By Thomas Abraham, Board Member of AAUC and Chair of GOPIO
AAUC member group, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), hosted its November 2025 webinar, “Shaping Technologies for the Future — Role of Diaspora,” which spotlighted how Indian-origin scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators are steering technological breakthroughs across continents. From artificial intelligence and nanotechnology to critical minerals, space surveillance, and sustainable water solutions, the forum brought together experts from academia and industry to explore the diaspora’s pivotal role in driving the next wave of global innovation.
Opening the session, GOPIO International President Prakash Shah said that the event underscored how STEM has powered India’s migration waves and global influence. Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO’s Founder and Chair, traced the organization’s evolution since 1989 and its mission to connect global Indian professionals with their homeland. Dr. Abraham highlighted plans to foster collaboration in advanced computing, AI, nanotechnology, critical minerals, and clean energy. Dr. N.P. Padhy, Director of Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT, Jaipur, India) and Dr. Anupam Shukla, Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT, Surat, India) were distinguished guests at the event. Director Padhy spoke about India’s scientific transformation and how collaboration with the diaspora can accelerate the achievement of national goals.
Moderating from Australia, Prof. Prasad Yarlagadda, Dean of Science, Engineering, and Digital Technologies, Southern Queensland University, reflected on his four-decade career in advanced manufacturing and nanotechnology. “By 2035 and 2050, universities may become just hubs of learning,” he said. “They will facilitate rather than deliver education as we know it today.” Dr. Himanshu Jain, T.L. Diamond Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Applied Science and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Lehigh University and currently on sabbatical at the University of California, Davis, presented on advanced materials and the critical role of glass in sustainability, clean energy, and healthcare. He outlined innovations such as solar-concentrating glass mirrors, energy-efficient building glazing, and glass composites for wind turbines. “The next frontier,” he added, “is moving from electronics to photonics and even using glass as a controlled-release fertilizer for sustainable agriculture.”
Dr. D.R. Nagaraj, Henry Krumb Professor of Professional Practice, Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, Columbia University, New York, spoke about “Mines of the Future” and the need for sustainable extraction of critical minerals. Dr. Nagaraj highlighted how 54 critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, and rare earths, drive global supply chains. He warned of dependence on unstable sources and called for precision mining using AI, robotics, and data analytics. “We cannot have clean energy without mining, and we cannot mine without energy,” he said.
The webinar concluded with a call for closer collaboration between global Indian innovators and their counterparts in India. GOPIO leaders reaffirmed their goal of expanding specialized technology councils, creating sectoral networks, and aligning Diaspora innovation with India’s national growth priorities.
