Global IndianstoryAparna Chennapragada: Indian-American woman spearheading generative AI at Microsoft

Aparna Chennapragada: Indian-American woman spearheading generative AI at Microsoft

Compiled by: Charu Thakur

(October 18, 2023) “I’ve always thrived on building and scaling products that combine deep foundational technology and intuitive user experience to solve customer problems — whether it is Search that instantly finds relevant information, Assistant that you can talk to, or Google Lens that lets you search what you see,” wrote Indian-American tech veteran Aparna Chennapragada on her LinkedIn as she graciously accepted the new position of Corporate Vice President at Microsoft. She recently stepped down as chief product officer of stock trading app Robinhood.

Aparna Chennapragada | Global Indian

Indian Americans are increasingly making significant strides in various prominent companies, owing to their exceptional talent and contributions. With a strong emphasis on education and a culture that values hard work and innovation, many Indian Americans have risen to prominent roles in the corporate world. This trend is particularly evident in the tech industry as leaders have not only shattered glass ceilings but have also played pivotal roles in driving innovation and growth for their respective organisations. And Aparna Chennapragada is yet another Indian American who has jumped on the bandwagon of Microsoft to help accelerate its generative AI initiatives.

The IIT-Madras alumnus, who later moved to the US for her MS in Computer Science at the University of Texas, was always interested in technology that could transform lives. Interested in building software, she joined her first job as a software engineer in 1999. After gaining experience for a decade, she had the thirst to learn more and enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s System Design and Management program, where she won third place in the MIT Venture Capital Competition 2008.

This led her to the doors of Google in 2008 where started as a product manager and in a span of 12 years made it to the Vice President of the company. “The biggest exciting moment for me is the combination of data and algorithms with useful user problems like looking for information to buy something. Everyone needs information on the go, and you need quick and bite-sized answers. Phones are turning into remote controls for our daily lives,” she said in an interview.

Aparna Chennapragada | Global Indian

But now with AI taking over in almost every area of life, Aparna will be spearheading the generative AI initiatives within Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Designer. “Every few decades, there is a key shift in computing e.g., PC, the internet, mobile, and most recently AI that opens new possibilities for new helpful products. Just like mobile redefined areas such as news and navigation, I believe that generative AI has the potential to redefine creativity and productivity,” she said, adding, “With generative AI, there is an opportunity to build products that instantly and easily bring your intent and imagination to life. That’s why I am super excited to share that I am joining Microsoft as Corporate VP leading efforts on AI-first creation experiences, across #Microsoft365 and #MicrosoftDesigner.

Before her tenure at Microsoft, Chennapragada held positions at various organizations, including Robinhood, Google, eBay, and Akamai Technologies. Her journey at Google began as a product manager, eventually culminating in her role as Vice President and General Manager overseeing consumer shopping operations across the company. She also spearheaded augmented reality (AR) and visual search products, including Lens. Her impressive stint at the tech giant spanned over 12 years.

Additionally, she served as a board member at Capital One, a financial institution offering a wide range of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses, and commercial clients.

This action occurs within the context of a fierce rivalry in the artificial intelligence sector between Google and Microsoft. Chennapragada’s appointment follows a trend of Indian-American experts assuming significant positions at Microsoft. Previously, Rohini Srivathsa took on the role of Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft India and South Asia in September, and in August, Puneet Chandok was named Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for India and South Asia.

Praising Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, with whom she had conversations in the last few months, Aparna has come to appreciate “his vision to empower people and organizations across the world using.” “I’m looking forward to diving in and putting AI to use to unleash our collective creativity,” she wrote in the LinkedIn post.

