Reception co-hosted by Mayor Sam Joshi of Edison Township and Mayor Pulkit Desai of Parsippany–Troy Hills; free and open to the public
Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel pitched the achievements of his state and of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a the ‘Garvi Gujarat Global New Jersey’ event August 22, 2026, during his week-long visit to the United States and Canada.
Speaking to a crowd of 800 Gujarati-Americans, Chief Minister Patel dwelt on the development journey of Gujarat, with a focus on the years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi served as leader of that state, and went on to become the leader of the India. Modi, he said, established Gujarat as the nation’s growth engine, and Gujarat is making a significant contribution to the country’s economic development.
The free reception was hosted by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) together with 18 additional community organizations.
It was co-hosted by two sitting mayors of Gujarati heritage who lead major New Jersey municipalities: Mayor Sam Joshi of Edison Township and Mayor Pulkit Desai of the Township of Parsippany–Troy Hills. Gujarati Americans now serve in elected office at every level of local government.
The program featured cultural performances, remarks from community leaders, and an address by the Chief Minister.
Vishal Harsh, Acting Consul General of India in New York, welcomed the visit as a step in the right direction for promoting bilateral trade between the United States and India. He noted the distinction of celebrating a sitting Chief Minister’s visit after 28 years, and expressed his gratitude to the organizers for convening the event on short notice and at a state-of-the-art facility.
Ankur Vaidya, Chairman of the FIA, commended the community effort and thanked all 19 participating organizations for coming together in less than one week to bring the event to fruition. Vaidya was joined by Kunal Joshi, Lav Patel, Harshad Patel, and Sreekanth Akkapalli, along with other supporters of the event, in garlanding the Chief Minister.
Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, senior advisor to FIA, told Desi Talk the event showed the strong support of the diaspora in India’s and Gujarat’s progress. Dr. Parikh, who is also President of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, said he is closely tied to efforts to improve health services, education and women’s empowerment in Gujarat and India through the many philanthropic endeavors he has undertaken including as Chairman of Life Global USA.
Chief Minister Patel presented the roadmap for a developed Gujarat in the creation of a Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2027, emphasizing that Gujarat has undertaken policy-oriented planning not only for current development but also keeping the future in mind.
Planning is being done to position Gujarat as a leader in various sectors in the country, Patel said, inviting the Gujarati and Indian communities abroad to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2027, and to invest in Gujarat, and become partners in the state’s journey to Viksit Bharat.
