for drivers from 0.10 to 0.08.

Pranidhi Varshney - Indian American Actress from Chicago

Just listened to Nipa Shah's podcast where she interviews a bright young and beautiful Indian American Actress named Pranidhi Varshney. Pranidhi who was born in New Delhi, India and was raised in Michigan, is now a resident of Chicago.

Pranidhi is a recent graduate of Northwestern University, Chicago where she studied theater and psychology along with specialization in musical theater.

To know more about Pranidhi, listen in to Nipa Shah's Podcast.

This review from Chicago Sun-Times on Pranidhi's performance in a musical - "Kama Sutra"

As for Varshney, the recent Northwestern University grad who was so beguiling as the star of Lookingglass Theatre's recent "Sita Ram," she has a face so radiant and innocent - - and a figure so curvy in the style of classic Kama Sutra illustrations -- that she makes the whole show feel as innocent as a bubble bath.

Oh My!!

Indian American hired by Presidential Hopeful

Remember S.R. Siddharth! He is the 22 year old Indian American student from University of Virginia who sunk senator George Allen's re-election bid to US Senate in 2006. This resulting from the famous Macaca incident.

Now S.R. Siddharth is working for Democratic Presidential Candidate Bill Richardson. EarthTimes is reporting

Sidarth works in Richardson's Santa Fe office compiling daily newspaper articles for the New Mexico governor, drafting press releases and performing other communication tasks, according to the Washington Post.

Here's the famous Macaca moment from YouTube

American Born Confident Desi

ABCD Lady is Desi Website for American Born Confused Confident Desi Women.

This quote from ABCD Lady's "About Us" page where the editor talks about as to why she launched ABCD Lady

I realized South Asian Americans are far behind African Americans in discussing their identity. African American women talk freely and openly about the struggles they face. They can discuss dating and marriage issues related to black men, health issues that only concern their community, and so much more! It got me thinking—why doesn’t our community have a forum for the Desi women who have grown up in America? We are a unique culture of our own and have so many stories to tell!

So if you consider yourself a "Confident" or a "Confused" Desi bhainji (भैनजी), visit ABCD Lady. The site will (quoting the editors)

• Provide an outlet to discuss taboo topics.
• Give a South Asian perspective on health, fashion, beauty, entertainment and news.
• Highlight South Asians in the community.
• Help South Asians understand themselves and their family for their personal and spiritual growth.

Kiwanis Club of Okemos, MI names Esha Kumar its "Citizen of the Month"

Lansing State Journal is reporting that Esha Kumar, a senior at Okemos High School, has been named "Citizen of the Month" for November by Kiwanis Club of Okemos, Michigan.

Students are selected based on volunteer activities and community involvement. With respect to volunteering

Esha Kumar was a Sparrow Hospital volunteer since 2005-2006. She has volunteered at Cristo Rey Medical Clinic, Meals on Wheels, Hiawatha Elementary School, Ingham County Medical Care Facility, Bharatiya Temple of Lansing, India Cultural Society of Lansing, and the Lansing Chapter of Michigan Association of Physicians. She helps in the ACTION (All Connecting To Improve Our Neighborhoods) activities with Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Red Cross and Haven House as the Captain. Kumar helped in the National Honor Society Community Services food drive and Red Cross activities and Kiwanis Key Club Red Cross and Humane Society projects

Other awards Esha has to her credit

first place in Indian singing competition, an All Area Academic award, Division 2 State semifinalist, Regional and CAAC League champion in tennis, Mid-Michigan Asian pacific American Association Scholarship Award for community service essay competition. She received score of one at solo and ensemble district and state festivals for violin.

In addition, Kumar has first place in Midwest Section of Arthur Ashe Essay Competition, and is a scholarship winner to MSU and is listed on the National Honor Roll of Who's Who Among High School Students Honor Roll

Esha plans to become a doctor and wants to make a difference in people's lives by being a compassionate physician.

Congratulations Esha!

Satish Jasti: CEO of Indian owned bank in Michigan

Meet Satish Jasti an Indian American who is a CEO of Lotus Bank located in Novi, Michigan.

Satish was recently interviewed by Nipa Shah for "Round Table India" a podcast or internet based audio/radio show designed for the Asian Indian community. To listen to the podcast click here.

