NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Atlanta, GA, November 2, 2026: Three prominent Indian Americans from the Atlanta area—renowned marketing scholar and Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Jagdish Sheth, community leader and philanthropist Madhuri “Madhu” Sheth, and physician-turned-banker Dr. Narasimhulu “Neel” Neelagaru—have been featured in Jewels of India – Bharat ki Shaan, Bharat ka Abhiman, a coffee-table book celebrating the achievements and contributions of 70 Indians across 11 countries.
Published by Maneesh Media, the book was launched on February 18, 2026, at The Ashok Hotel in New Delhi by India’s Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The event brought together distinguished personalities from business, academia, healthcare, philanthropy, and public service.
Among those attending were former Indian diplomat Sanjay Kumar Verma, entrepreneur Ishwar Kumhar, and scientist Dr. Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan, along with Maneesh Media directors Manish, Abhishek, and Siddharth Kumawat. Maneesh Media+1
The publication documents the journeys of entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, scientists, academics, and community builders who have established successful careers abroad while maintaining connections with their Indian heritage. The featured individuals represent countries including the United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
The three Atlanta honorees have made significant contributions in different fields, from advancing academic research and building financial institutions to promoting cultural heritage, education, and philanthropy.
Dr. Jagdish Sheth, the Charles H. Kellstadt Professor of Marketing at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, is internationally recognized for his contributions to marketing and consumer behavior. Born in Yangon, Burma (now Myanmar), in 1938, Sheth experienced the upheaval of World War II before his family relocated to India.
He arrived in the United States in 1961 and went on to build an academic career spanning Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Southern California, and Emory University, where he joined the faculty in 1991.
A prolific researcher and author, Sheth has published more than 300 scholarly papers and over 30 books. He is particularly known for developing the Howard-Sheth Theory of Buyer Behavior with his mentor, John Howard, a contribution that helped shape modern understanding of consumer decision-making.
In 2020, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to literature and education.
His profile in Jewels of India traces his journey from a childhood marked by displacement and scarcity to a distinguished academic career. It also highlights his commitment to education, research, and philanthropy.
“Being driven by purpose is far more enduring than being driven by profit,” Sheth says in the book.
He credits his upbringing and his father’s Gandhian values for shaping his outlook on life.
“My values came from my father, a Gandhian who taught us integrity, honesty, and non-violence,” he says. “India gifted me grit; the world taught me perspective. Together, they became my compass.”
Through the Sheth Foundation and Sheth Family Foundation, he and his wife, Madhu, support academic research, scholarships, cultural programs, and charitable initiatives in India and the United States.
Madhuri “Madhu” Sheth, who is featured separately in the publication, has been recognized for her contributions to community leadership, cultural preservation, and philanthropy.
Born in Kutch, Gujarat, and raised in Chennai, Madhu grew up in a conservative Jain family that placed a strong emphasis on education and religious values. After graduating from college, she returned to her former school to teach Gujarati, becoming, according to her account, the first young woman from her community in Madras to take up such a role.
She met Jagdish Sheth through a literary association in Chennai and later traveled alone to the United States to marry him.
Her profile recalls the challenges of adjusting to life in America in the early 1960s, when Indian groceries, temples, and community networks were scarce.
“There were no Indian groceries, no familiar smells, no family to call,” she recalls. “I made ‘dal’ from green-pea soup because that’s all I could find.”
As the family moved across the United States for her husband’s academic career, Madhu found ways to pursue her own interests, teaching Indian languages, conducting vegetarian cooking classes, and running a boutique.
Her most enduring contributions, however, have been in community building and the preservation of Jain heritage.
A driving force behind the development of the Jain Society of Greater Atlanta, she became its first female president and has remained actively involved in its leadership. She has also held leadership roles in JAINA, the Federation of Jain Associations in North America.
The book recounts how a question from her young daughter about why their family did not attend church, as other families did, stayed with her and helped inspire her efforts to create a place where Jain children could learn about their faith and traditions.
