Global IndianstoryThe Indians who cooked up a storm in the MasterChef Australia kitchen

Indian Origin

The Indians who cooked up a storm in the MasterChef Australia kitchen

Written by: Global Indian

(July 24, 2021; 6.15 pm) For a long time now, Indian food has best been described as ugly delicious. High on flavor and with aromas that tickle one’s senses, it was never much of a looker. Or so we believed. That is, until, Indian-origin chefs began to give traditional Indian flavors a makeover: through fine-dining restaurants on the global stage and on our television scenes on shows like the hugely popular MasterChef Australia. The competitive cooking contest that has captured the world’s imagination and consistently churned out some world-class chefs has also put the spotlight on Indian food with its many Indian-origin chefs. These contestants have had their moment in the spotlight over several seasons with their intense flavor-packed innovative dishes that have wowed the judges and audience alike.

In this Global Indian piece, we look at the Indian-origin contestants that have left a lasting impression on the global audience.

Justin Narayan – Season 13

Justin Narayan

Winner of the latest season of MasterChef Australia, 27-year-old Justin Narayan is the second person of Indian descent to have bagged the coveted title. The Fiji-Indian beat competitors like Kishwer Chowdhury and Pete Campbell with a perfect score with his versatility in whipping up various cuisines. A pastor by profession, Narayan lives in Perth and grew up watching cooking shows.

On the show, he impressed judges with dishes like Indian chicken curry, pickle salad, Indian chicken tacos, charcoal chicken with toum, and flatbread. But not many know that Narayan was on the verge of quitting the show halfway through when his dad’s health took a serious turn. Fortunately, his health improved and Narayan continued on the show.

Having clinched the title, he now plans to open his own restaurant one day and use the profits from his future restaurant to help feed needy children in India.

Sashi Cheliah – Season 10

Sashi Cheliah

Born and brought up in an Indian family in Singapore, Sashi Cheliah fell in love with cooking as a child when he saw his mum and aunt whipped up delicacy after delicacy in the kitchen. Even when he worked as a cop first in Singapore and then in Australia, the 43-year-old chef always wanted to launch his own restaurant. It was why he participated in MasterChef Australia in the first place. On the show he impressed judges with his impressive Asian and Indian inspired dishes, but it was his Sambal Prawns that won him the MasterChef Australia title in season 10, making him the first Indian-origin person to win the contest.

In November 2019, Sashi fulfilled his dream and opened his restaurant Gaja in Adelaide, where he lives. The restaurant serves Asian-inspired food with a Sashi touch and focuses on sustainability in a big way.

Depinder Chhibber – Season 13

Depinder Chhibber

One of the most popular contestants at this season’s MasterChef Australia, Delhi-born Australian Depinder Chhibber elevated simple ghar ka khana to a global stage. A master of most Indian cuisines, Chibber wowed the judges with her chole, kadhai paneer and achaar so much that Melissa Leong asked, “Can we come to your house please?” The 29-year-old pharmacist introduced to the show rich Indian flavors like never before with her okra chips, green curry cake, fried chicken with mango chilli glaze, chicken biryani, ghevar with carrot sherbet and grandma’s pickle. Every dish that she made on the show had an Indian touch, celebrating her roots and identity.

Though she didn’t make it all the way to the end of the show, her flavor-packed dishes hit the spot and made her one of the most popular contestants of the season.

Dalvinder Dhami – Season 4

Dalvinder Dhami

Singapore-born Dalvinder Dhami was 35 when she decided to quit her career as a public servant to chase her culinary dreams and participate in MasterChef Australia. She was the first Indian on the show and created a variety of delicacies that consistently wowed the judges. Some of her most memorable dishes were the pineapple and tomato jam pork served with egg dumplings and Jazadalvs chicken curry. She became rather popular on the show for her intriguing blend of Singaporean cuisine with North Indian tadkas; judge George Calombaris said that the curry she had made was the best he’d ever tasted. After her MasterChef Australia stint, the mom of three has been selling her Indian dishes at Singapore’s local market.

