The Connecticut chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) celebrated its 20th Anniversary with an Annual Awards Banquet at the Water’s Edge Banquet Hall, Darien, CT on June 13, 2026, recognizing five prominent Indian American leaders for their civic and professional excellence.
The milestone event brought together a bipartisan group of state and local lawmakers, community leaders, and professionals. The Chief Guest was India’s Deputy Consul General in New York, Vishal Harsh, who also presented awards to the honorees. Other dignitaries who spoke at the banquet were CT Senators Sujata Gadkar Wilcox and Tony Hwang, and CT Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson.
Dr. Vishal Harsh, Deputy Consul General of India in New York, in his keynote address said, “The achievements of Indian Americans have become a global benchmark—communities across the world look to replicate the success and impact you have created in the United States.”
GOPIO-CT President Mahesh Jhangiani said, “Since its founding, GOPIO-CT has served as a vibrant platform promoting community service, cultural heritage, civic engagement, and unity among People of Indian Origin in Connecticut and beyond.”
Dr. Thomas Abraham, founder president of GOPIO International and chair of the Awards Committee, said, “Over the past two decades, GOPIO-CT has set an outstanding example of how a local chapter can effectively organize, engage, and serve the community. In many ways, its success became a model for GOPIO International in shaping the structure and activities of local chapters worldwide.”
Mike Joshi, the GOPIO-CT Banquet Chair and GOPIO-CT Secretary, who emceed the gala, said, “The banquet is not only a celebration of the 20th year milestone for GOPIO but also enabled us to raise funds to support Youth Charity Initiatives in our community.”
This year’s honorees represented a wide range of fields:
The Founder Members of the Chapter, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Viresh Sharma, Sangeeta and Paul Ahuja, Bhom, and Meera Ahuja were honored, as were Past Presidents Sangeeta Ahuja, Shailesh Naik, Shelly Nichani, Anita Bhat, Ashok Nichani, and Jaya Saptardar. Youth Coordinator in the early years, Sharon Priya Banta was also recognized.
Local artists performed segments ranging from traditional Indian dances to modern Bollywood dances. A group of artists representing MASCONN showcased India’s cultural traditions.
GOPIO-CT contributed $25,000 each to the two charities, Future 5 and Children’s Learning Center (CLC) of Fairfield County. The checks were received by Future 5’s Founder Clif McFeely and CLC’s CEO Monica Maccera Filpu, and its Director of Corporate and Foundation Relation Jennifer Hallissey.
Parikh Worldwide Media is the largest Indian-American publishing group in the United States. The group publishes five periodicals – “News India Times,” a national weekly newspaper; “Desi Talk in New York,” a weekly newspaper serving the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut region; and “Desi Talk in Chicago,” a weekly newspaper serving the Greater Chicago area and the Midwestern states; and “The Indian American,” a national online quarterly feature magazine, and the Gujarat Times, a Gujarati language weekly. The combined circulation and readership of these publications make the media group the most influential in the ethnic Indian market.
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