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Published on 18, Oct 2023

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Atul Koul Randev: Tech executive to bestselling Indian author

(May 22, 2023) Atul Koul Randev, a tech industry executive at Signicat, has found success with his debut novel 'The Hundred Million Bet.' His book found a spot on the WH Smith Fiction bestsellers list and is a bestseller on Amazon, with a 4.6 rating. Global Indian looks at the Oslo-based techie's journey to becoming a bestselling Indian author ... Most of Atul Koul Randev’s childhood was spent reading books: Enid Blyton, C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), JK Rowling (Harry Potter) and Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. He would wander around in the library for hours, picking and reading whatever he liked. After all, his mother was a librarian and a writer of short stories. All of this reading started to flow into his school essays. Atul started writing some short poems and stories, which were appreciated at school and home. He left the country to study and work, going to France and Norway, but never stopped writing. “I’m a dreamer, writer and a poet, in the guise of a techie,” smiles Atul Koul Randev, author of the best seller ‘The Hundred Million Bet’ in an exclusive chat with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_39013" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Indian author Atul Koul Randev[/caption] Atul, who

[caption id="attachment_39013" align="aligncenter" width="554"] Indian author Atul Koul Randev[/caption]

Atul, who is the Chief Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions officer at Signicat, a tech firm in Oslo, Norway, describes his book as a crime thriller at heart with strong doses of romance and philosophy. “We have a survival storyline combined with a heist where the hero (Caesar) stands to win or lose 100 million euros,” says the author about his book, which has been a bestseller on Amazon, rating a good 4.6, and has peaked at No.3 on WH SMITH Fiction best sellers list.

The Hundred Million Bet

Caesar, elaborates Atul, wins the money to begin with but the mafia boss that he’s beaten, wants his money back and would go to any lengths to get it.

“Life is never just action, it is never just a chase. There is a lot of thinking, questioning, and loving that we do in our lives, and Caesar is no different,” feels Atul, adding that the hero of his book needs to face and answer some questions related to what he values and why he exists before he’ll be ready to face the antagonists.

The response to the book has been very humbling, he says. “People liked the grey characters and found them relatable even though these people are living in the high-stakes world of 100 million poker games,” says Atul, who received most appreciation for the structure of the story told through several different timelines, characters, and in different cities.

“I planted a lot of easter eggs in the book, and a few astute readers have caught those and appreciated them,” smiles the 33-year-old, who has written a few short novels in the past.

The techie life

Born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, Atul’s school days was all about reading books, playing table tennis or cricket. An above average student when it came to academics, Atul studied mechanical engineering in YMCA University of Technology and Science in Faridabad.

He then worked as a software developer with Tata Consultancy Services, which took him to Oslo, Norway for a project in 2014. Thereafter, he moved to France did his MBA from HEC Paris in 2016. He returned to Oslo and worked with a Norwegian boutique consulting firm called Arkwright. Thereafter, he joined Bain & Company, one of the leading strategy consulting firms in the world, as a management consultant.

“At Bain & Company, I got the opportunity to work on key projects with some of the leading companies across the globe,” says Atul, who joined Signicat in May 2021 and rose to the position of Chief Strategy and M & A officer in April 2022.

Signicat is a Tech company bringing Digital Identity and Fraud management solutions to our customers which are mostly Banking and Financial services institutions.

“We are backed by a fund that gives us capital to invest in smaller companies. I lead a team that executes on that,” informs the techie, who has fairly intense workdays, which usually involves a few meetings with other companies that they may want to acquire at some point besides internal meetings and aligning with various teams on their views on these companies.

Life in Norway

Atul loves his life in Oslo. “I love food, so spend a lot of time in the kitchen with a glass of wine, and a cricket game on, cooking butter chicken or something else,” says the huge cricket fan, who does not miss a single game when India is playing.

Otherwise, he reads and writes a lot. “When it comes to reading, my guilty pleasure is fantasy,” informs Atul, whose favourite authors include Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, James Islington and J.K. Rowling. He also likes to read philosophers like Spinoza and Schopenhauer.

“Reading a good book is same as traveling for me. When I read fantasy, I get to step into a magical world,” says Atul, who is a fitness freak and loves working out on a gym regularly.

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A post shared by Atul Koul Randev (@atulrandev)

Future plans

“I’m working on a couple of other projects right now, that would likely come to life in one form or another over the next couple of years,” informs Atul, who is presently working on a short non-fiction project with his wife. In addition, he is in the early stages of writing his next book. “It would not be a crime thriller but would hopefully be a thrilling book anyway,” says the author, who binge watches slow-burn but high-intensity TV shows. Some of his recent favourites have been Succession, Severance, Dark, and The Haunting of hill house.

