Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced India’s Independence Day as Indian American Day. New findings have observed that Indian American business entrepreneurs are thriving in Dallas-Fort Worth.

To celebrate India’s independence anniversary on August 15, the reunion tower in Dallas, Texas was lit with the colour of India for the second year. According to CBS news, Eric Johnson, Dallas Mayor, announced August 15 as Indian American Day, displaying his plan for a global city and economy. Sanjiv Yajnik, President of financial services, Capital One, stated that America is their home and it recognises their heritage. He also added that they come from India and are proud of their heritage.

Yajnik and Arun Agarwal, CEO of Nextt, are proud first-generation immigrants whose children were born in the United States. They are business leaders who co-founded the Indian-American CEO Council, which enables them to highlight the achievements of other Indian Americans in the North Texas region of the US. Yajnik and Agarwal believe that the 11-member council will continue their work in making North Texas a diverse and versatile region of the country.

Yajnik expressed that they are a minority community, and minority communities usually face some struggles and challenges. But they are striving to be a positive force in trying to eliminate those hurdles. Agarwal stated that there are about two lakh Indian Americans in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which is about 2.5 per cent, but the Indian American community owns about 5.5 per cent of businesses. This generates 10 billion USD in direct revenue. He also added by asking everyone to be responsible for giving back and elevating each other for everyone to be equally elevated.

The two entrepreneurs started the Indian American CEO Council in 2018 with their interests, calling it a labour of love. It aims at bringing business leaders together. The council’s objective is to facilitate alliances between India and the US to encourage economic and trade opportunities and enhance relationships. Yajnik stated that as Indian Americans they wanted to give back to India, which has provided them so much. When Yajnik and Agarwal established the Indian American CEO council, they did not want it to feel like a space of commerce or be narrowly focused on the organisation. Rather, they wanted to find a way to bring together business leaders who shared a similar identity and heritage. They believe that having a vibrant, diversified community makes the whole place more exciting.