India Gateway Project

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I would like to welcome you all to the Eighth AAPI Central Ohio Fundraiser. Your support is greatly appreciated. This year’s recipient is the Ohio State University India Gateway. The gateway will serve to strengthen OSU’s connection with India through study abroad programs, increase recruitment of Indian students, generate new opportunities for OSU faculty and students to pursue research and educational opportunities in India, partner with Indian universities, alumni and Ohio businesses. This is a win win situation for India, OSU, Ohio and the local Indian American community. In this highly competitive world, the worlds two biggest democracies need to partner and stay ahead of the game. Let the OSU India Gateway Program be a template for other American Institutions of higher learning to follow.

Philanthropy has long been a vital source of support for colleges and universities. In today’s economic downturn with dwindling endowment funds and decreased funding by state governments, the need is even greater. Your presence today shows that a public private partnership can make a difference. This is our country and we cannot rely on the government for all the answers. Every citizen needs to do his share in revitalizing America. Your generous contributions today have loudly answered this question.

AAPI Central Ohio has over 300 physicians from all specialties with affiliations at every major healthcare organization in the Central Ohio area. Over the last 9 years we have had an  annual  Charity Dinner which has drawn several hundred members, their colleagues and families in support of worthy charitable organizations including The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, Prevent Blindness Ohio, Association for India’s Development and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We truly believe in giving back to the community.

We have a very vibrant American Indian community in Central Ohio. We are greatly indebted to the opportunities Ohio and America has offered us. I strongly feel it is our duty to give back to the community that has given us so much and allowed our lives to flourish. We all know of friends and family members who have studied at The Great Ohio State University and excelled in life. Thus it is a great honor for us to do a fundraiser for the OSU India Gateway.

It is very noteworthy that in this difficult economic time corporations and individuals have stepped up to the plate to support this fundraiser. We are greatly indebted to our corporate Platinum Sponsors Marion General hospital and Smith Clinic, Gold Sponsor Columbus Sleep Consultants and Silver Sponsors Cardinal Health,  Fairfield Medical Center, GWR Medical, Huntington Bank, Merrill Lynch, National Healing, OSU Medical Center, Oncology Hematology Consultants of SEO Inc, and St Jude Medical, Inc.

It has also been a great honor for AAPI Central Ohio to host the National AAPI Fall Governing Body Meeting. National AAPI has risen to become the premier ethnic medical association in the United States, representing over 60,000 practicing physicians, residents, fellows and medical students. The mission of National AAPI is to serve as a forum to facilitate and enable Indian American Physicians to excel in patient care, teaching and research and to pursue their aspirations in professional and community affairs. It gives me great honor to welcome National AAPI President Dr Sunita Kanumury, and the AAPI governing body members to Columbus Ohio the land of the Buckeyes. Hopefully one day we will have a National AAPI convention here.

Finally I would like to thank the event planning team, Past President Dr Gautam Sammader, VP Dr Suri Suresh, Secretary Dr Shailesh Patel, Treasurer Dr Yeshwant Reddy, Member at Large Dr Nikesh Batra, Jody Bopp, Dr William Brustein, Chris Carey, Dr Dalsukh Madia, Dr Rani Lakhi, Dr Monika Patel, Dr Bhagwan Satiani, Dr Chandan Sen, Dr Bipin Shah, Nirmal Sinha, and my wife Ketki for their tireless efforts in making this event a success. I am greatly indebted to them and will treasure their friendship forever. They are definitely the A Team.

We have a great program lined up for you this evening including a fashion show and live performance by Bollywood artists, so please enjoy.

In closing, I would like to thank everyone for their support and generosity.  We have definitely crossed another milestone. The OSU India Gateway is a bridge to a great future.

Sincerely, 

Bipin Desai, M.D.

AAPIO-CO PRESIDENT.