Atul makes it a point to visit India twice a year. “Now that my parents are retired, I try to get them to spend more time with us in Oslo,” says the techie, who, was among the scores of people who escaped death during the flash floods in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand in 2013. “Everything was destroyed and I had to sleep on the floor of a police outpost for 10 days in the middle of a valley. We had to hike through about a hundred kms of broken mountains to get home,” he recalls.

Follow Atul on Instagram.

How MIT scientist Shriya Srinivasan’s ventilator tech is saving lives

When Shriya Srinivasan, a postdoctoral medical researcher at Harvard Medical School, came up with a ventilator multiplexer amidst a raging pandemic, she hoped to solve a million problems with one medical device. At the peak of the pandemic, a shortage of ventilators had patients gasping for breath. Srinivasan’s ventilator-splitter could reduce this requirement by half. “The problem with earlier ventilator multiplexer models was that they could not be customized to treat each patient,” Srinivasan told Global Indian in an exclusive interview. “Splitting them uniformly between two patients can be injurious to each patient.” [caption id="attachment_4816" align="aligncenter" width="537"] Shriya Srinivasan at work[/caption] What Srinivasan and her cohort of researchers did was incorporate individualized controls. In other words, doctors can now treat two patients with a single ventilator while customizing the settings to suit specific medical requirements. Soon after the research was published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, she sought to industrialize the life-saving equipment given the dire global shortage. “We partnered with a Bengaluru-based startup to add a digital monitoring component to the ventilator multiplexer and get it ready for global deployment,” says Srinivasan. However, by the time Srinivasan’s splitter hit the market, India’s second wave had begun to ease, leaving the healthcare ecosystem with less appetite and funds for innovation. The Indian American researcher says, “It was incredibly challenging to reach the healthcare market in India. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle to

l device." width="537" height="358" /> Shriya Srinivasan at work[/caption]

What Srinivasan and her cohort of researchers did was incorporate individualized controls. In other words, doctors can now treat two patients with a single ventilator while customizing the settings to suit specific medical requirements.

Soon after the research was published in the Science Translational Medicine journal, she sought to industrialize the life-saving equipment given the dire global shortage. “We partnered with a Bengaluru-based startup to add a digital monitoring component to the ventilator multiplexer and get it ready for global deployment,” says Srinivasan.

However, by the time Srinivasan’s splitter hit the market, India’s second wave had begun to ease, leaving the healthcare ecosystem with less appetite and funds for innovation. The Indian American researcher says,

“It was incredibly challenging to reach the healthcare market in India. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle to deploy these units.”

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_7M_jJ6NZ4&ab_channel=TEDxTalks[/embed]

She added that the reason for a sluggish response was both monetary and bureaucratic. Nevertheless, over two dozen units have been deployed and the splitter may come in handy to tackle the imminent forthcoming waves.

This Global Indian medical engineer is not new to innovation and her earlier attempts at accessible healthcare equipment stand testimony to it. Her past research focused on surgical innovations which allow a better connection between the human body and prosthetic limbs. “For people with amputations, we’ve seen great improvement in their mobility, pain profile and their ability to sense phantom limbs,” she says. While some techniques are already implemented in individuals fitted with prosthetic limbs, others are on clinical trials.

Global identity

Srinivasan was born and raised in the US after her parents Srinivasan Ranganathan, a senior project manager in an IT firm, and Sujatha Srinivasan, an acclaimed Bharatanatyam dancer, moved to the US in the early 1990s. Her parents belong to a conservative family in Tamil Nadu.

Following her undergraduate course at Case Western Reserve University, she pursued the prestigious program in medical engineering and medical physics from Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology.

Being a first-generation immigrant hasn’t been easy on Srinivasan. It left her with an identity crisis in childhood. “Any child that follows one culture at home and another at school would go through this identity crisis on where do you fit in,” she recalls. But she managed to channel her crisis to her advantage.

“You’re out of place and you belong nowhere. Then you realize that you belong nowhere is the same thing as you belong everywhere,”

[caption id="attachment_4815" align="aligncenter" width="615"] When Shriya Srinivasan, a postdoctoral medical researcher at Harvard Medical School, came up with a ventilator multiplexer amidst a raging pandemic, she hoped to solve a million problems with one medical device. Shriya Srinivasan during a dance performance Photo Courtesy: The Hindu[/caption]

Perhaps this is what motivated her to set up Anubhava Dance Company – a Bharatanatyam platform to perform and train together – to help fellow Indian-Americans to learn this classical art form. “I’ve been learning dance from a very young age. It’s a very big part of my life,” says Srinivasan, who routinely performs at the famed Chennai’s December Margazhi season.

