Every week, Indians living outside India make headlines for their courage, their work and their service to the communities they now call home. This week a Dubai-based captain received a top UAE honour for saving his passengers, British Columbia elected a record number of Indo-Canadian lawmakers, and three Indian-origin science communicators won top US prizes. Here are the stories worth knowing.
At a glance
- UAE: flydubai captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was awarded the First-Class Order of Zayed II on 27 October for his bravery during a cockpit attack.
- Canada: British Columbia’s 24 October election returned a record number of Indo-Canadian MLAs: 15, according to Hindustan Times and The Indian Express, up from 14 in 2024.
- United States: Aatish Bhatia, Harini Bhat and Anand Varma won 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for science communication, announced on 26 October.
- US Congress: Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced a resolution on 26 October backing July as Indian American Heritage Month.
- Also this week: three India-born professors were honoured for teaching and mentoring at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
1. Dubai: a captain’s courage honoured by the UAE
On 30 September, flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv turned into every pilot’s worst nightmare. The UAE says the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, with the cockpit’s emergency axe and tried to take control of the aircraft, in what it described as an attempted terrorist operation.
Although he was injured, Captain Machchhar managed to unlatch the cockpit door, so that passengers and off-duty crew could get in and restrain the co-pilot. The aircraft diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely, and everyone on board, more than 170 people, survived.
On Tuesday 27 October, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan awarded the First-Class Order of Zayed II to Captain Machchhar and the crew of FZ1073, and Dubai’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, presented it. Sheikh Hamdan said the captain “embodied the highest degrees of courage, responsibility, and care for human life”. Captain Machchhar was characteristically modest: “I’m just glad that I was able to do my part.”
It is a reminder of the trust that the Gulf places in its Indian professionals. Indians form the largest expatriate community in the UAE, in roles from aviation and healthcare to finance and construction.
2. Canada: a record for Indo-Canadians in British Columbia
British Columbia’s snap provincial election on 24 October brought a change of government, with the Conservatives winning a large majority of the 93 seats in preliminary results. It also brought a milestone for the province’s South Asian community.
- Hindustan Times counts 15 Indo-Canadian MLAs, 11 Conservatives and 4 New Democrats.
- The Indian Express also counts 15 MLAs of Punjabi origin, and the local paper Indo-Canadian Voice counts 16 South Asian MLAs.
- Either way, it beats the previous record of 14, set at the 2024 election.
The counts differ because outlets use different labels, and Elections BC does not record candidates’ ethnicity. Results are still preliminary, with the final count due from 6 to 10 November. South Asians made up 9.6% of British Columbia’s population in the 2021 census, and the new legislature reflects a community that has built businesses, farms and institutions across the province for more than a century.
3. United States: top prizes for science storytellers
On 26 October, the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and Schmidt Sciences announced the winners of the 2026 Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communication. Three of the winners are of Indian origin:
- Aatish Bhatia of The New York Times won the top prize, of $40,000, in the Science Journalist: Early Career category, for interactive pieces including “Can You Stop an Outbreak of a Contagious Disease?” and “Your Zodiac Sign Is 2,000 Years Out of Date”.
- Harini Bhat of Today I Learned Science won the top prize, also $40,000, in the Science Communicator: Organizational category, for work including “The Unholy Trinity That Derailed Women’s Health” and “First Female Crash Test Dummy”.
- Anand Varma, a science photographer with WonderLab, was recognised for photography that reveals the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
India-based journalist Rupsa Chakraborty was also among the winners, in the freelance journalist category.
4. US Congress: a proposed Indian American Heritage Month
Also on 26 October, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who was born in New Delhi, introduced a House resolution recognising the contributions of Indian Americans and supporting the designation of July as Indian American Heritage Month. The month marks the Luce–Celler Act, signed by President Truman on 2 July 1946, which allowed people of Indian descent to become US citizens.
Krishnamoorthi’s office says the resolution has 256 cosponsors from both parties. The resolution expresses support for the idea; it does not by itself create a federal heritage month or a holiday.
5. Also this week
- New Jersey: India-born scholars Aritra Dasgupta, Ashish Borgaonkar and Shahid Akbar were among the winners of the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s 2026 Nexus of Excellence Awards for teaching and mentoring, reported on 27 October.
Why it matters for diaspora businesses
Stories like these show how far the global Indian network now reaches: into cockpits and parliaments, newsrooms and universities. Every one of these achievers is also a potential connection, mentor or customer for someone in the community. Building those connections is exactly what India Grows is for.
Want to meet people of Indian origin who do business across borders? Browse business deals, find professionals or join India Grows free. Know of an achievement by an Indian abroad that we should feature next week? Email [email protected].
Sources
- Open: UAE honours Captain Smit Machchhar and Al Jazeera on flight FZ1073
- EconoTimes: how outlets count B.C.’s South Asian MLAs and Elections BC
- American Bazaar: Schmidt Awards winners
- ThePrint: House resolution honouring Indian Americans
- American Bazaar: NJIT Nexus of Excellence Awards
Last updated 30 October 2026. British Columbia’s results are preliminary until the final count. Based on official statements and news reports; figures are as reported at the time of writing.