WRITTEN BY: PARINITA GUPTA
(August 09, 2023) Lata, and her husband Ajay Shah, started their early lives in the US, making their way towards entrepreneurship. The couple seemed to inspire many as together they founded SMART Modular Technologies, providing memory solutions, and Shah Capital Partners, a family investment firm. As successful entrepreneurs running their businesses together in the US, the couple stepped up to give back. Ajay and Lata Shah founded the Krishnan-Shah Foundation (KSF).
KSF contributes to international development in education, healthcare, livelihoods, climate conservation, public broadcasting, media, and the advancement of research organizations. “In the last two decades, our efforts have touched the lives of over 6.7 million people spanning across 26 Indian states. We have mobilized over $118 million from the diaspora to support our mission and collaborated closely with 293 non-governmental organizations on the ground to help the ones requiring assistance,” said Ajay.
Lata and Ajay also launched the Krishnan-Shah Family Scholarship, valued at up to $10,000, for students who are aiming to succeed in their chosen field of study, demonstrate academic promise, and are actively participating in community activities. The program aims to offer substantial financial aid to economically disadvantaged students, ensuring their successful completion of undergraduate studies.
As an active philanthropist, Lata decided to take a step further by co-founding the American India Foundation, one of the largest India-focused foundations in the US. “The US-India partnership historically has been deeply grounded in the common principles of democracy and the promise of innovation. In order to ensure lasting effectiveness, our solutions need to embrace inclusivity and fairness. This is why we place emphasis on fostering connections between individuals in the US and India, enabling the transformation of concepts into concrete outcomes,” informed Lata.
The American India Foundation works on improving the well-being of India’s underprivileged populations, particularly women, children, and youth. AIF achieves this objective through impactful initiatives in education, health, and livelihoods, recognizing that poverty encompasses various dimensions. A distinguishing feature of AIF is its comprehensive involvement with communities, civil society, and expertise, fostering a lasting connection between the US and India.
The Global Indians have also provided funding to the ‘San Marga Iraivan Temple,’ a Hindu temple sculpted in India and presently in the process of being built on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The founders have consistently demonstrated their engagement in launching non-profit initiatives, aiming to address issues of poverty in a sustainable way and help in improving the lives of the underprivileged in India.