Dev Mishra – Junior Masterchef Australia Season 3

Dev Mishra

14-year-old Dev Mishra deserves a special mention on this list for the flair with which he presented his Indian heritage on a platter to the judges at Junior MasterChef Australia. He once wowed the judges by cooking five dishes – lamb Mughlai curry, saffron rice, raita, chutney, and smoked chicken kebab – all in 75 minutes. It was his way of showcasing a dish that truly represented him. His love for cooking grew in his family kitchen, and Dev loves making curries. However, the teen is equally comfortable whipping up Italian, Asian, and Mexican dishes as well. He is also heavily inspired by Heston Blumenthal and loves to make technically complex desserts.

While he may not have won the competition, he did make it to the semi-finals and this tennis and guitar player, one day hopes to open his own restaurant that will celebrate authentic flavors.

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Published on 24, Jul 2021

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Sirisha Bandla: The second Indian-origin woman to fly to space

As a child, Sirisha Bandla was always fascinated with the sky. Perhaps that is what drove her to delve into the mysteries of deep space. Today, the 34-year-old astronaut is the second Indian-origin woman, after Kalpana Chawla, to travel to space aboard Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity. Bandla will be one of the six crew members aboard the spaceship which is set to take off on July 11 from New Mexico. Bandla presently works as Vice Present of Government Affairs at the British-American spaceflight company owned by Richard Branson. When the flight was announced last week, Bandla took to Twitter to announce: [embed]http://twitter.com/SirishaBandla/status/1410946704875130882?s=20[/embed] Journey to space Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, in a Telugu family, Bandla’s dreams got wings when her father Muralidhar Bandla, an agriculture scientist, migrated to the US; she was 4 at the time. The family settled in Houston, Texas and their many field trips to the Johnson Space Centre, proved to be a catalyst for Bandla’s love for space. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2011. Incidentally, former astronauts Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, and Gus Grissom are some of the notable alumni of this university. Bandla then obtained an MBA from George Washington University in 2015 before joining Branson’s Virgin Galactic where she rose to her current position. She had earlier worked as Associate Director for Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry association of commercial spaceflight companies. [caption id="attachment_4426" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Sirisha Bandla with her fiance Sam Hu[/caption]

esh, in a Telugu family, Bandla’s dreams got wings when her father Muralidhar Bandla, an agriculture scientist, migrated to the US; she was 4 at the time. The family settled in Houston, Texas and their many field trips to the Johnson Space Centre, proved to be a catalyst for Bandla’s love for space.

She completed her Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, in 2011. Incidentally, former astronauts Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, and Gus Grissom are some of the notable alumni of this university. Bandla then obtained an MBA from George Washington University in 2015 before joining Branson’s Virgin Galactic where she rose to her current position. She had earlier worked as Associate Director for Commercial Spaceflight Federation, an industry association of commercial spaceflight companies.

[caption id="attachment_4426" align="aligncenter" width="505"] Astronaut Sirisha Bandla Sirisha Bandla with her fiance Sam Hu[/caption]

In an interview with Astronautical, Bandla said:

“I was one of those kids that wanted to be an astronaut and go into space, and that’s something that I never grew out of.”

She initially wanted to become an Air Force pilot and eventually a NASA astronaut; however, her poor eyesight threw a spanner in the works. “In 2004 SpaceShipOne won the Ansari X Prize and became the first private vehicle to travel into space multiple times. That accomplishment really put me back on my path; it showed me that NASA was not the only way, and that I could still follow my passion,” she said.

While in college, Bandla was part of the Purdue Zero-Gravity Team and had the opportunity to fly one of her experiments in microgravity. She now helps in coordinating the Mathew Isakowitz Fellowship Program, an internship, mentorship, and networking opportunity for exceptional college students who are keen to pursue careers in the commercial spaceflight industry.

Bandla is also on the board of directors for the American Astronautical Society and Future Space Leaders Foundation and is a member of the Young Professional Advisory Council at Purdue University. Strongly connected to her Telugu roots, Bandla has been actively associated with the Telugu Association of North America (TANA), the oldest and biggest Indo-American organizations in the American continent.

