New York: The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA-NY-NJ-CT-NE) opened its curtain-raiser event at the Consulate General of India in New York with a moment of solemn reflection, honoring victims of recent tragedies from Pahalgam to Ahmedabad. This tribute set the stage for the evening's central theme, "Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah" - A Global Initiative for Universal Wellbeing—a Sanskrit blessing that would resonate throughout the night as FIA unveiled plans for its 43rd India Day Parade in NYC. The evening delivered two major announcements that will reshape both the parade and the future of cricket in America.
Rashmika Mandanna greets via special video message (Photo courtesy: FIA-NY-NJ-CT-NE)
The evening's crescendo arrived via massive LED screens as Indian cinema icons Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna greeted the audience. Their message of this year's India Day festivities theme was announced in six languages-Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and English-revealing them as co-Grand Marshals of the 43rd India Day Parade in NYC. Both stars pledged to march along Madison Avenue in New York City on August 17 and to take part in India’s Independence Day ceremonies, signing off with a resounding “Jai Hind!”
Ambassador Binaya S. Pradhan, Consul General of India in NY, opened the evening by acknowledging FIA's extraordinary journey. "For half a century, the Federation of Indian Associations has been a force-multiplier for India's image in America," he told the standing-room crowd. Consul General urged FIA to copyright its signature ideas to enable scaling "without dilution" across other diaspora hubs, applauding the parade's evolution from a modest one float parade march in 1981 to what the mega event it has turned out to be and which the media now celebrates as the world's largest India Day celebration.
Deputy Consul General Vishal Harsh amplified the praise, recalling last year's impressive Chandrayaan-3 and Ram Mandir float being his favorite memories from the parade. "New York now measures cultural spectacle in tricolors," he quipped, pledging consulate's continued full support for the upcoming festivities and appealed to the community to turn out in large numbers and continue the Bharat tradition.
Cricmax Connect founder and CEO Vinay Bhimjiani announced their launch and its unprecedented role as title sponsor for the entire Independence Day anniversary celebrations. Bhimjiani's audacious vision captured the room's attention: making cricket as mainstream as soccer in the United States within the next decade. "Major League Cricket is barely in its third season and already has Microsoft money plus equity from IPL powerhouses KKR and CSK," Bhimjiani declared to an enthusiastic crowd. "Imagine when Little League parks from Queens to Cupertino echo with the sound of leather on willow."
FIA Chairman Ankur Vaidya opened his remarks with a poignant moment of silence for former Chairman Emeritus Ramesh Patel, emphasizing that the curtain-raiser tradition "belongs to the community-FIA merely facilitates." Vaidya confirmed that all parade logistics would remain volunteer-driven and hinted at "significant new collaborations" to be revealed post-parade including corporate MOUs and FIA's choice of Manhattan's iconic and very upscale Gala venue, Cipriani.
