From being forced to work as a construction labourer after his family lost their home in a slum demolition drive to making his way to Harvard and then work for the US government, Deelip Mhaske decided to return to his motherland to pave the way for a better future.
Even in a banner year marked by achievements of the highest order across a wide variety of fields, it was inevitable that Dr Zakaria would be named India Abroad Person of the Year 2008. Filmmaker Mira Nair, who won the award last year, was on hand to honour her successor with the award that, over the seven years of its existence, has become one of the most sought after accolades in the community space