Srinivasan and members of the company have performed at shows in over 15 American cities. “It’s hard to carry something like Bharatanatyam over here [in the US]. It requires so much history, language, music, and culture. It’s like a full package you need to know to be productive and carry it forward,” she emphasized.

While Srinivasan’s long-term goal is to conjure up accessible and affordable healthcare apparatus, she is also determined to firm up her Indian roots through Bharatanatyam.

Editor's Take

Ever since the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, medical facilities across the world have faced an accute shortage of ventilators; an oft life-saving option for patients. In this regard, India is in many ways an archetype of the challenges that many developing countries face. It is a crucible for any innovation to succeed at scale; and any innovation with respect to COVID-19 should be lauded. Shriya's work will have a global impact in the way imminent waves of the pandemic will be dealt with and can possibly save millions of lives.

RELATED READ: Dr Nikhila Juvvadi: 32-year-old chief clinical officer who gave Chicago its first Covid-19 jab

Reading Time: 5 mins

Theatre director Dipankar Mukherjee is amplifying the voices of the marginalised

(September 14, 2023) In a dazzling debut on the U.S. stage, "Returning to Haifa," a play adapted from the 1969 novella by the late Palestinian author and activist Ghassan Kanafani, took the audience by storm, earning thunderous standing ovations and critical acclaim. At the helm of this theatrical triumph stands Dipankar Mukherjee, the visionary Indian American director. As the co-founder and artistic director of the renowned Pangea World Theater, a Minneapolis-based international hub for art and dialogue, Dipankar's creative journey is deeply intertwined with his unwavering commitment to social justice, equity, and profound spirituality. These pillars, together with his keen political insights, serve as the cornerstone of his artistic endeavors. With an impressive directorial portfolio spanning across India, England, Canada, and the United States, Dipankar Mukherjee is not only a luminary in the world of theater but also a recipient of the esteemed Humphrey Institute Fellowship to Salzburg, solidifying his impact on the global stage. "I am truly committed to telling stories from multiple perspectives and highlighting those voices who have been unjustly vilified, marginalised, displaced, erased, or ignored," said the director, who is also a Ford Foundation delegate to India and Lebanon. Artistic brilliance Born in Kolkata (Calcutta) the

e. "I am truly committed to telling stories from multiple perspectives and highlighting those voices who have been unjustly vilified, marginalised, displaced, erased, or ignored," said the director, who is also a Ford Foundation delegate to India and Lebanon.

Artistic brilliance

Born in Kolkata (Calcutta) the director has a deep connection to his historic dramaturgical roots that extend thousands of years back. After finishing his education, Dipankar started working with various dancers and choreographers in India, the director expanded his wings to work in USA, Canada, and England.

"I've had the privilege of collaborating with talented dancers to craft cross-cultural performances, drawing upon my expertise in Kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial arts discipline. Throughout my journey, I've had the opportunity to collaborate with skilled choreographers/dancers hailing from India, the United States, and Canada, assuming the role of a director in these creative partnerships. My artistic vision has evolved organically, shaped by a steadfast dedication to principles of social justice, equity, and profound spirituality. These foundational values, intertwined with a keen sensitivity to contemporary political currents, serve as the guiding pillars of my creative work," the director said in an interview.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWhkT_l-7uk

Quite early in his career, the Global Indian won the prestigious Twin Cities International Citizens Award from the Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul for contributions in the area of human rights and international cooperation. It was around this time in 1995 that he was also involved in establishing the Pangea World Theater, along with his wife Meena Natarajan, who is also quite a well-known artist. "Our theater is shaped by the stories forged by artists who dared to speak their truth and blessed by our elders from multiple communities. We renew our commitment to the artists who are architects of our collective imagination and whose courage has been a part of the skein that created Pangea," the director said during an interview, adding, "We commit to a world of equity for the next 25 years and beyond."

