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I came to this country from Bangalore, India, 26 years ago, with very little beyond a willingness to work hard and a belief that this country rewards preparation and persistence.
Like a lot of people in our community, I built a career and a family here from scratch – entrepreneurship, engineering, more than 35 years across the private and public sectors, and over 15 years serving on government advisory boards, professional associations, and civic organizations across the Sacramento region. That journey is really why I’m running for Folsom City Council, and it’s shaped the three things I keep coming back to.
1. Fiscal Responsibility
Folsom’s own budget shows a structural deficit right now. The city is drawing down reserves and cutting positions just to stay financially healthy, while costs keep rising. For a lot of families in our community – small business owners, first-generation homeowners, people managing tight margins – that’s not some abstract policy debate. It shows up directly in fees, in services, in whether the city actually works the way it should.
My professional life has been spent managing complex systems and budgets that millions of people depend on every day. If there’s one lesson from that work, it’s this: responsible planning today prevents painful consequences later. On the Council, that means being honest about trade-offs, prioritizing essential services first, and not making decisions – like the recent Council salary increase – without a clear study or any real connection to the city’s financial strategy.
2. Economic Opportunity for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs
A lot of South Asian American families in Folsom and across the region have built their lives around small businesses – restaurants, retail, professional practices, tech startups. I know that path personally, both as an entrepreneur and through my time as a commissioner on the City of Davis’s Business and Economic Development Commission.
Economic development isn’t only about chasing new investment. It’s about making sure the businesses already here, often family-run and often first-generation, have a city government that clears obstacles instead of creating new ones: permitting that’s predictable, infrastructure that keeps up with growth, and policies that treat small business owners like partners rather than just another line on the tax roll.
3. Trust, Transparency, and Representation
Trust between residents and City Hall has taken a hit lately. Measure G’s failure in 2024 was a warning sign, and some recent decisions made without much explanation have widened that gap. Diaspora communities understand this pattern well. When you’re new to a place, or underrepresented in its institutions, trust doesn’t come automatically. You have to earn it, consistently, over time.
I also think representation matters in a real way. As Indian Americans and South Asian Americans put down deeper roots in cities like Folsom, we deserve a voice in the decisions being made about our neighborhoods, our schools, and our public safety, not just as constituents but as elected leaders who understand both the technical and financial sides of governing and who actually do the homework before casting a vote.
I’m not running as a career politician. I’m running as an immigrant, an engineer, an entrepreneur, a husband, a father, and a neighbor who believes Folsom’s best days are still ahead of us, as long as we plan responsibly, listen sincerely, and lead with accountability.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.
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