Our Bureau
New York, NY
The American India Foundation’s (AIF) New York Chapter hosted its annual gala. It was a sold-out event, attended by 700 guests, held at Cipriani Wall Street on May 14, 2024. The evening spotlighted AIF’s vibrant Indian-diaspora led community, as well as its multidimensional programming in India to empower women and girls with health, education, and livelihood opportunities. Whether helping women secure jobs, attain financial literacy, stay healthy through pregnancy and motherhood, or embark on careers in STEM, AIF partners with the government at the central, state, and local levels to implement programs that support women and girls at every point in their journey.
The 2024 New York Gala was the highest-grossing gala in AIF’s history, raising over $4.2 million thanks to the generosity of its donors, including presenting sponsors Goldman Sachs Gives, Mastercard, and Salesforce.
Honoring the professional and philanthropic achievements of Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, and Falguni Nayar, Founder and CEO of Nykaa, the night was hosted by the brilliant and hilarious Zarna Garg. The gala brought together leaders, innovators, founders, and trailblazers across industries to celebrate AIF’s 23 years of impact, raising over $4.2 million to support AIF’s transformative work.
“AIF is so proud to have Mastercard and Nykaa as our honorees this year–Michael and Falguni are true exemplars of inspirational, passionate leaders who advance AIF’s mission to drive sustainable, social and economic change. We are ever grateful for their partnership and to the generosity of all our supporters, corporate and government partners, donors, and friends, thanks to whom, AIF has reached 18.88 million lives across 35 states and union territories of India,” said CEO Nishant Pandey.
Falguni Nayar, Founder and CEO of Nykaa said, “India is the world’s fifth largest economy, on its way to being the third largest in the coming decade–yet the female literacy rate is more than 15 percentage points lower than the male literacy rate. In an effort to equalize opportunities and empower girls with confidence to follow their dreams–today I am proud to announce a 3-year association between AIF and Nykaa that will equip more girls with the resources to follow their true passion into STEM education.”
The American India Foundation (AIF) is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged—with a special focus on women, children, and youth—through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, and public health.