To Earth with Love

[caption id="attachment_4430" align="aligncenter" width="548"] Astronaut Sirisha Bandla Sirisha and four other will fly along with Richard Branson[/caption]

As part of her space voyage, Bandla will be in charge of the researcher experience profile on the Unity 22 mission. This will be Virgin Galactic’s fourth crew-manned flight to space. Branson had announced the flight earlier in June; meanwhile Jeff Bezos, Amazon and Blue Origin’s founder, will fly into space on his New Shepard rocket on July 20. Both the billionaires, are competing in the race to take paid passengers on short flights to the edge of space. According to UBS, the space tourism market size could be around $3 billion per annum by 2030.

Commenting on how the space industry is evolving, Bandla told Astronautical:

“I think the big pull about commercial space is that it’s an industry that is its own marketplace, so it’s going to need specialized lawyers and people in charge of branding, marketing, and outreach. It’s a lot more than just engineering. In the future, I hope to see the space industry grab more of these diverse types of people and pull them into the industry.”

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Jatinder Singh: The Ludhiana-born is the rising star of Oman cricket team

(October 22, 2021) When Jatinder Singh broke into a celebratory dance by imitating Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan's thigh patting style after defeating Papua New Guinea in the T20 World Cup recently, the world couldn't stop lauding the cricketer from Oman who has his roots in India. The 32-year-old in a short time has become the rising star from Oman, who is upping his game with every match. An ardent fan of Virat Kohli, Singh is slowly but steadily climbing up the ladder in cricket, and bringing Oman's team to the forefront. But it took him years of hard work to make his presence felt in the cricketing world. From the gullies of Ludhiana to Omani cricket Born in Ludhiana to Sikh parents in 1989, Singh moved to Oman in 2003 where his dad Gurmail Singh worked with the Royal Oman Police as a carpenter. It was in 1975 that his father immigrated to the Arab country, but the family followed suit only in the early 2000s. Singh, who was passionate about cricket even as a child, would often play gully cricket with his friends and cousins in Punjab. But it was only after moving to the Indian School in Muscat

gh, who was passionate about cricket even as a child, would often play gully cricket with his friends and cousins in Punjab. But it was only after moving to the Indian School in Muscat that he began playing cricket for his school team. It wasn't a smooth ride for this then teenager who had to play on cemented wickets, since there was no turf in the country. "We had cemented wickets and later we shifted to astroturf. It was only two years back that we got our first stadium. In the coming months, we will have the second ground ready," Singh told Hindustan Times in an interview.

[caption id="attachment_13742" align="aligncenter" width="589"] Indian Origin | Jatinder Singh | Oman Cricketer | Global Indian Jatinder Singh shows off his batting skills in the field.[/caption]

Though things weren't easy, Singh loved every moment of being on the field. After playing junior cricket for teams like Sidiq Jewellers, he struck gold when he was selected for the Oman U-19 team in 2007 as wicket-keeper batsman wherein he played five matches for the Under-19 Elite Cup. In 2012, he made his T20 debut in ICC League 2 for Oman by playing two matches in WCL Division Three tournament.

The following years saw this Global Indian playing for corporate teams like Enchance Cricket and Gulf Cricket. He made his T20 international debut for Oman in 2015 against Afghanistan, and since then there has been no looking back. "When I played against Afghanistan in my international debut, it was like a dream come true for me," he told Crictracker. From playing against the United Arab Emirates in 2016 to being picked for the Oman squad for the 2018 ICC World Cup League Division Two tournament, Singh has strengthened his position.

A regular job with cricketing dream

Though cricket is slowly gaining popularity in Oman, it still isn't a highly-paid job. In fact, most cricketers hold 9-to-5 jobs and practice in their free time; Singh is no exception. "Cricket in Oman sees teams competing at the corporate level and national team cricketers are not highly paid like India. I joined Arabian industries in 2011 before joining Khimji Ram Das Company in 2014 and now I work in the administration department. After the practice sessions in morning, I have to be on my job from 8.30 am to 5 pm," he told Indian Express.

