Four Indian Americans have been recognized among the Andrew Carnegie Foundation’s 2026 Great Immigrants, Great Americans honorees, joining a distinguished group of 25 naturalized U.S. citizens celebrated for their contributions to business, medicine, science, technology and academia.
The Indian American recipients are Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks; Mahzarin Banaji, a renowned social psychologist and Harvard University professor; Dr. Sanjiv Chopra, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; and Reshma Kewalramani, president and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
The annual recognition, announced ahead of the United States’ 250th Independence Day celebrations, honors immigrants whose achievements have had a lasting impact on American society. This year’s class includes 25 naturalized citizens representing 21 countries and working across diverse fields including business, medicine, science, engineering, arts and public service.
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Founded more than two decades ago, the Great Immigrants, Great Americans initiative pays tribute to immigrants who have made exceptional contributions after becoming U.S. citizens. The program also reflects the legacy of Scottish-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who immigrated to the United States and became one of the country’s most influential benefactors.
Among the four Indian American honorees, Arora has built one of the world’s leading cybersecurity companies after previously serving in senior leadership roles at Google and SoftBank. Banaji is internationally recognized for her pioneering research on implicit bias and social cognition, work that has influenced psychology, education and public policy worldwide.
Dr. Chopra has earned recognition as a physician, educator, and liver disease specialist at Harvard Medical School. Kewalramani has led Vertex Pharmaceuticals through significant advances in biotechnology and precision medicine, making her one of the most prominent Indian American executives in the pharmaceutical industry.
The Carnegie honor highlights the growing influence of Indian Americans across sectors that shape the U.S. economy and innovation ecosystem. Previous Indian-origin recipients have included leaders such as Sundar Pichai, Shantanu Narayen, Ashish Jha, Abhijit Banerjee, Vivek Murthy and Gita Gopinath, reflecting the community’s expanding role in technology, healthcare, academia and public service.
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In announcing this year’s class, the Andrew Carnegie Foundation said the award celebrates the contributions immigrants continue to make to the United States. This comes at a time when the nation prepares to commemorate 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Foundation President Dame Louise Richardson said the honorees exemplify the talent, leadership and innovation that immigrants bring to American society.
The four Indian American recipients will be recognized as part of the foundation’s annual Fourth of July Great Immigrants campaign, which has honored more than 790 naturalized citizens from over 120 countries since its launch in 2006.