On January 25, the University of Southern California (USC) hosted the first-ever IndiaCon, a conference dedicated to exploring the growing economic, technological, and cultural ties between India and the United States. The conference welcomed more than 250 guests, who attended panel discussions and lectures from eminent Indian-American professionals from all walks of life. 

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The Highlights

K. Srikar Reddy, the Consul General of India in San Francisco joined author Gunjan Bagla for a discussion titled India’s Leap Forward. The two discussed upcoming opportunities for collaboration between India and the United States. Vik Thapar, Ray Mathoda, and Neil Badlani carried forward this thread of fruitful collaboration in Generics to Global Health in a discussion that focused on the healthcare models of these two countries. 

A panel titled Back Office to Innovation Hub talked about how India is fast becoming an innovation powerhouse. Sumant Mandal and Kavitha Mariappan noted that attitudes towards entrepreneurship are changing in the country. 

“Not too long ago I had to convince the parents of one of my founders in India that their son’s marital prospects would not be hampered by embarking on this path,” said Mandal about the cultural shifts in Indian society to this field. 

Navneet Chugh, Kanchi Nayaka, and Anuj Nadadur had a lighthearted conversation about their journeys in Visa Hurdles to Career Triumphs that demonstrated the different paths to making a life in the US.

Two other panels veered away from the subjects of politics, business, and immigration. In South Asian Women in Entertainment, industry insiders Bhavani Rao, Diya Heble, Sujata Murthy, Shireen Razack, and Patricia Isaac reflected on the challenges and opportunities for representation in Hollywood. 

Meanwhile, Nisarg Patel and Ravi Timbawala discussed the bright future of American cricket in their panel Cricket’s American Innings. “For U.S. cricket to become popular, we need to win titles,” said Patel. “And the capability to do so comes when players can commit themselves to the sport and make a living through it. For now, we are very excited about the upcoming international matches and L.A. ‘28 Olympics!”

The Way Forward

IndiaCon was entirely a student-run effort led by Tejaswa Gavankar, Raghav Mahajan, and a team of organizers from USC who hope it will become an annual event. 

“Even though many of us have found success in the US, it’s important to recognize that India is growing at three times the pace of the US. Whether it’s your next business idea, career move, or investment opportunity, keeping an eye on India is not just prudent—it’s essential,” said Mahajan. 

In its inaugural edition, the conference also established the IndiaCon Scholarship to honor individuals with a clear vision for future impact, who are dedicated to India’s progress. Building on the mission of bridging India and the United States, the conference will continue to support a deserving candidate every year in the future.

This year’s scholarship recipient Nikhil Chaudhari is a biomedical engineering PhD student who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from VIT University, India, followed by graduate studies at USC before venturing into academic research. 

“My long-term goal is to become a professor and inspire more South Asian students to pursue research, strengthening India’s strategic independence,” he said. “Specifically, I aim to collaborate with the Center for Brain Research at IISc, to study brain anatomy of Indians – an area overlooked by Western studies.”

IndiaCon co-founder Tejaswa Gavankar is upbeat about next year’s edition, given the success of the first conference. “The India-US partnership is evolving rapidly, and we want IndiaCon to grow alongside it—becoming a key platform for leaders shaping the future,” he said. “This was just the beginning.”

Session recordings of IndiaCon 2025 will be made available soon. Follow the official page and reach out to the organizers at indiaconference@marshall.usc.edu for collaboration opportunities and more updates.