Silicon Valley fundraiser for President Biden hosted by Indian-Americans expected to rake in millions of dollars

10/05/2024

The rich and famous Indian Americans in Silicon Valley are all set for a fund-raising reception for US President Joe Biden today at the home of billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, and his wife Neeru Khosla, in Portola Valley, California, today.

The reception is being dubbed as one of the biggest events by Indian Americans in this election season for President Biden, who is running for re-election this November, as the Democratic candidate. Fund-raising and other support from the Indian American community is likely to play a vital role in the presidential campaign of President Biden.

“This fund-raising event marks a significant milestone for Indian Americans’ burgeoning role in US politics. Their active participation, alongside prominent Silicon Valley tech executives, underscores a notable convergence of influence and support for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ re-election bid.

The event symbolises a collective commitment and support of Indian Americans for advancing President Biden and Vice President Harris’s transformative agenda for a brighter future for all Americans,” Ajay Bhutoria, member of the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee, told the Times of India. Bhutoria, a prominent community leader and Democratic party fund-raiser, feels that Indian Americans will wield significant influence in the November 5 race for the White House and could sway the outcome in several battleground states of the US in support of President Biden and a Vice President Harris.

“The enthusiastic response from the Indian American community underscores their unwavering support for President Biden and Vice President Harris. With several members of the community already signed up to attend the event on Friday, their presence reaffirms their dedication to ensuring a successful re-election campaign. Their collective endorsement reflects a broader trend of strong Democratic backing within the community, further solidifying their position as a crucial voting bloc. More than 4.4 million Indian Americans are the backbone of strong US India relationship and this relationship has been strengthened under President Biden,” Bhutoria said.

Friday’s fund-raiser in Silicon Valley, which has contribution ticket prices in the range of $6,600 to $100,000, is expected to draw big Indian American names from the US tech industry. “These executives, known for their innovation and influence, bring with them not only financial support but also invaluable expertise and networks. Their presence underscores the intersection of technology and politics, highlighting the importance of bridging these sectors to drive positive change and progress and support for Biden-Harris re-election,” Bhutoria, a top donor for Biden, said.

The fact that Khosla, a legendary Indian American VC and entrepreneur, has taken the initiative to host a fund-raiser for President Biden during his visit to California is seen as a big draw for many other prominent and uber wealthy Indian Americans in both the Silicon Valley and elsewhere in the US to plan more fund-raising events.

“This event is certainly significant, both for President Biden, and for the Indian American community. Biden, though ahead of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in fund-raising so far, is under pressure to increase his war chest as the campaign heads into its final gruelling months since most polls show him trailing, or neck-to-neck with Trump,” says Robinder Sachdev, president of Delhi based think tank Imagindia Institute, and one of the founders of US India Political Action Committee, a bipartisan non-profit organisation in the US. He adds that the Indian American community, even though well known to make high value contributions to American politicians, has never held a mega-fundraiser, running into high millions so far. “It will be important to see how much money the Biden campaign will bring in from Friday’s fund-raiser – the bar has been set very high with a recent fundraiser in Florida, where Trump pulled in over $50 million, and a previous fundraiser by Biden in New York, where he is reported to have pulled in over $30 million,” Sachdev said.

Indian American votes will certainly be very important for Biden in the seven swing states in the US including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona; where in some cases a few thousand votes here or there could make or break the candidacy of either contestant. “According to a report two days ago in Axios, the Biden-Trump election likely will be decided by roughly 6% of voters in just six states. Thus, Indian American voters in these states will especially be very important for the Biden campaign,” Sachdev said.

Traditionally large majority of the Indian American community has voted Democrat, however support for Republican candidates too has been growing. According to rough estimates, in 2020, perhaps 30% of the Indian American vote went to Trump, and 70% to Biden.

Bhutoria, who has been involved in Biden’s campaign since its inception, however, is confident that Friday’s fund-raising event and the series of events this week in the US West Coast represent a pivotal moment where influential figures from both the Indian American community and Silicon Valley converge in early support of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s re-election campaign.

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