The India Association of Long Island (IALI), one of the oldest and largest Indian-American organizations on Long Island, hosted a memorable Annual Gala on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at Pearl Banquet in Hicksville. The venue was filled to capacity as elected officials, business leaders, community members, and supporters gathered for an evening of celebration, inspiration, and recognition.
This year’s theme – Creators of Icons: The Women Behind Successful Men – “paid tribute to extraordinary women whose strength, dedication, and unwavering support have played a pivotal role in the success of their families, businesses, and communities,” a press release from IALI said.
The four distinguished honorees were:
- Shashi Malik, a respected community leader whose years of selfless service, leadership, and dedication have inspired countless families and organizations across Long Island.
- Padma Behen Mehta, admired for her lifelong commitment to philanthropy, spirituality, and humanitarian service, touching the lives of many through compassion and generosity.
- Shalu Suri Chopra, recognized for her elegance, leadership, and tireless support of numerous cultural and charitable initiatives while standing as a pillar of strength for her family and community.
- Geeta Patel, celebrated for her leadership in managing the bakery and kitchen operations of the Patel Brothers family business, while balancing entrepreneurship, family values, and community service with exceptional grace.
The keynote address was delivered by hotelier Naveen Shah, Chairman of Navika Capital Group.
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Among the elected officials and dignitaries who attended were New York State Senator Steve Rhoads, Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Former New York State Assemblyman Mike LiPetri, Chairman of the Nassau County Human Rights Commission Bobby Kumar Kalote, and Judge Lillian Wan.
Among the distinguished guests were media mogul, Chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media/ITV Gold, Padam Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, as well as Kamlesh Mehta, Kanak Golia, Nilesh Mehta, Preeti Mehta, Ravi Chopra, Ravi Bhooplapur, Raj Jaggi, Ajay Sondhi, Jaspreet Mayall, Zahid Syed, Dalip Malik, Harry Malhotra, Herman Singh, and many other prominent business and community leaders.
Last year’s distinguished “Icons” honorees, viz., Harry Bolla, Chintu Patel, Raj Bhayani, and Indian Consul General in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, congratulated the awardees through video messages displayed during the program.
IALI recognized past presidents including Dr. Narendra Hadpawat, Anila Midha, Gobind Munjal, Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Bina Sabapathy, Dr. Bhavani Srinivasan, and Shashi Malik, presenting each with a bouquet.
The Election Committee members were recognized, viz., Om Bhambri, Deepak Sachdev, and Rita Bhatija.
IALI President Jasbir Jay Singh introduced and thanked the organization’s leadership team, including Vice President Ravinder Kumar, Secretary HarGovind (Govind) Gupta, Treasurer Sujata Seth, and Executive Committee members Ashwini Sharma, Abha Bhatnagar, Deepak Bansal, Mohan Sharma, Munish Byala, Shashi Malik, Vijay Khanna, Vinod Goyal, Amita Karwal, Renu Kapoor, and Sanju Sharma. He alsothanked thanked the volunteers, sponsors, supporters, and members. Singh also presented his grand daughter Kiara “as the future woman accomplisher” and began his speech with “Jai Matadi” to recognize women.
During the networking reception, guests were entertained by live music, and the celebration concluded with an energetic dance floor led by the renowned DJ Parminder.