The world's a stage

Eventually, Pangea evolved to become not just another theatre in America, but a platform for suppressed and unheard voices. "I always wonder why The Ordway, The Guthrie, and other famous Drama centers all over America would invite artists the world over including England, but they would never reach out to provide a helping hand to the struggling Native American artists, the Latina, the LGBTQ artists who are trying to change this world one street theater at a time, one play in the park at a time,” the director shared.

[caption id="attachment_44914" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Director | Dipankar Mukherjee | Global Indian A scene from the play Returning to Haifa[/caption]

And this is precisely what inspired their commitment to offering a nurturing artistic haven for those who needed it most. Pangea's extensive repertoire brims with creative expressions from artists of diverse backgrounds: people of color, Native Americans, African Americans, immigrant artists, and members of the LGBTQ community, all working towards positive change. In a recent conversation, the director emphasized the significance of this choice, both in dismantling systemic racism and in fostering more compassionate interactions among us all.

Giving back to the community

Amidst the endeavour of creating a globally renowned drama company, the theatre director remained deeply connected to his Indian roots. Pangea collaborates closely with local Indian organisations, including the India Association of Minnesota and the Hindu Temple. These partnerships have given rise to intriguing dynamics and interactions within the community. "To leave a different world for the next generation and be able to face them with integrity, we must take accountability. We must know our own history and acknowledge the debt we, as immigrants from India, owe to the Civil Rights movement as it’s because of this that we have the privilege of being on this land," shared the director.

Throughout the years, the director has partnered with various organisations, including SEWA, to shed light on pressing issues within the community, particularly domestic violence awareness. In 2017, the theatre produced a powerful play titled '5 Weeks,' a collaborative effort involving individuals from the local South Asian community. This production delved into the multifaceted narratives that constitute the often-overlooked history of the Partition of India in 1947. It eloquently portrayed stories of heartbreak, shattered identities, yearning, and memories of home during the turbulent period following the establishment of India and Pakistan's borders.

[caption id="attachment_44915" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Director | Dipankar Mukherjee | Global Indian Dipankar Mukherjee and Meena Natarajan of Pangea World Theater[/caption]

"We have also organised gatherings to raise our voice and take strong action against islamophobia, homophobia, racist attitudes, colorism, patriarchy, and domestic violence within our communities. Reaching out and standing in solidarity with the Black community and indigenous community is our duty and understanding that we are a part of this ecosystem called America," the director said.

Follow Dipankar Mukherjee on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 5 mins

Priti Krishtel: Indian-American health justice lawyer is fighting the global patent system

(November 4, 2022) The global pandemic exposed the inaccessibility of general life-saving medicines in developing countries. From basic paracetamol to only-on-prescription Remdesivir, patients across the world suffered from a severe shortage of medicines in the last two years. While many accepted it to be a side effect of the COVID-19 situation, a few decided to stand up and fight against the inequities in the global pharmaceutical system. One such leader is Indian-American health justice lawyer, Priti Krishtel, who recently won the MacArthur Fellowship, unofficially known as the ‘genius grant’, who exposed pharma companies for misusing the patent laws in the United States of America. “By distilling the technical aspects of the patent system to show its sometimes devastating impact on people’s lives, Krishtel is galvanizing a movement to center around people instead of only commercial interests in our medicines patent policy,” McArthur Foundation said announcing this year’s 25 fellowships. The grant carries an $800,000, no-strings-attached grant for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more. [caption id="attachment_31359" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Health Justice Lawyer, Priti Krishtel, won the McArthur Grant for exposing the inequities in the patent system to increase access to affordable, life-saving medications

://www.globalindian.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Priti-Krishtel.jpg" alt="Lawyer | Priti Krishtel | Global Indian" width="724" height="474" /> Health Justice Lawyer, Priti Krishtel, won the McArthur Grant for exposing the inequities in the patent system to increase access to affordable, life-saving medications on a global scale[/caption]

For over 20 years now the California-based lawyer has been fighting against big pharmaceutical companies, keeping them from exploiting loopholes in the U.S. patent laws that allow them to keep exclusive rights to medicines for an extended period. Through this, the companies can sell their drugs at high prices without the threat of competition. This means that people and countries in need of medication are often unable to afford it.

