Welcome Remarks: Lal Motwani, GOPIO's New York Area Coordinator and Convention Convener, Bellerose, NY, USA and Niraj Baxi, President of GOPIO Intl., San Jose, CA, USA
Greetings - Inder Singh, Chairman, GOPIO Intl, Tarzana, CA, USA
Conference Sessions
Saturday, June 25th- New York LaGuardia Marriott Hotel (102-05 Ditmars Blvd., East Elmhurst, New York11369)
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Conference Inaugural Session - Salon A&B
Chair: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman, Conference Committee; Founder President, GOPIO Intl., Stamford, CT, USA
Welcome Remarks: Lal Motwani, GOPIO's New York Area Coordinator and Convention Convener, Bellerose, NY, USA and Niraj Baxi, President of GOPIO Intl., San Jose, CA, USA
Speakers:
Raj K. Purohit, MLA, Chief Whip of BJP, Maharashtra Assembly & Special Advisor to GOPIO, Mumbai India
Dr. J. Alexander, IAS, Former Chief Secretary and former Minister Karnataka, GOPIO-Bangalore, India
Keynote Speaker: Raj Jaswa, former President of TiE Silicon Valley and director and trustee of TiE International, Serial technology entrepreneur, and currently an Adjunct Professor at several Universities, Co-Founder Selectica and Opti and former CEO and Chairman of Dyyno, Silicon Valley, CA, USA
Resource Person: Anita Bhat, Chair, GOPIO Youth Council and Trustee Chair, GOPIO-CT
10.00 a.m. to 5.15 p.m. Two Tracks Covering the Following Conference Sessions
10.00 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. - Session I Make in India - Diaspora role - Salon A&B
Moderator: Prakash Shah, Co-Chair, GOPIO Business Council, Basking Ridge, NJ, USA
Lead Speaker: Rahul Shukla, President & CEO, SS White Technologies, Inc, Piscataway, NJ, USA
Speakers:
G. Sreenivasa Rao, Consul (Trade, Education and Commerce), Consulate General of India, New York, NY, USA
Chandrakant Salunkhe, Chairman & CEO, Micro Group of Companies, and Founder & President, SME Chamber of India, Mumbai, India
VilaWadhwani, VP, Adani North America, New Jersey, USA
Resource Person: Harbachan Singh, GOPIO Life Member and GOPIO Constitution Committee, New York, NY, USA
10.00 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. - Session II Major Issues of Indian Diaspora- Astoria & East Elmhurst Rooms (Lower Level)
Moderator:Dr. Rajeev Mehta, Chairman Resolution Committee and GOPIO International Coordinator for North America, Piscataway, NJ, USA
Lead Speaker: Inder Singh, Chairman, GOPIO Intl, Tarzana, CA
Speakers:
Sudha Acharya, Executive Director, South Asian Council for Social Services, Jamaica Estate, NY, USA, "Major Issue Facing New Immigrant Indian Groups in Western Society - North American Scenario"
Noel Lal, Managing Director, South Pacific Engineering and Exec. VP, GOPIO Intl., Sydney, Australia, "Need for Disaster Assistance for NRIs/PIOs"
Issac John, Associate Editor, Khaleej Times and GOPIO International Coordinator for Middle East, Dubai, "Issues of Indian Community in the Middle East"
Sivan Madathil, Advocate, Kerala High Court & GOPIO Kochi, India, "Human Right s violations of NRIs/PIOs"
Dr LénaArmoudom, Orthodontist and GOPIO-Reunion, ReunionIslands, "Aspirations of French Speaking PIOs and Reunion Islanders"
Resource Person: Ram Gadhavi, Vice President, GOPIO International, Wayne, NJ, USA
11.15 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. - Coffee/Tea Break
11.30 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. - Session III Indian Diaspora Promoting Medical and Pharmaceutical Industries - Salon A&B
Moderator:Viresh Sharma, President, Laser Systems, GOPIO life Member and Treasurer, GOPIO-CT, Stamford, CT
Lead Speaker: Dr Santosh Mukherjee, President, Santech Intl., Advisor on Federal Commission on Energy and Technology and Former CTO, Bell Labs and Inventor of Medical Devices, New Jersey
Speakers:
Dr. Sudhir Parikh, Padma Sri and Chairman & CEO of over 20 Allergy Practices in NJ&NY and Chairman & CEO of Parikh Media Worldwide, Watchung, NJ, USA
Chintu Patel, Chairman and Co-CEO of AMNEAL Pharmaceuticals, Bridgewater, NJ, USA
Dr. Prabhu Kulkarni, Consultant to Chemical Industries, MD, Kulkarni Teoranta and President GOPIO Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Sunil Mehta, Founder and Chairman of MooFwd Orion and OrionSystems Integrators, Monmouth Junction, NJ, USA
