Chair, Finance Committee, Board of Trustees

Shri. Sajjan Agarwal, who holds an MBA in Finance from Michigan State University and an Engineering degree from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, serves as the Chair of Finance on the Board of Trustees at Hindu University of America (HUA).

Shri. Agarwal came to the United States in 1976 and has been a resident of Cary, North Carolina for over three decades. In 1981, he founded Sigma Electric Corporation, which pioneered offshore manufacturing and supply chain solutions for the global electrical components industry. Under his leadership, the company grew substantially, operating across India and the United States and serving major international clients. In 2007, he sold Sigma Electric to Goldman Sachs. Today, the company employs more than 5,000 people.

He currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of GreenHawk Corporation, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company manages a broad portfolio of residential and commercial real estate projects across the Carolinas.

Outside of his business endeavors, Shri. Agarwal and his family are deeply engaged in philanthropy, especially in the areas of education and healthcare. They support initiatives for underprivileged children and have contributed to numerous institutions both in India and the U.S. Shri. Agarwal is associated with the boards of several organizations, including Duke Hospital Raleigh, EKAL USA, the YMCA, and the Hindu Society of North Carolina.

Chair, Infrastructure Committee, Board of Trustees

Shri. Suresh K. Gupta serves as the Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, and a Member of the Board of Trustees at Hindu University of America (HUA). He brings over three decades of entrepreneurial leadership in the real estate sector as the CEO and co-founder of Park Square Homes, a homebuilding business established in 1984. In addition to leading the company, he has held senior roles in associated mortgage and title insurance ventures and has overseen real estate developments spanning hotels and multi-family properties.

Born in Mombasa, Kenya, Shri. Gupta received his education in the United Kingdom, where he earned a degree in accounting and became a Chartered Accountant. After moving to the United States, he built a distinguished career in real estate and continues to be an influential figure in the industry. He currently holds licenses in title insurance, real estate, and general contracting.

A long-time supporter of HUA, Shri. Gupta has been actively involved with the university for over 15 years. His broader community service includes board memberships with the UCF Foundation, the Orlando Chamber of Governors, and the Hindu Society of Central Florida, where he served as chairman. He has also been recognized with the “Father of the Year” award by the American Diabetes Association. As part of his philanthropic commitment to education, he sponsored a student in the charter class of the UCF School of Medicine.

Member – Board of Trustees

Shri. Nitin Seth serves on the Board of Trustees at the Hindu University of America. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow—where he received the Chairman’s Gold Medal—and the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, he is an accomplished global business leader with nearly three decades of experience across digital transformation, data, AI, and large-scale organizational leadership.

He is the Co-founder and CEO of Incedo Inc., a leading technology services firm specializing in Digital, Data, and AI for Fortune 200 companies in the United States. Under his leadership, Incedo has achieved industry-leading growth, earned the Great Place to Work certification three times, and received more than 30 industry awards, including Company of the Year, Best Place to Work, and AI Product of the Year. Shri. Nitin Seth himself has been honored with over 10 awards, including Executive of the Year and CEO of the Year.

His professional journey includes several pivotal leadership roles: Chief Operating Officer of Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce company; Managing Director and Country Head for Fidelity International in India, where he also led Global Offshore Operations and Business Strategy; and Director of McKinsey’s Global Knowledge Centre, where he pioneered analytics and knowledge capabilities that shaped industry practices. Across these roles, he has driven complex transformations at the intersection of business, technology, data, and AI.

Shri. Nitin Seth has been elected twice to the NASSCOM Executive Council and has served as Founder & Chairperson of NASSCOM’s GCC Council, as well as Chairperson of the NASSCOM Regional Council in Haryana.

A respected thought leader, he is the bestselling author of two award-winning books: Winning in the Digital Age (2021)—winner of five national business book awards—and Mastering the Data Paradox (2024), which became a bestseller within its first week and is being translated into multiple languages. His writings offer practical frameworks for navigating digital and AI-driven transformation.

