The International Indian Film Academy’s 15th annual awards program, unofficially known as the Bollywood Oscars, is coming to Tampa.
30,000 people are expected to come from out of town for the star studded award ceremony. According to the Tampa Bay Times, attendees will find a growing and vibrant Indian American community.
“There’s a general sense of being at home with your own community here,” Dr. Pawan Rattan said. “Some functions, we have thousands of people. We are at home. There’s no feeling of ‘where are we?’ We’re totally at home.”
Rattan moved to Tampa in 1982, at a time there were very few Indian Americans. Today, there are nearly 30,000 people of Indian descent in the area.
There are markets catering to the Indian population, as well as other business services and temples.
The cable company also offers Indian programming.
You can read about some of the people building a vibrant Indian American community in Tampa in the Tampa Bay Times.