I have listened to this podcast and some of what I recall:

• Mr. Satish Jasti came to United States at the age of 15
• He has an MBA from University of Chicago
He worked for Federal Reserve here in Detroit
• He was encouraged by a colleague to get into Commercial Banking
• Listen to Mr. Satish Jasti's interesting story at MIICC

C.K. Prahalad named the top management guru in the world

C.K. Prahalad, the Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University of Michigan Professor of Corporate Strategy has been named the top Management Guru of the World by "Thinkers 50". C.K. Prahalad beat out Bill Gates (ranked 2nd) and Allen Greenspan (ranked 3rd).

Quoting University of Michigan Ross School of Business website:

According to Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove of Suntop Media, not many management thinkers actually follow up important early ideas with genuinely groundbreaking future ideas.

"This is what C.K. Prahalad has managed to do," Crainer said. "His work with Gary Hamel set the strategic agenda of the 1990s. Now, with 'The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid,' he has established the social, entrepreneurial and economic agenda of our times."

C.K. Prahalad's Early Life (via Wikipedia)

Prahalad is one of nine children. His father was a well-known Sanskrit scholar and judge in Madras, India (now Chennai). When he was 19, Prahalad was recruited by the manager of the local Union Carbide battery plant. He worked there for four years. Prahalad calls his Union Carbide experience a major inflection point in his life.

Prahalad then went to the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), where he fell in love with a student at a nearby university. After five years spent trying to win their families' approval, the couple married and left for Harvard University. There Prahalad wrote a PhD thesis on multinational management in just two and a half years. The couple then returned to India, where he taught at the IIMA. But his ideas on global business were under constant attack from nationalists in India. He decided to return to the United States, as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan.

Indian-American gets the top job at University of Houston

Renu Khator has been appointed president of University of Houston and chancellor of the four-campus University of Houston System. Hers is an amazing story. Quoting Times of India

The story goes that when Khator first came to the United States in 1974 as a young bride following an arranged marriage, her English was so dodgy that her new husband, Suresh Khator, an engineering student at Purdue University, translated for her while she was interviewed by the dean for school admission.

She made the cut, earned high grades while learning the language from re-runs of I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show , and never looked back. The couple moved to Florida in 1983 when Suresh received a teaching offer from the University of Southern Florida.

Renu Khator took up a temporary position, but in two decades worked her way to become provost at the University, where her success in attracting funds and top notch faculty drew UH’s attention.

On Monday, the Houston Chronicle observed that "Khator spoke without using notes, and her easy eloquence seemed to impress all who met the university's 13th president." Her husband happily boasted that he was now the junior partner and happy to follow her.

Indian Families Flee California Fires

The raging fires in Southern California has forced a lot of Indian families to flee their homes. India West is reporting

Veenu Puri Vermani and her family, along with three other Indian American families, piled into the Vermani van and headed for Anaheim Oct. 22 as the Witch fire, pushed by strong Santa Ana winds, roared toward their homes in San Diego County.

The Vermanis, who live in Sabre Springs north of San Diego along with an untold number of Indian Americans who live in the nearby Rancho Bernardo, Forest Ranch, Penasquiotos and Scripps Ranch communities were forced to flee their homes

Panthic Weekly reports

The Sikh Gurdwara, at 12269 Oak Knoll Rd, Poway, San Diego was evacuated Monday morning. Five swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scriptures) were safely taken to the residence of Hirdyapal Singh, Carmel Valley, CA.

One Sikh family and 3 other South Asian families have lost their home in Rancho Bernado and over 50 Sikh families are reported evacuated from Poway, Rancho Barnado, 4S Ranch, Saber Springs, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Panasquitos, Carmel Valley, Escondido, Olivenhein, Rancho Santa Fee, Encinitas, Chula Vista, East Lake, Ramona.

NDTV reports

Jagjit Singh Dhesi, 56 who's been a resident of Poway, San Diego for more than 30 years now said he had to evacuate his house in the middle of the night along with his son, wife and parents.

Similarly, Dr. Harjot Singh Gill and Dr Jasbir Singh Deol, who run Animal Hospitals, had to evacuate. ''We had 5 families at our place one night. In the morning there was a mandatory evacuation in our area and we had to move out with our guests to Del Mar'' said Dr. Gill.

Inder Singh, who is the president of Global Organization for the People of Indian Origin or GOPIO and has a wide contact among the community said a large number of India-Americans have left their homes for safer places. ''I have been able to reach most of my contacts except few. We are trying to find out about their safety and whereabouts,'' he said.

