Ramesh Kapur
Ramesh V. Kapur | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian-American |
| Years active | 1986-present |
| Known for | Political foundraisers |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
Ramesh V. Kapur is an Indian-American industrialist and Democratic fundraiser.[1][2][3] He has been a member of the US-India Security Council, a non-profit social welfare organization,[4][1] and the Biden-Harris National Finance Committee 2020.[5] He has organized fundraisers for Democratic and India-friendly politicians since 1988.[2][1]
Early years[edit]
Kapur was born and raised in Mumbai.[6] He migrated to the United States in 1967 as a college student.[7] In 1981, he founded Kapur & Associates, an engineering company. As of 2019, the company had 251 employees.[8]
Participation in American politics[edit]
Kapur started working in American politics in 1986.[1] In 1988, he raised funds for Michael Dukakis' presidential run.[7] In the 2000's, he played a significant role in pushing the US-India nuclear deal.[6] In 2016, he held a fundraiser for Kamala Harris's senate run.[9]
During the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Kapur held multiple fundraisers for Harris' and Joe Biden's campaign. According to him, he backed Harris due to her Indian-American heritage, and has been a supporter of Biden since he backed the US-India nuclear deal in 2008.[1] He has stated that "Democrats know that Kashmir is as important to Indian-Americans as Jerusalem is to Jewish-Americans".[2]
In 2023, Kapur stated that he had convinced California governor Gavin Newsom to veto a state bill that outlawed caste discrimination. He stated that caste discrimination did not exist in the Western world and, therefore, did not need to be outlawed. Prior to the governor's veto, Kapur had received an e-mail from Newsom assuring him that the bill would be vetoed. Opponents of the bill have argued that it duplicated alread-existing California anti-discrimination laws, while proponents said that the current laws of the state were not enough to combat caste discrimination in California.[1] Aside from Kapur, some other Indian-Americans have also opposed the bill.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Kapur lives in Massachusetts and is married to an American woman. He describes himself as "90% American and 10% Indian".[6]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Hosseini, Raheem. "He lobbied Gavin Newsom to veto historic caste law. Who is Ramesh Kapur?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b c "Kamala, Kashmir and Modi's friend all on ballot in US election". 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ Schmall, Emily (2020). "Indian-Americans Overwhelmingly Support Joe Biden, New Poll Shows". New York Times.
- ^ "US will work with India, Japan and S Korea to tackle threat from China: Senator Warner". India Today. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ "Indian Americans ask Biden to moderate Kashmir position, raise $3.3mn". Hindustan Times. 2020-09-23. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b c Kennedy, Miranda. "How Delhi buys influence with the US Government". The Caravan. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ a b Schouten, Fredreka (2019-03-31). "'She's our DNA': How Kamala Harris' presidential bid is inspiring a network of immigrants to donate, volunteer". CNN. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ Daykin, Tom. "Mentoring future leaders, community involvement help make Kapur & Associates a Top Workplace". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ "Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate". Hindustan Times. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ Kindy, Kimberly (2023). "As Democrats push to ban caste discrimination, some Indian Americans object". The Washington Post.