Standing for a million lives

The daughter of a pharmaceutical scientist who worked for drug companies, Priti Radhakrishnan was always sensitive towards matters of social justice. After earning an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a law degree from New York University, Priti, like many others, joined a big law firm in Los Angeles. However, her ideas about the pharma patent system came crashing down during her initial days, while she was working on a project in India.

It was personally gut-wrenching for me to know that the drugs had come to market, but they just weren’t getting to the people who needed them, and there was such a huge time lag in making that happen.

The lawyer was leading a team representing HIV-positive clients in court when she noticed that in AIDS cases a diagnosis was a death sentence, nearly every time. While there were antiretroviral therapies available, they were not affordable for her clients. So bad was the condition, that if parents were diagnosed with HIV, they would just hand over their kids to an orphanage. "This early work in India left a permanent mark on my heart," the lawyer said during an interview with Devex, adding, "It was personally gut-wrenching for me to know that the drugs had come to market, but they just weren’t getting to the people who needed them, and there was such a huge time lag in making that happen.”

This motivated the lawyer to co-found the Initiative for Medicines, Access, and Knowledge, or I-MAK, in 2006. She partnered with Tahir Amin, an expert on intellectual property law, who had formerly represented big corporations and health experts. "The patent system was intended to motivate people to invent by giving them a reward of a time-limited monopoly. But in the last 40 years, that intention has been distorted beyond recognition," the Global Indian said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0BHQIyfEdQ

Explaining how the patent law is abused by big companies, the lawyer said in an NPR interview, "Take the top-selling drug in the country, HUMIRA. After the first patent expired, the company, AbbVie, filed and got so many more patents that they made two-thirds of all their revenue. But what you see in another part of the world, like Europe, is that the price came down because other companies came in as competition.

"So how drug companies are using the patent system, and the fact that patients don't have a voice in the patent system is leading to longer monopolies, higher prices, or drugs not being available at all."

Fighting the system

So far, the lawyers have led teams to stop pharma giant Novartis from patenting the leukemia drug Gleevec, and have twice prevented Abbott Laboratories from patenting the HIV medicines. The organisation has also worked with advocacy groups in various countries to reform the drug development system by involving the affected community in the process. “The system is completely insulated from the human consequences of how it works,” the lawyer said, "So how do we humanise the system? How do we bring it into more proximity with the people it's meant to serve, and evolve it for the better?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3y6_7_5PcQ

The year pandemic stuck marked a pivotal time for the lawyer. With the big pharma companies such as Moderna having monopolies on their products, the reach of COVID vaccines was limited to the developed nations. During her research, the lawyer found that while 55 percent of people in developed countries were vaccinated, only one percent of the population in developing countries had access to any kind of vaccine. She even called out the then US President, Donald Trump's pushing of vaccines for American citizens "the beginning of a new Hunger Games".

"COVID taught us that when the biggest drug companies have monopolies on their products, they will always sell to the highest bidder. They will always price the medication or the vaccines out of reach. For example, Moderna was almost 100 percent publicly funded. But unfortunately, the U.S. government gave away the right to the vaccine. So, now Moderna stands to make $100 billion by the end of this decade, and $40 billion alone by the end of this year. And it was taxpayer funding that helped bring that invention to market," she told NPR.

[caption id="attachment_31363" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Lawyer | Priti Krishtel | Global Indian Priti with her friends[/caption]

Inspired by her father, the lawyer kept fighting against the system, arguing that apart from intellectual property law reform the US government should work towards technology transfer to help manufacture all medicines locally.

A mother to a four-year-old, the lawyer feels that while there is a long way to go to bring these reforms, slowly she can see the changes. "I just don't think that people's ability to heal should depend on their ability to pay. And I think we all can be a part of the solution," says Priti.