Committed to reimagining education for the future, he is a Co-Founder of Plaksha University, India’s largest collective philanthropy initiative to build a new model of engineering education. He also contributes to policy and leadership development as a member of the ORF US-India AI Taskforce and as part of the Advisory Committee for the Centre for Wisdom in Leadership at SPJIMR, Mumbai.

Shri. Nitin Seth is a sought-after speaker on digital transformation, AI, leadership, innovation, and building high-performance teams. He resides in New Jersey with his family.

Chair, Fundraising Committee, Board of Trustees

Shri. Narsimha Reddy Koppula serves as the Chair of the Fundraising Committee and a Member of the Board of Trustees at Hindu University of America (HUA). He brings nearly 30 years of experience in information technology and management, including a successful entrepreneurial journey in the federal IT contracting sector.

In 2000, he co-founded Ace Info Solutions, which evolved into a prominent federal IT contractor. In addition to his professional accomplishments, he has actively mentored small businesses in the federal IT space across the DC Metro region, supporting the growth of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Deeply committed to the values of Sanātana Dharma, Shri Koppula has long been associated with organizations such as Chinmaya Mission and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. He serves as a chapter advisor for Sewa International and is engaged with the World Hindu Economic Forum. His civic involvement also includes a decade of service with the US-India Security Council, where he works to educate U.S. lawmakers and decision-makers to promote accurate perceptions of India and strengthen defense technology cooperation. He actively encourages Indian American engagement in the U.S. political process.Shri. Koppula holds a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from West Virginia University. He resides in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife Pratibha and their two sons, Rohit and Sujit.

Secretary, and Chair, Governance Committee, Board of Trustees

Shri. Kiran Chhaganlal is an accomplished senior executive with over 30 years of operational experience in multi-national companies and start-up enterprises, as well as in law firms and corporate legal departments. He holds multiple law degrees and has practiced law in three different countries. He earned his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the London School of Economics & Political Science in London, the Barrister-at-Law degree from Grays’ Inn, London, and the Certificate of Law from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Mr. Chhaganlal has lived at least 8 years each in India, Fiji Islands, England, New Zealand, and the USA since 2000.

Kiran Chhaganlal is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ius Juris LLC, which provides legal support and services for in-house legal departments and law firms in North America. The firm has a dedicated team of lawyers who specialize in various practice areas, focusing mainly on Intellectual Property (trademarks and patents), Contracts, and Compliance Programs. He is also a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Florida Business Partners, LLC, which offers consulting services, strategic advice, and hands-on assistance to select individual clients and families in the areas of funding, business development, and probate/estate matters.

Furthermore, Kiran Chhaganlal is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Florida Technology Partners, LLP, which set up and managed a network of Angel investors funding early-stage technology companies in the 2000s. The FTP portfolio companies raised over US$700 Million in funding between them. He is a Co-Founder, Past-President, and Past-Chairman of TiE Florida, and a Charter Member of TiE Tampa. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Florida’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. Additionally, he has served as President and Executive Committee Member of several cultural, community, and professional organizations, including being a Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Auckland Harbourside in New Zealand.

Member – Board of Trustees

Dr. Ajay Shah is a distinguished individual with a rich academic background and extensive experience at the intersection of science, technology, and management. Holding a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Mississippi and an Executive MBA from the University of Arizona, he has excelled in both academia and industry. He serves as the member of the Board fo trustees at Hindu University of America. 

In his professional journey, Dr. Shah has held management positions in various capacities within the industry and academic research institutions, specializing in the convergence of science and technology. Currently serving as an Adjunct Professor of Management at Amrita University, he contributes to the joint MS/MBA program between Amrita University School of Business and SUNY Buffalo, where he imparts knowledge in the field of Strategic Management.

Dr. Ajay Shah’s commitment to the Hindu community is noteworthy. As the Executive Vice President of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), he plays a crucial role in fostering unity and representing the interests of Hindus. He is also the co-founder of the Hindu Students Council, the first and largest organization of Hindu students outside Bharat. Furthermore, Dr. Shah is the co-founder and CEO of HinduNet, the pioneering Hindu website that has significantly contributed to the presence of Hinduism in the electronic media.

