San Francisco, California, April 11, 2026 – The American India Foundation’s (AIF) Bay Area Chapter hosted its 25th Anniversary Gala at Grace Cathedral, bringing together leaders across philanthropy, business, and the community to raise over $2.6 million, including $1.4 million raised at the record breaking Pledge Drive, to support of AIF’s mission to improve the lives of India’s most underserved communities through interventions in public health, education, livelihoods, and leadership development.
This year’s gala honored the extraordinary leadership and lifelong commitment of Lata Krishnan, who received the Legacy of Leadership Award not only for co- founding AIF in 2001 in the aftermath of the massive earthquake in Bhuj, Gujarat, but also for her decades of leadership as president and co-chair of the Global Board in expanding AIF’s influence and impact.
“What I’ve come to recognize over time is that giving, at its core, is a deep, pervasive spirit—one that is woven into everyday life and across every community. It isn’t driven by obligation, but by a shared sense of responsibility. That idea has stayed with me,” said Krishnan, as she graciously accepted the award. “Through this journey with AIF, I’ve been profoundly changed. It has shaped me, it has shaped my children, and it has shaped the way we see the world and our responsibility within it. When we talk about 25 years and 21 million lives, that achievement doesn’t belong to me; it belongs to all of us.”
“There could not be a more fitting way to celebrate 25 years of AIF than by honoring Lata. For over a decade, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with her, and what sets her apart is a rare combination of qualities—she is a magnet who brings people together around a shared purpose, a doer who leads from the front, and a deeply generous philanthropist who gives wholeheartedly,” said Nishant Pandey, AIF’s CEO. “It is because of her leadership that AIF is stronger today than when it began.”
The program spotlighted powerful stories of transformation showing how AIF’s programs empower people with the knowledge, resources, and skills to embrace a future of opportunity and dignity One such story was that of Pushpanjali Majhi, a young woman who began her journey as a migrant child in AIF’s LAMP program and, with AIF by her side pursued a college education to ultimately become a teacher—and the first formally employed person in her family. Her success was the catalyst for moving her family out of the cycle of intergenerational poverty and an inspiration for other girls in her village to stay in school and succeed.
The Gala achieved its fundraising success through the generosity of its sponsors and supporters, including underwriter sponsors WestBridge Capital, Sumir Chadha, Lata Krishnan, and Ajay Shah, and Aishwarya and Shashin Shah, and patron sponsors Wadhwani Foundation, Christina and Deepak Kamra, and Riaz Taplin. For a full list of sponsors, please visit our website.
The American India Foundation (AIF) is a secular, purpose-driven, impact-oriented organization focused on a multipronged approach to alleviating poverty in India, while strengthening the bridge between the civil societies of the world’s two largest democracies. Since its founding in 2001, AIF has reached over 21 million people across 35 states and union territories through its programs in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development.
For media inquiries, please contact Kalpana Kanthan at Kalpana.Kanthan@aif.org.