Follow Priti Krishtel on Twitter and LinkedIn

Reading Time: 7 mins

Bengal to Barbados: Sabir Nakhuda’s quest to unveil the untold story of Indian migration on the Caribbean island nation

(September 5, 2024) Nestled in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, next to North America. It's one of the more populous and prosperous Caribbean islands. The story of Indian migration to Barbados began around 1910 with Bashart Ali Dewan from West Bengal, the first documented migrant from India to the island. Intrigued by this historical narrative, Indian-origin Sabir Nakhuda, a former journalist and author who grew up in Barbados, dedicated 15 years to researching and crafting his book - Bengal to Barbados: A 100 Year History of East Indians in Barbados. “It is a labour of love and a crucial mission to preserve the history of a community whose story needed to be told,” he remarks while connecting with Global Indian. This year Sabir Nakhuda co-founded the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. and Bengal to Barbados Digital Project with his friend Suleiman Bulbulia to highlight the distinctness and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity. The digital project, which is being co-curated by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, weaves together migration stories from Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India with themes of cultural integration, heritage, and intergenerational experiences. [caption id="attachment_55453"

igital Project with his friend Suleiman Bulbulia to highlight the distinctness and impact of East Indian-Bajan identity. The digital project, which is being co-curated by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, weaves together migration stories from Bengal, Gujarat, Sindh, and South India with themes of cultural integration, heritage, and intergenerational experiences.

[caption id="attachment_55453" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Indian Art and Culture | Bengal to Barbados | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda (centre) with Indian-origin people during the launch of Bengal to Barbados Foundation and digital project[/caption]

Quest to revive Indian legacy in Barbados

In 1953 author Sabir Nakhuda’s father travelled from the village of Tadkeshwar in the Surat district of Gujarat to the distant Caribbean Island of Barbados for work. He was one of those Indian migrants from the region who were seeking better opportunities far from home. Five years later, in 1958, when Sabir was just ten years old, his father sent for him to join him in this new land. His mother and younger brother followed them in 1960, and the place became their new home.

“Growing up in Barbados, I navigated a unique cultural landscape, balancing my Indian roots with my new life in the Caribbean. I completed my primary and secondary education on the island, and later, pursued higher education in Canada. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi, and Urdu, I always maintained a strong connection with my heritage, even as I adapted to my new environment,” Sabir tells.

It wasn’t until he began working at The Barbados Advocate, one of the oldest newspapers on the island, that he realised how little was known about the East Indian community in Barbados. He came across a few interviews from the 1950s with two elders from their community, which touched on their arrival in Barbados. But it quickly became apparent that there was so much more to uncover. “There were no documented records or any other accounts of our community’s history on the island. This realisation sparked a determination in me to dig deeper and document our story,” he remarks.

[caption id="attachment_55465" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Indian Art and Culture | Sabir Nakhuda | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda at the 2024 Genealogy Market, Barbados[/caption]

With no written records to rely on, Sabir turned to oral history, visiting and interviewing various members of both the Barbadian and East Indian communities. He collected documents, photographs, and artefacts, piecing together the fragmented history of this often-overlooked group.

During my research, a particularly significant moment came when a family of early Bengali migrants shared an airmail letter with me. The sender’s address on the back of that letter led me to India, where I was determined to trace the roots of the first migrant who came to Barbados.

Sabir Nakhuda shares

In 1999, Sabir took a trip to India with a purpose – to find the first migrant from India who landed in Barbados. It was a journey that took him to the village of Jinpoor, where he found the descendants of the first migrant - Bashart Ali Dewan. It took him about two weeks to find the village of the first migrant.

“I interviewed his sons, other family members, and villagers, documenting their stories through pictures, videos, and recorded interviews. Often, my Bengali friends helped translate, ensuring that the rich history of these families was accurately captured. These recordings, now preserved in my hard drive, form a crucial part of the historical record I have worked to create,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_55456" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Indian Art Culture | Bengal Barbados | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Bashart Ali Dewan - first Indian migrant to Barbados | Photo Courtesy : Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc[/caption]

Keeping heritage and connections alive

Along with his research, Sabir Nakhuda has also collected various Indian artefacts, including old bicycles, jackets, relics, and photographs. These items, along with the history of the East Indian community, have been displayed in genealogy and archive exhibitions in collaboration with the Barbados Archives Department, where Sabir has been a contributor for many years.

“I also give lectures on the arrival of East Indians and their contributions to nation-building in Barbados, ensuring that our story is told and remembered,” tells Sabir who is enjoying an active retired life.

