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Desi leaders in United States: 7 Indian-origin politicians shaping US policy
Prominent politicians such as Kamala Harris, Nikki Haley, and Zohran Mamdani are Americans of Indian origins.
Since its founding in 1776, the United States has experienced multiple waves of immigration that have helped shape its culture. Often described as a “melting pot,” the country has long been a place where people of diverse ethnicities and nationalities come together and contribute to society. Indian Americans, who make up roughly 1.6% of the US population, have established a strong presence in fields ranging from IT and business to politics.
While debates over immigration and representation continue, the impact of Indian-American politicians on American political discourse is increasingly hard to overlook.
Here is a look at 7 Indian-American politicians in the US:
Kamala Harris
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris was born in California to immigrant parents. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, had immigrated from India to the US in 1958 to study at the University of California, Berkeley.
As a child, Kamala Harris often visited her grandparents in Chennai. She still has extended family in India. The 61-year-old Democrat is one of the most influential Indian-origin politicians in the US, having served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy is a Republican politician who ran for president in 2024. Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Indian immigrant parents — his father Vadakanchery Ganapathy Ramaswamy is a graduate of NIT Calicut, while his mother Geetha Ramaswamy is a graduate of the Mysore Medical College & Research Institute.
Ramaswamy, 40, launched his campaign for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election after withdrawing from the presidential race.
Nikki Haley
Former Governor of South Carolina and a prominent Republican leader, Nikki Haley was born Nimarata Randhawa in South Carolina. Her parents had immigrated to the US from Amritsar, Punjab.
Haley, 54, served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives before becoming the state’s first female governor in 2011, and later served as the US ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018 under President Donald Trump. Notably, she is the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet.
(Also read: 5 IIT graduates who climbed to the top in the United States)
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal was born in Louisiana to Indian Punjabi Hindu parents. In 2008, he became the first Indian American governor in US history, until Nikki Haley’s appointment in 2011. Jindal served in the US House of Representatives before leading Louisiana, and his tenure drew national attention within the Republican Party, including an ultimately short‑lived bid for the 2016 presidential nomination.
Zohran Mamdani
A relatively newer entrant to American politics, Democrat Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York City last year after running a highly visible and viral campaign. Part of his campaign was a video where he addressed the desi diaspora in Hindi.
Mamdani is the son of Indian filmmaker Mira Nair and Indian-origin Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani. At 34, he has scripted history as the first Muslim and first Asian American mayor of New York City.
Pramila Jayapal
Pramila Jayapal, a member of the Democratic Party, is currently serving as the US representative from Washington's 7th congressional district. Born in Chennai, the 60-year-old is a member of the Democratic Party who immigrated to the US at the age of 16 to attend college.
Jayapal holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Ro Khanna
Representing California’s 17th Congressional District, which includes much of Silicon Valley, Rohit “Ro” Khanna has been a Democratic voice in the US House of Representatives since 2017. Born in Philadelphia to Indian immigrant parents, Khanna spent many summers visiting his grandparents in New Delhi.
