As the IndUS Business Journal continues ahead in its 10th year of covering the South Asian business community in the United States I can reflect back on a decades worth of news – as I was there to witness the birth of this newspaper which has evolved greatly over the years to leave an undeniable mark on the South Asian community in the United States.

I watched the paper’s inaugural issue roll off the presses in March 2001 as a young journalist working for sister newspaper India New England, both publications of the Mishra Group. I felt the excitement of holding this unique publication in my hands and, though I was relatively new to covering the South Asian community in this country, I had experienced enough community reaction in my time as a reporter for India New England to know that the concept of having all the top news of the South Asian business community in one place was a novel one indeed.

Many of the community’s shining stars certainly had no problem making their way onto the front pages of many of the United States’ mainstream papers and business news outlets, but with the launch of the IndUS Business Journal, suddenly there was an outlet presenting a comprehensive view of the Indian-American business community, of the Pakistani-American business community and of other lesser represented communities from the Indian subcontinent.

Though my byline did not make that first issue, I was lucky enough to be in the office and part of an editorial staff that knocked heads together about ways to develop a national business newspaper that would be a reflective voice in the United States and deliver on the vision that publisher and founder Upendra Mishra had. While the technology community had many well-known South Asian entrepreneurs, an early goal was to go beyond that Silicon Valley-heavy group and highlight some of the community’s other lesser-known success stories.

In just its first issue, the IndUS Business Journal made great strides in finding and highlighting the diversity of the South Asian business community. The front page of that first issue brought together sectors linked by strong South Asian involvement, but surely never reported next to each other in one place.

On the one hand was a story about Narad Networks Inc., and founder Dev Gupta, raising $41.6 million for its IP services hardware products, on another hand was a trend piece about the skyrocketing business of Indian grocery stores in the United States, lastly was a report about former President Bill Clinton speaking at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association’s annual convention.

The front page of that first issue showcased the diversity and widespread economic presence of the South Asian business community in the United States and quickly established that only a unique publication such as the IndUS Business Journal could do the job of bringing all this news together.

Looking back that first issue was also reflective of the times – the first three venture capital deals covered were for $41.6 million, $64 million and $60 million, which are gaudy numbers and a far cry from the modest VC backings of today.

However, while the VC deals may have come back down to earth the mission and goal of the paper has remained the same throughout the years and 10 years in the paper can look back with pride on its ability to deliver.

After seeing that first issue, I made sure that my byline made the next issue of the paper. Still functioning as a main fulltime reporter for India New England it was hard to hide my passion for what the IndUS Business Journal was doing so I spent my free time pumping out additional stories that could be used for the national publication. The first handful of stories I wrote for the paper touched on the technology sector, the burgeoning e-commerce industry, restaurants and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

As a reporter, the spectrum of industries I was able to cover was exciting, just as I imagine it was exciting for early readers to see news about brethren finding success in so many different sectors and markets.

Within a couple more issues I made the move fulltime to the IndUS Business Journal, chomping at the bit to continue to track down unique, interesting and amazing success stories from all facets of the South Asian community in this country.

I have been doing so ever since.

So much stands out during my time with the IndUS Business Journal – and rise from the paper’s first fulltime reporter to editor-in-chief.

Highlights for me are many but some of the more notable ones include:

• Launching the paper’s annual venture capital report in 2001
• Capturing the elusive Amar Bose for a one-on-one interview in 2001
• Covering the controversial and up-and-down saga of H1-B visas
• Soaking up the massive amount of major media coverage for the explosion of the Indian outsourcing industry and helping the paper become a consistent source for all things U.S.-India business
• Delving into the hospitality industry and being on hand to watch the Asian American Hotel Owners Association become a driving force in hotels
• Watching interest in the paper soar through its increased coverage of the franchise industry and the launch and growth of the annual Franchise Supplement
• Launching the annual Women in Business Awards Supplement and building on the success of the annual Awards Supplement
• Interviewing and writing about some of the most successful, intelligent, innovative, unique, insightful, humble and forthcoming businessmen and businesswomen there are in the world

Above all else, though, what really resonates as I look back over the last decade is that the paper has grown with the South Asian community in this country. Its path has been intertwined with those on its pages and those reading its news between their fingers. Through the ups and downs, booms and bursts, highs and lows, the IndUS Business Journal has been right there with the South Asian business community and I believe it always will.

Martin Desmarais
Editor-In-Chief
IndUS Business Journal