Despite his regular job, Singh has showed tremendous skill on the field. In the last six years, Singh has played 19 ODIs and 29 T20Is for Oman, and the cricketer has amassed a total of 434 ODIs runs and 770 T20Is runs in his career so far. "Whenever I play wearing the Oman jersey, I tell my family that now they have two countries to support in cricket. In the 2014 Asia Cup, I got to meet the Indian team members, and it was a memorable moment for me," he added.

[caption id="attachment_13743" align="aligncenter" width="675"] Indian Origin | Jatinder Singh | Oman Cricketer | Global Indian Jatinder Singh celebrates his half-century.[/caption]

Global Star

It was in September this year that Singh scored his maiden ODI hundred when he scored 107 runs off 62 balls against Nepal. It was the second-fastest century by any batsman from an ICC associate nation. "To score my first ODI century last month was also special and it made me believe that I can score big at the international level," he added.

His recent unbeaten knock of 73 runs off 43 balls to help Oman score a ten-wicket win over Papua New Guinea in Group B round one match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup has catapulted him to the league of dependable cricketers in team. Singh, who began playing on cemented wickets, has now become a popular name in the world of cricket.

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Priyanka Das Rajkakati: The Indian-origin scientist sending her artwork to the moon

(November 16, 2021) Science and art have been as different as chalk and cheese for centuries now. If one is based on facts and logic, the other plays with creativity. But Priyanka Das Rajkakati is one of those rare people who is enjoying the best of both worlds by being a space scientist and an artist. The 29-year-old, who hails from Assam, is now a part of the Moon Gallery project wherein she will be sending her artwork to be showcased on the moon in 2022. This Global Indian, who has made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, for her work in science and innovation is one of the most promising scientists in the field of space. But Rajkakati took a while to find a balance between the two things that she love the most to reach the top. [caption id="attachment_15859" align="aligncenter" width="682"] Priyanka Das Rajkakati is a space scientist.[/caption] Torn between science and art Originally from Assam, Rajkakati grew up in Delhi and had her heart both in science and art. If the colors and designs fascinated her, she was equally captivated by the stars and the moon. It was hard for her to choose between the

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Torn between science and art

Originally from Assam, Rajkakati grew up in Delhi and had her heart both in science and art. If the colors and designs fascinated her, she was equally captivated by the stars and the moon. It was hard for her to choose between the two as she loved both of them. So when she decided to graduate, Rajkakti found herself in a fix. While she did graduate in Physics from St Stephens College, she had almost come close to studying product design at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. She did attend NID for a month but something gnawed within her. She was unable to shut her equally strong calling for science, so she left her creative journey to jump onto the bandwagon of science.

After completing her graduation, Rajkakati moved to France at 21 to explore new horizons, learn a new language and eat French food. In between, she joined Ecole Polytechnique in France where she did a double master's in Artificial Intelligence and Aerospace Engineering.

Dreams of entering the space

Rajkakati, who was always interested in space, knew that her next step towards her dream was a degree in Aerospace Engineering for which she enrolled in the ISAE-Supaero.
This helped her bag an assignment to work for the satellite navigation wing of Rafale Fighter Jets of France. While pursuing her PhD, she contributed her expertise in satellite navigation for the French Defence Company, Safran. Not just this, she even constructed a micro-satellite in Paris. In 2018, she added another feather to her cap by becoming the ambassador of 'For Girls and Science' to inspire scientists of the future. Talking about the initiative, she told PTI, "As part of the programme, we meet middle school and high school students, and through talks and presentations, we try to clear the misconceptions about scientists and women in science."

[caption id="attachment_15860" align="aligncenter" width="759"] Priyanka Das Rajkakati experiencing zero gravity.[/caption]

The very next year brought another opportunity for this 29-year-old who became one of the youngest women of Indian origin to be selected for the fifth edition of Homeward Bound, a global initiative that conducts leadership expeditions for women in science to Antarctica. A stepping stone to her dream of being an astronaut, the programme provided her with the perfect training. Rajkakati, who dreamt of exploring space, soon co-founded The Exploration Company that develops and operates Nyx, a modular and reusable vehicle that can be refuelled in the orbit and carries cargo.

