LOS ANGELES: Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) HAS elected a new international executive council at a warmly contested election, conducted electronically for the first time, where 208 of the 223 international delegates from 21 countries cast votes. It elected Niraj Baxi of Silicon Valley (USA) as its President. Other elected officers are: Noel Lal (Sydney, Australia) as Executive Vice President, Ram Gadhavi (New Jersey, USA) Vice President, Dr. Rajeev Mehta (USA), Dr. Pradip Sewoke (France), Mrs. Suman Kapoor (New Zealand), and Rajendre Tiwari (The Netherlands) as International Coordinators.
The election process was supervised by GOPIO Chairman, Inder Singh who will continue in that position.
Formed in 1989 at the First Global Convention of People of Indian Origin, GOPIO has now reached most countries with a sizable Indian Diaspora population. In the past, GOPIO elections were generally held at its biennial conventions, wherein only a fraction of the international delegates could participate.
However, with new technologies being available, the present election was held electronically with a record participation by 93% of the international delegates.
With India at the threshold of accepting new technologies and business investments, the new team has come up with a motto, “GOPIO Means Business” so as to attract Indian Diaspora entrepreneurs and businessmen to take more interest in investing in India in all spheres, in business, philanthropy, education, healthcare and social causes.
“With an investment and business-friendly government in India, we see a lot of opportunity for the Indian Diaspora to invest and actively participate in India’s development,” said President Niraj Baxi.
GOPIO Executive Vice President Noel Lal said that GOPIO would reach out to all countries where we have the Diaspora presence.
Vice President Ram Gadhavi, who has brought Gujarati Diaspora writers on a common platform in the US, plans to extend it to all Indian writers on a global GOPIO forum.
GOPIO Founder President, Dr. Thomas Abraham, who also serves as the Executive Trustee of GOPIO Foundation, said that GOPIO will increase its social and philanthropic activities in India, as well as in countries with a large Indian Diaspora population.
Baxi further said that he would work towards making GOPIO the voice of any and all NRIs and PIOs and would take initiatives in growing GOPIO in all countries and regions of the world.
“In all our internal and external activities, we want to bring about fairness, transparency and accountability; there are many challenges that lie ahead of us and we need good wishes and continued hard work from everyone,” Baxi continued.
GOPIO is a non-partisan, non-sectarian and secular global organization with about 50 chapters delegates, over 200 life members in over 24 countries. It actively promotes the interests of people of Indian origin worldwide by monitoring and addressing current critical issues of concern, and by enhancing cooperation and communication between groups of Indians living in various countries.
The new GOPIO team seeks your suggestions and participation. If you have an issue about our Diaspora community that should be taken up, please bring it to our attention. We are here to serve you. Please contact GOPIO President NirajBaxi, Tel: 408-307-9845 or email: president@gopio.net or visit www.gopio.net
India Post News Service
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