Indian Americans living in posh Malibu area have shifted to hotels in safer localities. It is believed that some of the houses owned by Indian Americans were gutted in fire but details were not known immediately.

Our thoughts and prayers are with families who have lost their homes!

Bobby Jindal wins Louisiana Governor's Race

Bobby Jindal has become the First Indian American to be elected as a governor of a US State. Bobby Jindal (36) son of Indian immigrants will become Louisiana's first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction and the youngest U.S. governor in office.

Bobby Jindal received 54% of the votes. In his victory speech Bobby Jindal repeated his election pledge to fight corruption in the state of Louisiana.

"They can either go quietly or they can go loudly, but either way they will go," he said, referring to people who were "feeding at the public trough".

This is where Bobby Jindal will now get to stay (Google Maps View of Louisiana Governor's Mansion - Baton Rouge)

Detroit Born Indian American gets a top level position at HHS

Dr. Anand Parekh (31) who was born in Detroit has been named acting deputy assistant secretary for health (science and medicine) at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Dr. Anand Parekh is the son of Kamlesh and Deepika Parekh of West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Dr. Parekh graduated with a political science degree from the University of Michigan, where he completed his graduate training in medicine and public health.

Congratulations to Dr. Parekh.

(Source: IndiaWest)

Indian Americans in FORBES Richest Americans List

FORBES has come out with a list of 400 richest men in America. There are 4 Indian Americans in the list. Here they are:

Amar Bose, 77
Rank: 271
Net Worth: $1.8 Billion
Source: Manufacturing, Self made
Hometown: Framingham, Massachusetts
Education: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Doctorate

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Kavitark Shriram, 51
Rank: 271
Net Worth: $1.8 Billion
Source: Google
Hometown: Mountain View, California
Education: University of Madras, Bachelor of Arts / Science
University of Michigan, Master of Business Administration

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Bharat Desai, 54
Rank: 286
Net Worth: $1.7 Billion
Source: Syntel Inc., Software, Self made
Hometown: Fisher Island, Florida
Education: Indian Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science
University of Michigan, Master of Business Administration

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Vinod Khosla, 52
Rank: 317
Net Worth: $1.5 Billion
Source: Sun Microsystems, Investments, Self made
Hometown: Menlo Park, California
Education: Institute of Technology, Bachelor of Arts / Science
Stanford University, Master of Business Administration

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Sanjaya Malakar moves in to Top 11 of American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar moves in to Top 11 of American Idol. This in spite of the fact that no judges like him and there is all kinds of stuff written in the blogosphere against Sanjaya, all kinds of name calling.....Now is it Sanjaya's fault that he is still in? No..it is people who are voting for him.

Take a look at this video

Indian man from Dearborn Heights faces deportation or Jail time

An Indian (49 year old) from Dearborn Heights sits in a jail after being caught for soliciting sex over the internet from an undercover officer who posed as a 13 year old girl. (more at Detroit News)

Sanjaya Malakar survives to sing again on American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar moves on to the next round.

Besides singing Sanjaya has some other talent also. Sanjaya can Hula...Take a look at this video.

Indian American reaches the top 24 in American Idol

Sanjaya Malakar 17, from Federal Way, WA reaches the top 24 in FOX's American Idol.

Sistar Mortgage - Indian owned Mortgage Co. in MI

Rajeev Gandhi, owner of SISTAR MORTGAGE was recently interviewed by Detroit Free Press (01/28/07).

The Free Press article highlights SISTAR MORTGAGE's expansion into states outside Michigan.

Quoting the Free Press article:

Since he began, he has expanded into 17 other states, including California, Texas and Florida.

Indeed, Michigan's cooling housing market has impacted his business, which is why he has been expanding elsewhere.

"When we began, 100% of our business was in Michigan," Gandhi said. "This year, we will do about 60% of our business outside of Michigan."

Rajeev Gandhi is originally from New Delhi and he is an engineer by profession. He started SISTAR MORTGAGE in 2001.

In a email reponse to MIBAZAAR Rajeev states that SISTAR MORTGAGE is already in 18 states and will be expanding into 40 states.

An impressive showing by a Michigan Indian owned Company. You can reach SISTAR MORTGAGE at 888-841-4238