American India Foundation Bay Area Gala Raises Over $2.4 Million
Redwood City, California, April 19, 2025 – The American India Foundation’s (AIF) Bay Area Chapter hosted its annual gala at the spectacular Fox Theatre and Courthouse Square, raising over $2.4 million—including a record-breaking $1 million during the evening’s Pledge Drive. The funds will directly support AIF’s mission to improve the lives of India’s most underserved communities.
This year’s gala honored the exemplary leadership of Anu Bharadwaj, President of Atlassian, and Charles H. Giancarlo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pure Storage. As she accepted her award, Bharadwaj underscored the importance of tapping into every individual’s potential to drive social change: “At Atlassian, we believe that technology can be a powerful force for good. The individuals AIF supports in India are no different than any of us; they were simply born into different circumstances. By expanding access to educational opportunity, we can help unlock the potential that already exists within these communities and drive meaningful, lasting change.” Giancarlo highlighted the importance of global giving, saying “As philanthropists, technologists, and leaders, we can’t sit on the sidelines. We must lean in—to use innovation and philanthropy as a force for education and financial inclusion, and to support those making a real impact, one life and one community at a time.”
“AIF is thrilled to have had Anu and Charles as our honorees this year, who both stand not only as exemplars of successful business leaders, but also as social-impact oriented philanthropists who advance AIF’s mission to drive sustainable social and economic change. It is thanks to the generosity of our supporters, corporate and government partners, donors, and friends that we have reached over 20 million lives across India –with millions more to go,” said AIF’s CEO Nishant Pandey.
The evening spotlighted powerful stories of transformation made possible by AIF’s programs.
Seventeen-year-old Asma Maryam from Chennai shared how the Digital Equalizer program sparked her passion for science, leading her to international competitions and inspiring her dream of becoming a rocket scientist. Attendees also met Sunita from Haryana, a Livelihoods program beneficiary who, through AIF’s entrepreneurship training, became her family’s primary breadwinner and a catalyst for change among women in her community.
The Gala achieved its $2.4 million goal thanks to the generosity of its donors, including benefactor sponsors Pure Storage and Sumir Chadha; underwriter sponsors Westbridge Capital, Lata Krishnan and Ajay Shah, Motwani Jadeja Foundation, and Aishwarya and Shashin Shah; and patron sponsors Christina and Deepak Kamra and Dianne and Charlie Giancarlo. For a full list of our sponsors, please click here.
The American India Foundation (AIF) is a secular, purpose-driven, impact-oriented entity focused on a multipronged approach to alleviate poverty in India, while strengthening the bridge between the civil societies of the world’s two largest and most powerful democracies.
For any queries, please contact Kalpana Kanthan at Kalpana.Kanthan@aif.org.
