AIF Celebrates US-India ties at 44th India Day Parade in NYC
New York, NY, August 16, 2026 – The American India Foundation (AIF) was proud to participate in the 44th India Day Parade in New York City in honor of India’s 80th Independence Day. Hosted by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), this longstanding parade celebrates India’s history and heritage–and is regarded as the largest India Day Parade across the US.
The Parade brings together the Indian diaspora and wider NYC community in a vibrant event celebrating the nation’s rich and diverse culture. AIF’s dazzling float showcased its multidimensional mission and core values of empowerment, social impact, and service. The float brought to life the powerful stories of individuals transformed through its programs like LAMP (Learning and Migration Program), which ensures access to quality education for children of seasonal migrant laborers; MAST (Market Aligned Skills Training Program), which enables marginalized individuals, with a focus on women, to build economic resilience; and MANSI (Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative), which furthers access to healthcare for mothers, newborns, pregnant women, and adolescent girls across the most remote parts of India.
Over 60 people came together to illustrate AIF’s dynamic community, including corporate partners, Banyan Impact Fellows, young professionals, and dedicated staff, each eager to engage with parade-goers and invite them to be part of AIF’s mission to drive sustainable social change. AIF’s packed float was filled with volunteers and supporters from corporate partners, including Accenture, Citi Bank, Goldman Sachs, National Basketball Association, and S&P Global–several of whom brought their families.
Reflecting on the event, AIF CEO Nishant Pandey remarked, “It feels especially impactful to march in parade this year, as AIF celebrates 25 years of multilateral partnerships and impact. Our annual tradition in the heart of New York City truly showcases the collective power of the diaspora to drive lasting change, and how we do so with joy.”
As the largest Indian diaspora-led, U.S.-based nonprofit committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, especially women, youth, and children, AIF’s multi-pronged interventions across education, livelihoods, and public health have reached over 23 million lives to date. In addition, AIF has cultivated a vibrant platform for bilateral leadership development in the US-India corridor through its Banyan Impact Fellowship program, nurturing the next generation of changemakers from both countries.
To learn more about AIF and to explore opportunities for engagement, please visit www.aif.org or contact Kalpana Kanthan, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, at Kalpana.Kanthan@aif.org.