Art on its way to the moon

The scientist is also an artist who explores the art-science harmony through exhibitions and residencies, drawing inspiration from mathematics, space, scientific projects, travel, and Indian roots. "When I discovered that one of the angles of an obsession of mine is Space, which is, in fact, a highly interdisciplinary field, I finally found a valid context for experimenting with Art and Science," she told TIME8. Now she is set to send her artwork to the moon in a compact form by 2022. Called Bhedadipika - an illustration of duality, her artwork is inspired by her Indian roots and Vedic influence. "It is to showcase to the world that art and culture are core elements of humanity. Future human settlements in space, if we ever reach such a stage, will therefore also require us to integrate art and culture to have stable and functional space societies," she added.

Well! If hasn't been a great start to 2021!

I owe this one big to all the people - friends and family - who've believed in my crazy dreams and constantly motivated me to touch the stars!@FranceinIndia @ISAE_officiel @Polytechnique #WomenInScience #artscience #womenintech https://t.co/FAmaDrISVb

— Priyanka D. Rajkakati 🚀 (@PriyankaSpace) February 5, 2021

Her artwork will be sent to the moon as part of The Moon Gallery which is a project that brings together a gallery of ideas that are worth sending to the moon.

[caption id="attachment_15862" align="aligncenter" width="725"] Artwork by Priyanka Das Rajkakati.[/caption]

Rajkakati, who has made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, is one of those rare scientists who have beautifully fused science with art. The 29-year-old is an inspiration for many women who are looking to immerse themselves in the field of science but also keep their creativity intact.

Follow Priyanka Das Rajkakati on Twitter

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Indian-Origin cricket stars: Creating a legacy in their adopted nations

(January 26, 2024) Cricket, deeply rooted in the cultural essence of India, has seen the rise of exceptional Indian-origin talent flourishing abroad in countries they now call home. Global Indian puts into spotlight seven cricketers with roots in India, who have become integral to the cricketing spirit in their adopted countries. From donning the colours of England, South Africa, New Zealand, the Netherlands, to guiding international teams, each player's journey is about triumph, adding glory to their respective nations and making the diaspora proud. Ravinder Singh Bopara Representing England The Indian-origin English cricketer is associated with Sussex County Cricket Club in one-day cricket and has been a part of the England national team. Initially recognised as a top-order batsman, his evolving medium-paced bowling skills have transformed him into a batting all-rounder in one-day matches. Beyond his contributions to Sussex, Bopara has showcased his talents in various T20 leagues, representing Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, and Chittagong Vikings in the Bangladesh Premier League. He was a key member of the England team that secured victory in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. [caption id="attachment_48627" align="aligncenter" width="640"]

of the England team that secured victory in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.

[caption id="attachment_48627" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Indian Origin | Ravinder Singh Bopara | Global Indian Ravinder Singh Bopara[/caption]

Born into an immigrant Indian Punjabi Sikh family, Bopara received his education at Brampton Manor School in East Ham and Barking Abbey School. His cricket journey began at Frenford Clubs, and he represented Essex Boys and Girls Clubs in their U14 representative cricket team. His talent had earned him a place in the England U-19s, where he played multiple matches, including the 2004 U-19 Cricket World Cup, before joining the senior team.

Muttiah Muralitharan

Represented Sri Lanka

Muttiah Muralitharan played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup. A former Sri Lankan cricket player with origins in India, Muralitharan serves as a cricket coach and commentator now. For averaging over six wickets per Test match, he is widely acknowledged as one of the premier bowlers in the history of international cricket. Muralitharan holds the distinction of being the sole bowler to achieve 800 Test wickets and over 530 wickets in One Day Internationals (ODIs). As of September 2023, he holds record of taking the highest number of wickets in international cricket, surpassing all other bowlers. Muralitharan has been bowling coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2015, and has coached the Australian national team on multiple occasions.