Madhu currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Jain Society of Greater Atlanta and continues to support educational, cultural, and charitable initiatives through the family’s foundations.
“Courage is about building a home and heart wherever destiny takes you without compromising your moral core,” she says in her profile.
She also reflects on raising children who could embrace American life without losing their Indian identity.
“We raised our children to respect elders, be spiritual, and proud of their heritage. My children are Indian at heart and American in spirit,” she says.
The third Atlanta honoree, Dr. Narasimhulu “Neel” Neelagaru, is recognized for his journey from medicine to banking and his contributions to healthcare, finance, education, and philanthropy.
Born in 1949 in Ballari, Karnataka, Neelagaru grew up in an agricultural family and attended a village school that lacked electricity, classrooms, and basic educational supplies.
“We wrote on sand that was brought from the river near the village,” he recalls in the book.
Although he initially wanted to become an engineer, he pursued medicine at his father’s urging and graduated as valedictorian.
His early experiences as a physician in India shaped his commitment to ethical conduct. During a posting at a rural clinic, he witnessed a woman die because the facility lacked intravenous fluids. The incident, along with his refusal to participate in what he described as fraudulent practices, contributed to his decision to leave India.
He arrived in New York in 1973, completed his medical training, and eventually established a cardiology practice. After working in Wisconsin, he relocated to Georgia, where he continued practicing medicine and served as chief of staff at BJC Medical Center.
In 1995, while maintaining his medical practice, he established Quantum Capital Corporation and Quantum National Bank.
What began as a retirement investment developed into a substantial banking enterprise. Neelagaru navigated the 2008 financial crisis, when the bank faced troubled loans, and later oversaw its participation in the federal Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, Quantum Capital Corporation merged with HomeTrust Bancshares, following the growth of Quantum National Bank’s assets from approximately $5 million to $665 million, according to his profile.
Neelagaru continues to serve on the boards of HomeTrust Bancshares and HomeTrust Bank. He is also a commissioner on the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
Beyond his professional achievements, the book highlights his charitable activities, including scholarships, support for nursing education, libraries, free medical services, and contributions to community institutions.
His philanthropy has also supported historically Black colleges and universities, local temples, and public art initiatives. He was recognized for helping support Suwanee’s “Art for All” public art campaign.
For Neelagaru, the guiding principle throughout his career has been integrity.
“The best religion is to live a clean, honest life. Do the right thing. Do not take advantage of anyone in your life,” he says in the book.
Reflecting on the importance of education, he adds, “Education changed my life; it’s the stepping stone for every young Indian. When knowledge meets character, there are no limits.”
The three Atlanta personalities also share a commitment to supporting younger generations and preserving the values they brought from India.
The Sheths have supported education, scholarship, and community institutions through their foundations, while Neelagaru has directed his philanthropy toward healthcare, educational opportunities, and local community development.
Their individual profiles form part of Maneesh Media’s broader effort to document the experiences of Indians who have built lives and careers around the world.
According to the publisher, the book is intended to preserve not only professional achievements but also personal experiences, family histories, struggles, and the cultural values that have shaped the featured individuals.
Maneesh Media, headquartered in Jaipur with a presence in New York and Toronto, has spent more than two decades documenting the lives of Indian achievers and diaspora families through biographical publications and coffee-table books.
The publisher describes Jewels of India – Bharat ki Shaan, Bharat ka Abhiman as an effort to connect generations through stories of resilience, service, and achievement. Its distinctive cover incorporates a waveform representing the spoken word “Bharat,” symbolizing the connection that Indians around the world share with their homeland. Maneesh Media+1
For Atlanta’s Indian American community, the inclusion of Jagdish and Madhu Sheth and Dr. Neel Neelagaru brings local recognition to three individuals whose careers and community contributions span several decades.
The book and individual profiles are available on the Maneesh Media website.
