The Project India Initiative of the Association of Indians in America (AIA) NY Chapter, hosted a memorable musical evening headlined by Grammy Award-winning artist Falu and her band in a philanthropic event aimed at supporting Indian farmers.
Trustee of AIA, Asmita Bhatia, acquainted the gathering with the charitable work of Project India and its growing collaboration with Global Vikas Trust (GVT), an NGO based in India.
A moving video was screened featuring testimonials from farmers whose lives have been uplifted by the GVT initiative — planting fruit trees to ensure sustainable income for farming families. These firsthand stories offered a compelling glimpse into how community-driven efforts can combat poverty and restore dignity, AIA-NY said in a press release.
Project India is the philanthropic arm of AIA which has for years been supporting communities in times of crisis. Over the last 15 years, its partnership with GAP, an Ahmedabad-based NGO, has brought life-changing healthcare to 80 tribal villages along the Gujarat–Rajasthan border, AIA said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Several high-profile guests attended including all the past presidents of AIA, as well as donors and sponsors Asmita and Arun Bhatia, Amit and Kalpana Doshi, Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold, and Dr. Sudha Parikh, Paulomi and Daniel Katzive, Dr. Purvi Parikh, and numerous others. Among those recognized for their philanthropic work and support for Global Vikas Trust were Dr. Purvi Parikh, Medical Director at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill, and specialist in Infectious Disease Allergy and Immunology, Pediatric Allergy & Immunology at NYU Langone Health.
In 2024, Project India was deeply inspired by the vision of Global Vikas Trust (GVT) and its founder, Mayank Gandhi, AIA said. Following that vision, Project India’s support helped plant 134,000 fruit trees, transforming the livelihoods of 166 farmers and their families — reducing suicide rates, restoring hope, and laying a path for long-term sustainability, organizers said.
At the evening event Dr. Manjula Bansal introduced Falu and her talented ensemble which performed musical numbers that spanned genres, languages, and generations. A special guest appearance by rapper Marty infused even more energy, culminating in joy-filled celebration that brought the audience to the floor.
After the performance, Divya Shah and Smita Khanna extended their gratitude to donors, patrons, supporters, and the media partners who helped amplify the message and mission behind the event. Among those media partners were ITV Gold, Desi Talk, Radio Zindagi, The India Eye, South Asia Times, and India Panorama.
Sunny Thakkar of Sneh Arts, who managed and marketed the event, said, “Seeing so many smiling faces and so much support for such a worthy cause was the biggest reward. We’re proud to be part of this journey.”
Project India put out an appeal for support to empower Indian farmers and restore the environment to create lasting change. It encouraged those interested in supporting the cause to visit the Global Vikas Trust (GVT) website: www.globalvikastrust.org for more information and to support.