Indian-Americans walking the halls of power in Barack Obama Administration

Recognising the immense talent and potential of the three million strong community, several Indian Americans have been called on to serve in the Barack Obama administration. There are around 30 Indian Americans members in the Obama Government spread over State, Treasury, Defence and Commerce departments.

Sachin Dev Pavithran, the 34-year-old was born in Chennai, grew up in Dubai, and has been living in U.S. for 17 years now. He has been blind most of his life, diagnosed when he was 6- years-old, with retinitis pigmentosis. The board he will be appointed to deals with formulating national standards to be complied with around the United States relating to disabled persons.

In one of his first nominations since being elected in 2008, President Obama appointed Rajiv Shah in charge of administering the $2.6 billion of US foreign aid for Humanitarian efforts the world over. As the head of US Aid, Rajiv Shah – the son of Indian immigrants who came to the US on a scholarship--is the highest serving Indian American in any US government so far. (Image courtesy: Wikipedia)

Currently US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Firozpur-born Preet Bharara is engaged in a number of high-profile corruption cases, including the insider trading case involving Rajat Gupta, former McKinsey head and a former Goldman Sachs director. Nominated by President Barack Obama as the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Mr Bharara was unanimously confirmed by the Senate in May 2009. Mr Bharara was on the cover to Time magazine this year for cracking down on corruption on Wall Street.

Dr Ami Bera is the third Indian-American ever to be elected to the U.S. Congress. A first-generation American citizen whose parents hail from Gujarat, Dr Ami Bera was elected 2012 Democratic congressman-elect for California's 7th congressional district this November. He was endorsed by former President Bill Clinton.

An Obama supporter since 2007, Kal Penn was appointed to co-chair the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama in February 2012. He also hosted the September 6 coverage of the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Vinai Thummalapally, Obama's old roommate from his days at Occidental College in Los Angeles, became the first Indian-American Ambassador in the US history. He was appointed ambassador to Belize.

Vikram Singh, in his capacity as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia, is the highest ranking Indian American official in the Pentagon.