Resource Person: Shailesh Naik, President, ManaganaroEngineers; Co-Chair, GOPIO Science and Technology Council, Hawthorne, NY, USA
11.30 a.m. to 12.45 p.m. - Session IV Diaspora Indian Women Forum - Empowering Diaspora Indian Women- Astoria& East ElmhurstRooms (Lower Level)
Moderator: Sudha Parekh, Psychotherapist andGOPIO Founding Life Member, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, USA
Speakers:
Mini Guleria, Macroscope Market Resourcing, Lake Balboa, CA, USA, "Unity and Strength of Women"
Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director, Chhaya, CD, New York, NY, USA
Dr. Rohini Ramanathan, President, The 7D's Consulting/Images International and Co-Founder, Asian Indian Women in America (AIWA), Oceanside, BY, USA, "Power through Self-fulfillment and Exercising of One's Full Potential"
Ena Maharaj, Immediate Past President and currently Public Relations Officer, GOPIO Trinidad, "Build Self-Esteem and confidence as well as Achieve Decision-making Power"
Molly Banerjei, Host and Producer, Chai with Molly, Rogers 129 TV (Canada's Diversity Program)
Dr.Rini Johar, Doctor of Homeopathy& Lawyer and President, GOPIO-Redwood City, CA, USA, "Role of Women of Indian Diaspora in Shaping the Future of the World"
Resource Person: Manju Madan, GOPIO Los Angeles, Long Beach, CA, USA
12.45 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. -Lunch- Salon C
2.00 a.m. to 3.15 p.m. - Session V Diaspora in Hospitality and Convenience Foods- Salon A&B
Moderator:Nitin Shah, Co-Chair GOPIO Business Council, Chairman & CEO Embassy Bank and Chairman Imperial Hotels Group, Atlanta, GA, USA
Lead Speaker: Lord Diljit Rana, House of Lords, London and Andreas House, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Speakers:
H R Shah, Chairman & CEO, TV Asia Group and Chairman and CEO Krauszers Convenience Store Chain
Sunil Nayak, CEO, Hotel Group and President, AIANA &Chalo Gujarat Biennial Mega Convention
Pravin Khatiwala, Chairman & CEO Khatiwala Group of Hotels; Khatiwala Vidya Sankul, Surat, India and Atlantic City Hindu/Jain Temple, Pomona, NJ
Shelly Nichani, President & CEO, Greenwich Hospitality Group, LLC and President, GOPIO-CT, Stamford, CT, USA
Ved Sarvotham, Marketing Consultant, International Money Transfer, Western Union Co., Montvale, NJ, USA, "Money Transfer and Money order as business opportunity for Indian Diaspora who are in Retail Industry"
Resource Person: BalgopalVeliath, Kings Group andGOPIO-Kochi, India
2.00 a.m. to 3.15 p.m. - Session VI Diaspora Writers Form- Astoria & East Elmhurst Rooms (Lower Level)
Moderator: Dr. Neerja Arun Gupta, Principal, Bhavan's Arts and Commerce College; Advisor and Coordinator, Study Abroad Program and Diaspora Study & Syndicate Member, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India; and Chairperson, GOPIO Academic Council
Speakers:
Hindi - Anoop Bhargava- Recipient of Vishwa Hindi Samman Award -2015 at 10th World Hindi Convention, Bhopal, India; Franklin Township, NJ, USA
English - Lakshman Bulushi, Poet and Writer (Written over 1000 Poems and Haiku and published 4 collections of poetry books), USA
Gujarati - Dr. R.P. Shah, Retired Rheumatologist; Writer, Director and Actor of Contemporary Gujarati Plays and Essays, New Hyde Park,NY.USA
Marathi - Dr. Kunda S. Joshi, Pediatrician and Poet, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Malayalam - Raju Thomas, Poet and Writer, Sargavedi and The KeralaCenter, Elmont, NY, USA, "State of Kerala Writers in the Diaspora"
Bengali -SuparnaGuha, Writer and Expert in RabindraSangeet and Literature, South Brunswick, NJ, USA
Resource Person and Concluding Remarks - Ram Gadhavi, Vice President, GOPIO Intl and President, Gujarati Literary Academy of NorthAmerica, Wayne, NJ, USA
3.15 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. - Coffee/Tea Break
3.30 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. - Session VII Promoting Diaspora Entrepreneurship, Technology and Business- Salon A&B
Moderator: Jagdish Lodhia, President, Lord Jewelers and GOPIO Associate Secretary, Sydney, Australia
Lead Speaker: Harsh Bhargava, Founder and President, I Create Inc, a nonprofit with 20 centers in India, Headquarters in New Jersey, USA, "Why Entrepreneurship no Longer Just an Option!"