Due to his research that lasted 15 years, the author and former journalist has developed strong connections with the families of other Bengali migrants across various villages in West Bengal. “Although I am a Gujarati and not related to Bashart Ali and his family, I visit them and family members of other migrants spread across various villages in Bengal, whenever I travel to India.” he mentions.

[caption id="attachment_55463" align="aligncenter" width="844"] Indian Art and Culture | Sabir Nakhuda | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Sabir Nakhuda presented his book to Barbados PM Freundel Stuart in 2013 and President of Guyana, Mohammed Irfan Ali in 2023[/caption]

Sabir Nakhuda has been to many parts of India dozens of times, and makes a point to visit his own uncles, aunts and extended family members in India, whenever possible.

One of my most cherished experiences was being invited to speak at the Visva-Bharati University at Shantiniketan in West Bengal in 2019, where I discussed the Indian diaspora in the Caribbean. I was elated to visit the place built by Rabindranath Tagore, as he is one of my favourite poets.

Sabir Nakhuda shares

In addition to his historical work, Sabir Nakhuda also writes poetry in English, Gujarati, and Urdu, and has continued his oral research, currently focusing on a book on the migration of Muslims from India to Barbados. “This upcoming work will detail the names of the villages from which Muslims have migrated, the history and pictures of these villages, and a chronology of every individual who came to Barbados from 1910 to 2023,” he says.

Creating legacy for future generations

The year 2016 was eventful both for Barbados as a nation and for Sabir Nakhuda as an author. It was the year when the nation celebrated 50 years of its independence. The same year, while attending the Commonwealth Prime Ministers meeting, Barbados's PM Freundel Stuart presented Nakhuda's book Bengal to Barbados to India's PM, Modi. "PM Stuart later told me that he discussed the context of my book with PM Modi and highlighted the contributions East Indians have made in various fields of nation-building," the author recalls. The foreword of the book was written by none other than PM Stuart himself.

During Barbados’s 50th anniversary of independence, the author was selected to serve on the committee organizing the celebrations. A time capsule was placed at the historic site of Independence Square in Bridgetown, the capital, where the Independence flag was first raised. Among the artifacts, two books were included: the autobiography of Sir Garfield Sobers, a former Barbadian cricketer who is considered Barbados's national hero and the greatest all-rounder in the world, and Bengal to Barbados.

The time capsule is set to be opened on Barbados's 100th anniversary in 2066. While I may not be around, my future generations will be, and most importantly, the legacy of the East Indian presence and our stories will resurface.

Nakhuda says with pride

[caption id="attachment_55690" align="aligncenter" width="433"] Indian Author | Sabir Nakhuda | Global Indian Cover Image of Sabir Nakhuda's book[/caption]

Connecting the dots

Sabir Nakhuda's friend Suleiman Bulbulia’s interest in co-founding the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. with him stems from the same deep commitment to preserve and promote the history and culture of the East Indian community in the Caribbean island nation. He even has a distant connection with the first documented Indian migrant to the country. “My paternal grandfather's second wife was related to Bashart Ali Dewan, the first documented East Indian migrant to Barbados,” he says.

Born and raised in Barbados, Suleiman's paternal and maternal grandfathers migrated from Kaphleta, Gujarat in the 1930s. With the Bengal to Barbados Foundation Inc. the retail senior manager by profession seeks to bridge cultural understanding and acceptance of Indian-origin people in the island nation.

[caption id="attachment_55460" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Indian Art and Culture | Suleiman Bulbulia | Bengal to Barbados | Global Indian Suleiman Bulbulia during the launch of Bengal to Barbados Foundation and digital project[/caption]

Both Sabir Nakhuda and Suleiman Bulbulia are dedicated to documenting the stories, history, and legacy of East Indians in Barbados. Their goal is to collect tangible, historic items from the Indian community to create a permanent display of these artefacts. Additionally, they aim to share the collected information through their website and social media platforms.

“Our efforts have centred around providing accurate historical information about the Indian community in Barbados while promoting their culture, knowledge, and heritage. These efforts have led to an understanding and acceptance of the Indian community among both the government and the general public in Barbados. Additionally, our work has strengthened the bonds of friendship between India and Barbados,” Suleiman signs off.

Follow Sabir Nakhuda and Suleiman Bulbulia on Facebook
To know more about Bengal to Barbados Digital Project, visit its website

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