[caption id="attachment_48628" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Muttiah Muralitharan[/caption]

Muralitharan's grandfather had migrated from South India to work as a tea plantation worker at Sri Lanka in 1920. After many years he went back to his homeland with his daughters and started living in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. However, his sons, including Muralitharan's father opted to stay in Sri Lanka.

Keshav Athmanand Maharaj

Representing South Africa

Keshav Maharaj represents the South African national team in Tests, One Day Internationals (ODIs), and Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Specialising as a left-arm spin bowler and lower-order batsman, Maharaj made his first-class cricket debut for KwaZulu-Natal, a coastal South African province in 2006. He started representing South Africa in Test cricket since 2016. In domestic cricket, Keshav plays for Dolphins and represents Durban's Super Giants in SA20. His father served as a wicketkeeper for KwaZulu-Natal.

[caption id="attachment_48629" align="aligncenter" width="587"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Keshav Athmanand Maharaj[/caption]

Born into a Hindu family in Durban, Keshav Maharaj has Indian ancestry. His great-grandfather migrated from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh to Durban in 1874 as an indentured labourer.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Represented West Indies

Shivnarine ‘Shiv’ Chanderpaul is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era. He played a pivotal role in the West Indies team's victory in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy. Having captained West Indies in 14 Tests and 16 One Day Internationals, Chanderpaul, a left-handed batsman is popular for his distinctive batting stance. Chanderpaul holds the 10th position in the list of highest run-scorers in international cricket and eighth position in Test cricket. For accumulating 20,000 runs in international cricket, he was honoured as one of the five Cricketers of the Year by the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2008 and was bestowed with Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (ICC Cricketer of the Year) from the International Cricket Council. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2022.

[caption id="attachment_48630" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul[/caption]

Born to Indo-Guyanese parents Kamraj and Uma Chanderpaul at Unity Village in Guyana, Shivnarine Chanderpaul's cricketing talent was nurtured by his father, Kamaraj. His family's roots trace back to India, from where his ancestors moved to the West Indies as indentured labourers. Currently, Chanderpaul serves as the head coach of the USA senior women's and the USA Under-19 women's teams.

Ish Sodhi

Representing New Zealand

Inderbir Singh popularly known as ‘Ish’ Sodhi, represents New Zealand’s national cricket team across all formats and plays for Canterbury in domestic cricket. Sodhi, a right-arm leg-spinner and right-handed batsman, achieved the top-ranking for T20I bowlers in January 2018, rising from the 10th position at the conclusion of the preceding year.

[caption id="attachment_48631" align="aligncenter" width="673"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Ish Sodhi[/caption]

Originating from Punjab, Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, into a Sikh family. He migrated to Papatoetoe in New Zealand, with his family at the age of four, and attended Papatoetoe High School.

Hashim Mohammad Amla

Represented South Africa

The Durban-born cricketer is a former South African captain in both Test and ODI cricket who announced his retirement last year. Amla achieved the distinction of being the fastest cricketer to reach 3000, 4000, 6000, and 7000 ODI runs, and the second fastest to reach 5000 runs. He also holds the record of the quickest to attain 10 ODI centuries. Known for occasional off-break bowling, Amla is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest batsmen to have represented South Africa and is regarded as one of the finest opening batsmen in cricket history. A right-handed batsman, Amla claimed the record for the highest individual Test score by any South African batsman, notching an unbeaten 311 against England at The Oval, London in 2012.

[caption id="attachment_48632" align="aligncenter" width="643"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Hashim Mohammad Amla[/caption]

Hailing from a devout Muslim family of Indian descent, Amla's grandfather migrated from Surat to South Africa in 1927. Raised in a middle-class household, the cricketer attended Durban High School. His elder brother, Ahmed Amla, also pursued a professional cricket career. The brothers played together for some time at the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins.

Vikramjit Singh

Representing Netherlands

Vikramjeet Singh is popular as the left-handed opening batsman. Singh made his debut for Netherlands at the age of 15. In his junior career, he represented the Netherlands national under-19 cricket team at Under-19 World Cup Europe Qualifier, emerging as the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 133 runs against France. Moving on to his senior career, Singh made his T20I debut for the Netherlands against Scotland in September 2019.

