Banga is the first-ever Indian American to lead the World Bank and the only honouree from India in this year’s list of ‘Great Immigrants’
Our Bureau,
New York, NY
Ajay Banga, the World Bank’s President, has been selected by a prestigious philanthropic organisation in its annual “Great Immigrants” list of honourees who have strengthened and developed America and its democracy through valuable contributions and actions.
Banga is the first-ever Indian American to lead the World Bank since June 2023. He is the only honouree from India in this year’s list of ‘Great Immigrants’ by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
In conversation with Carnegie, Banga gave true reflections on how diversity facilitated him as a successful leader: “At the end of the day, if you surround yourself with people who look like you, who walk like you and talk like you, and grew up in the same places you did and worked with you in your prior jobs, then you will have a sense of comfort of hiring people around you who have that familiarity. But you will also have the same blind spots. You will miss the same trends. You will miss the same opportunities.”
With over 30 years of experience in key positions, 63-year-old Banga is expected to usher in transformative policies at the World Bank to combat poverty and address climate change, opening opportunities for people around the globe.
Banga has received many such honours and was awarded the Foreign Policy Association Medal, the Padma Shri Award by the President of India and the Ellis Island Medal of Honour.
The Carnegie Corporation of New York honours a group of remarkable Americans: naturalized citizens “who have enriched and strengthened our nation and our democracy through their contributions and actions” on the 4th of July, as part of the Independence Day celebration in the US.
