RD Loan Specialist Who Supports Water and Environmental Programs in Rural New Jersey Reflects on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
Submitted by Sarah Sol, Office of External Affairs
Each year during May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Rural Development (RD) observe Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) Heritage Month and celebrate AA and NHPI people and their achievements.
RD Loan Specialist Nikhilkumar (Nikhil) Bhalja, who moved to the United States from the South Asian nation of India in 1988, said, “It is heartwarming to see the USDA celebrating such special days during the year.”
AA and NHPI Heritage Month provides an opportunity to recognize leaders, innovators, and others with diverse AA and NHPI heritage and to reflect on their contributions to society now and throughout our nation’s history. Bhalja said several individuals in Indian and Asian American communities immediately come to mind as people he admires: Deepak Chopra, for spirituality; Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella, in IT; and Dr. Ashish Jha, who served in the Biden administration as the White House COVID-19 response coordinator.
Bhalja has worked for RD since late 2022. In his role as a Loan Specialist for RD, he serves rural communities across New Jersey, and he appreciates that his work enables him to be a part of helping people. RD’s Water and Environmental Programs are his area of expertise, but he said he tries to help communities during his visits by suggesting additional programs run by the USDA, the Economic Development Administration, and other partner organizations, so that the maximum possible benefits can flow to the people who need them most.
“It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to help such individuals,” he said.
Bhalja joined RD after decades of success in other types of work. As an entrepreneur, he established two companies and later sold them for a profit. He also served as a corporate Chief Operations Officer for a midsize importer and wholesaler. Finally, he said, he switched over to where his passion lies: with RD, helping the rural areas of New Jersey. In his previous positions, he said, he didn’t always have the ability to make a positive impact in people’s lives, so the work wasn’t as satisfying. But “USDA has provided a platform for doing just that,” he said. “It is a rewarding career.”
Bhalja’s other achievements prior to joining RD include earning a Master of Business Administration degree from the prestigious Institute of Rural Management Anand, in India, and becoming fluent in multiple languages: Gujarati, Hindi and English.
“It is great to know multiple languages, since I am now exposed to several other groups of people, who may not have communicated with me without my knowledge of their language,” he said. “My deepest regret is not being able to speak the Spanish language.”
Bhalja was motivated to move to the United States in 1988 after some relatives had made their home here in the 1970s and offered encouragement and sponsorship.
“It was a difficult decision to make, but then we decided, for our kids, to move here for better education and more opportunity,” he said.
He and his wife, Dipti, worked hard to attain their own version of the American dream and now live in central New Jersey. They have two adult daughters: Sfurti, who works as a director at a software company, and Aakruti, a podiatric doctor. Sfurti also has a child of her own, and both she and Aakruti live near enough to their parents to visit often.
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Other family members, such as Bhalja’s parents and siblings, also moved to the United States in the years after Bhalja did. Still, he tries to return to India for a visit every couple of years.
India occupies a large portion of South Asia and ranks as the seventh-largest country in the world by area. Yet “there is so much dearth of knowledge about India, mainly because of its non-aligned political policies,” Bhalja said.
“The media only talks about China or Russia or even the smallest players on the world horizon, while a behemoth like India is likely to shape the world in next three decades,” he said. “I wish people knew more about its civilization—its contributions to astronomy, science, math and so many other aspects.”
Bhalja also stays connected to his Indian heritage through spiritual practices. Having a daily reminder and reinforcement of a higher power is important to him.
“Like most Indians, I am deeply influenced by our religion, which is all encompassing. The Hindu religion accepts the believers and nonbelievers equally into its fold. Its sacred texts, like Bhagwad Gita, and its historical texts, like Mahabharata and Ramayana, are an inspiration to mankind,” he said.
To learn more about India during AA and NHPI Heritage Month, visit the following websites:
· Google Arts & Culture's “Incredible India,” a collection of online exhibits.
White House Presidential Appointee | USDA Rural Development State Director for New Jersey
5moCongratulations Nik on the recognition. You do outstanding work assisting New Jersey’s rural towns with building their water and sewer systems; ensuring that even the smallest towns can afford to have clean water and reliable sanitation. So proud to have you on the NJ RD team.