Speakers:
Deo Gosine, CEO, Labidco Port Services, Ltd, Trinidad, "Promoting Transportation Services"
Shaji Baby John, CEO, Kings Group, Kochi, Bangalore and Dubai, "Promoting Smart Cities for NRIs and PIOs"
Prince Ishwar RamlutchmanMabheka Zulu, MD, VukaniMazulu Services (PTY)Ltd. and GOPIO International Coordinator for Africa, Durban, S. Africa, Promoting Business Opportunities in PIO Countries - South Africa"
Tirlok Malik, Film Producer and Director, CEP Apple Productions; and Founder www.NRITVFILMCLUB.com, New York, NY, USA - "Promoting Diaspora Film Production"
Samir Patel, M.D., Amos Enterprises and President GOPIO-Ahmedabad, India, "India Business Opportunities for NRIs/PIOs"
Resource Person: Dr. Rohini Ramanathan, President, The 7D's Consulting/Images International and Co-Founder, Asian Indian Women in America (AIWA), Oceanside, NY, USA
3.30 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. - Session VIII Health and Wellness of the Indian Diaspora- Astoria & East Elmhurst Rooms (Lower Level)
Moderator: Dr. Asha Samant DMD, Chair International GOPIO Health Council, Livingston, NJ, USA
Lead Speaker: Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori, MD, FACR, FACRO, Professor and Vice Chair Radiation Oncology Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Recipient of Padma Shri Award, "Cancer and Indian Diaspora"
Speakers:
Dr. Pallavi Solanki, MD, FACC, Director, Advanced Heart Failure and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Rutgers-Medical School, The State University of NJ, Newark, NJ, Epidemic of Cardiac Diseases in South East Asians"
Dr Pradip Sewoke MD, Co-Director Interventional Cardiologist; Co-Director of Diaconat Clinic Mulhouse, France; and GOPIO International coordinator for Europe, Belfort, France, "Cardiac Issues of the Diaspora Specific Risk Factors and Higher Mortalityrate due to Coronary Diseases in the Diaspora"
Dr. Maya Raghuwanshi, MD, Associate Professor, Dept. of Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Rutgers-Medical School, State University of NJ, Newark, NJ, USA, "Growing Epidemic of Obesity and Diabetes in South Asian Population"
Recommendations to GOPIO for Health and Wellness of Indian Diaspora and Concluding Remarks
4.45 p.m. to 5.15 p.m. - Session IX Finale Concluding Session
Chair: Dr. Thomas Abraham
Presenters of the Sessions: Prakash Shah, Dr. Rajeev Mehta, Nitin Shah, Dr. Neerja Arun Gupta, Viresh Sharma, Sudha Parekh, Dr. Asha Samant, Jagdish Lodhia, Ram Gadhavi
Presentation of Resolutions- Dr. Rajeev Mehta, Chairman Resolution Committee and GOPIO International Coordinator for North America, Piscataway, NJ, USA
7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Grand Finale Banquet and Recognition of Businesses and Entrepreneurs with Social Responsibility, - World's Fair Marina
Chief Guest: Ambassador Riva GangulyDas,Consul General of India, New York, USA
