Hindu Americans represent less than 2% of the U.S. population. Their impact on American life is far larger than that number suggests.
76% of Hindu Americans have college degrees. They are among the highest-earning and most educated religious groups in the country. But the story is not just about income or education. It is about the specific ways Hindu Americans have shaped American science, business, politics, and culture.
Business and Technology
Sundar Pichai leads Google, one of the most powerful companies in human history. He grew up in Chennai, India. He studied at IIT Kharagpur, then earned degrees at Stanford and Wharton. He became CEO of Google in 2015 and CEO of Alphabet in 2019.
Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft. When he became CEO in 2014, the company was seen as a fading giant. He refocused Microsoft on cloud computing and artificial intelligence. The company became one of the most valuable in the world under his leadership. Nadella was born in Hyderabad and grew up in a Hindu household.
Indra Nooyi led PepsiCo as CEO for 12 years, from 2006 to 2018. She was consistently ranked among the most powerful women in business. She grew up in Chennai and credits her values of service and discipline to her upbringing.
Nikesh Arora leads Palo Alto Networks, one of the world's leading cybersecurity companies. He previously served as President and COO of SoftBank Group.
Science and Medicine
Har Gobind Khorana won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 for his work on the genetic code. Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his work on the structure of the ribosome. Both were of Indian Hindu heritage.
Politics
Tulsi Gabbard became the first Hindu member of the U.S. Congress when she was elected to represent Hawaii in 2013. She was also the first Samoan-American member of Congress.
Kamala Harris, the 49th Vice President of the United States, has Hindu heritage through her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, who immigrated from India.
Raja Krishnamoorthi has represented Illinois in Congress since 2017. Ro Khanna has represented California's Silicon Valley district since 2017. Ami Bera has represented California since 2013.
Culture
Deepak Chopra brought Hindu philosophy, Ayurveda, and mind-body medicine into mainstream American consciousness. His books have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.
M. Night Shyamalan brought a Hindu sensibility and Indian-American perspective to Hollywood filmmaking. His films have earned over two billion dollars worldwide.
The Bigger Picture
These individuals represent a broader pattern. Hindu Americans have built companies, cured diseases, made laws, and created art. They have done it while holding onto ancient traditions and values that have made them who they are.
The contribution of Hindu Americans to this country is still unfolding. The community is young, growing, and producing. The next generation of Hindu American leaders is already at work.