[caption id="attachment_48633" align="aligncenter" width="607"] Indian Origin | Cricket Stars | Global Indian Vikramjit Singh[/caption]

Born in Cheema Khurd, Punjab, India, to a Sikh family, Singh's grandfather had migrated to the Netherlands after the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Initially working as a taxi driver. His grandfather later established a transport company. The family moved back and forth between the Netherlands and India for several decades, and finally settled permanently in the Netherlands when Singh was just seven.

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Sunil Kumar: Indian-origin academician will be Tufts University’s next president

(November 22, 2022) History is being created at the Massachusetts-based Tufts University, as Indian-American academician Sunil Kumar has become the first person of colour to be appointed as its next president. Indian-origin Kumar, who is provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University, will succeed President Anthony P Monaco next summer. Peter Dolan, the chair of the Board of Trustees said that Sunil "brings to Tufts a lifelong commitment to excellence in higher education and an exceptionally strong record as a leader, teacher, and colleague," and is confident that Kumar will "help bolster Tufts' mission to improve the world." Sunil, on the other hand, was attracted to Tufts because of its mission to serve "not only the people within its confines — its students, faculty, and staff — but the society at large," and he is keen to take up the presidency on July 1, 2023. [caption id="attachment_31977" align="aligncenter" width="666"] Sunil Kumar will be Tufts University's next president[/caption] Born in Bengaluru to a father who served in the police, Kumar often moved around the country, and it taught him to view "change as exciting and welcoming." This set the foundation for Kumar as a young lad

engaluru to a father who served in the police, Kumar often moved around the country, and it taught him to view "change as exciting and welcoming." This set the foundation for Kumar as a young lad who ended up graduating in 1990 with a bachelor’s in engineering from Mangalore University. Later, he enrolled in the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru for a master's degree in computer science and automation. It was here that he met a visiting professor from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who recruited him for a doctoral program in electrical engineering. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1996, he dipped his toes into the world of academia by teaching at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. "When I was a rookie assistant professor at Stanford, it took me a couple of years to get used to the fact that they would pay me to do that stuff. And I have never lost that kind of awe and wonder about the academic enterprise, and I'm the happiest in it," he told Tufts.

After spending a considerable amount of time at Stanford, he was named dean of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Almost six years ago, he became provost and senior vice president at Johns Hopkins.

Sunil Kumar, provost and senior vice president at @JohnsHopkins, has been appointed Tufts University’s next president, starting July 1, 2023. https://t.co/sUMZEr8j0l pic.twitter.com/wNHuiIhFWP

— Tufts University (@TuftsUniversity) November 17, 2022

Now with a few months left to officially take over the president of Tufts University, Kumar says that certain exciting challenges keep him awake, including, "how to make the Tufts experience available and accessible to more people, how to make Tufts research even more impactful and how do we help society more, here and now."

For someone who moved from Bengaluru to Illinois, he understands the importance of making Tufts affordable, as he knows the value of financial aid in higher education. He received generous financial support for his graduate studies at the University of Illinois, and added, "It would not have been possible for me as a son of a police officer to do anything else," adding, "Affordability is not a theoretical concept for me. I hope I represent an example of somebody who benefited from an institution opening its doors wide and I would like even more people to have the same opportunity."

Being the first person of colour to lead Tufts University, he calls "diversity and inclusion" indispensable values, and says that it's not enough to talk the talk. "We also have to make sure that we operationalise our values, and sufficiently resource them so that we can execute on those values and make sure that Tufts is indeed as inclusive as it can be," the Global Indian added.

[caption id="attachment_31978" align="aligncenter" width="625"] Sunil Kumar tufts Sunil Kumar is an Indian-origin academician[/caption]

Kumar, who will take over as the 14th president of Tufts University coming July, knows that his mission is to produce well-rounded individuals - something he missed out on being an engineering student. When he moved to Illinois, he discovered through the library what he had missed by not having a liberal arts education. "What matters is to develop the mind and to strengthen the heart. And for that liberal arts education is essential," he added.

Reading Time: 4 min