The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) NY-NJ-CT-NE, considered one of the oldest and largest non-profit grassroots organization representing the Indian diaspora across eight Northeastern states, hosted its 8th Annual International Women’s Day celebration on March 6, 2026, at India House in New York City. International Women’s Day falls on March 8 every year.
As is traditionally done, several exceptional women leaders from the Indian diaspora were recognized for remarkable achievements in different sectors like business, media, finance, and social entrepreneurship.
The evening was emceed by Riddhi Parikh Patel. She started the program with a quiet moment of silence to remember Radha Subramanyam, a previous award winner who recently passed away.
FIA’s President, Sreekanth Akkapalli, who assumed office on January 1, 2026, spoke about the group’s strong support for women leaders. He thanked all women for the impactful positive changes they have made and congratulated the award winners on behalf of FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya, the Board, Trustees, and Executive Committee.
He also introduced the special guest, India’s Consul General in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan.
Consul General Pradhan emphasized women’s empowerment as integral to national progress, spotlighting India’s initiatives like “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” for girl child education; Ujjwala Yojana for clean cooking fuel; economic programs connecting 100 million households to 9 million women-led self-help groups, and building the world’s largest pipeline for women in public office. He also expressed his gratitude towards his wife for her unwavering support.
The Honorees received Certificates of Recognition from Governor Kathy Hochul, along with FIA sashes and trophies. Jody Lynne Herkloz, COO of Northstar strategies called on women to uplift each other. the Senior Vice President of Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health Dr. Balpreet Grewal-Virk, credited FIA for its work in building the community. She also gave credit to her parents’ bravery, the strength of immigrants, and her husband’s support.
Indian American Actress Reshma Shetty, originally from UK, also reflected on motherhood and cultural legacy for her 10-year-old. The First Deputy Commissioner of NYPD, Tania Kinsella, dedicated the honor to her mother and grandmothers, symbolizing generational triumphs over traditional barriers. Additionally, Monalisa Shuvadarshini, spouse of the CGI-NY, Binaya S. Pradhan, also expressed her gratitude to everyone for the recognition and appreciation.
Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Prikh, President of the Global Association of People of Indian Origin (GAPIO) and senior advisor to FIA also attended the event. In a post on social media he said, “Honored to attend the 8th Edition of International Women’s Day celebration at the Consulate General of India in New York today. Congratulations to the inspiring honorees and the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) for organizing a wonderful event recognizing outstanding women leaders.”
The evening concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Srishti Kaul Narula, General Secretary of FIA, followed by a special dinner.