Recognized for his groundbreaking efforts, Dr. Shah’s role in presenting Hindu dharma on the internet was featured in Jeffrey Zaleski’s book, “The Soul of Cyberspace: How New Technology Is Changing Our Spiritual Lives.” He is the founder and Convener of American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), the first initiative of Hindus to combat the misrepresentation of Hindu icons, culture, and way of life. Additionally, he is the founder and Convener of Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA (HinduPACT USA), actively engaging in policy advocacy.

Dr. Shah is also the co-host of HinduLounge, a weekly Facebook Live program that addresses contemporary American Hindu issues. His involvement as the editor of Hindu Vishwa and various internet Hindu forums reflects his dedication to the dissemination of accurate information about Hinduism. In 1990, he authored “Our Kashmir,” a significant work addressing the issues in Kashmir and their impact on Hindus.

Acknowledging his inspiration from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in Mumbai, India, Dr. Ajay Shah continues to be a dynamic force in championing Hindu causes, contributing to the cultural and social well-being of the Hindu community both in the United States and globally.

Member – Board of Trustees

Dr. Asha Pillai, M.D., FAAP, FACP, serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees at the Hindu University of America. She brings exceptional academic, clinical, and research leadership shaped by her extensive training and contributions in immunology, hematology/oncology, and transplantation. Dr. Pillai holds a B.S. in Immunology from Stanford University and an M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine. She completed combined residencies in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine, followed by the first-ever combined Medicine–Pediatrics Hematology/Oncology/Transplantation fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she also received the Ruth Kirschtein Transplant Immunology Research Fellowship and the NIH K08 Career Development Award.

Dr. Pillai is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where she also serves as Deputy Director of Translational Research, Co-Director of the FOCIS Center of Excellence in Human Immunology, and a Member of the Tumor Biology Program at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research group has maintained continuous NIH funding since 2007, with pioneering contributions in innate immunity, immune tolerance, and novel innate immunotherapies for transplantation. She previously established an internationally recognized laboratory at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has authored numerous publications in immunology, transplantation science, and immunotherapy.

Deeply committed to global health, Dr. Pillai has led medical development initiatives in India since her teenage years and continues to direct international efforts in cancer, transplantation, and immunology. She has served on advisory boards of major organizations such as the Asian American Donor Program (AADP), the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS), and the NIH Transplantation, Tolerance, and Tumor Immunology Study Section.

Beyond her scientific accomplishments, Dr. Pillai has been an avid student and supporter of classical South Indian fine arts since childhood. Since 1987, she has worked toward integrating advanced Hindu studies within major academic institutions. Her intellectual interests include Sanskrit studies, transdisciplinary research, and ensuring accurate representation of Vedic pedagogy across history, literature, and philosophy programs in academia.

Member – Board of Trustees

Dr. Shekhar Patel is a distinguished scientist, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate who serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees at the Hindu University of America. He holds a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University and has co-authored significant scientific publications in Chemical Physics Letters and Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (2014), focusing on protein bond energies and biomolecular manipulation. He is also the primary inventor of a U.S. patent (US 8802018 B2, 2014) for an innovative radiation-processing apparatus for fluent food products, reflecting his expertise in health, biotechnology, and applied science.

As CEO of Mushrooms and More Inc., Dr. Patel advances nutrition and biotechnology solutions aimed at improving public health in the United States. His professional background includes leadership roles at Wyeth Pharma (now Nestlé Nutrition), PepsiCo, Siemens Healthcare, Quest Diagnostics, and Panacea Biotec Ltd., integrating scientific depth with strategic industry experience.

Beyond his scientific and entrepreneurial work, Dr. Patel is deeply committed to cultural, civilizational, and human rights initiatives. He serves on the Boards of the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS), which has consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, and the International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ICHRRF). His thought leadership has appeared in Organiser magazine, contributing to contemporary cultural and ideological discourse.

As Vice-Chair of HUA’s Fundraising Committee, Dr. Patel brings strategic insight and global networks to strengthen the university’s mission of fostering Hindu knowledge systems, cultural preservation, and community engagement. His multifaceted expertise enriches HUA’s academic growth and institutional stewardship.