LEXINGTON, Mass. — Narain Bhatia, a respected Indian American community leader, civic advocate and longtime resident of Lexington, died peacefully at home on Friday. He was 87.
Bhatia was widely recognized for his pivotal role in galvanizing Indian American civic engagement in Lexington and for his decades of service in local government, nonprofit leadership and community-building initiatives.
He is survived by his wife, Vidya Bhatia; two daughters, Sangeeta Bhatia and Sujata Bhatia; and four grandchildren. The family plans a private last rites service.
Born and educated in India, Bhatia pursued a distinguished academic and professional path that bridged engineering, management and public service. He earned a master’s degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Sardar Patel University, and an advanced diploma in industrial management from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute.
Bhatia began his professional career in management consulting and became a partner at KPMG in its Boston office. He later turned to entrepreneurship, successfully launching Minuteman International, a nationally recognized firm specializing in fireplace and wood stove accessories. He also founded Suitable Match Inc., an internet-based matchmaking organization serving Indian Americans—an early example of culturally focused digital platforms.
After retiring from business, Bhatia devoted his energy to the nonprofit sector. He co-founded Nonprofit Net Inc., a Lexington-based organization dedicated to strengthening nonprofit governance and effectiveness, and played key roles in several other charitable initiatives.
In Lexington, Bhatia’s civic footprint was substantial. He served as vice chair of the Capital Expenditures Committee and was a founding director of both the Cary Memorial Library Foundation and the Lexington Education Foundation, two cornerstone nonprofit institutions in the town. He was also a longtime Town Meeting member, where he advocated for inclusive participation and responsible governance.
Beyond local government, Bhatia served as treasurer of the Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association and as a member of the Stewardship Council at the New England Hindu Temple in Ashland, reflecting his commitment to interfaith collaboration and community service.
At the state and political level, Bhatia was a co-founder and former president of the Massachusetts chapter of the Indian American Forum for Political Education and served as co-chair of the Lexington Democratic Town Committee.
Perhaps his most enduring legacy was his role as a pioneer in expanding Indian American participation in Lexington’s civic life. He helped launch the Getting Involved Group (GIG), a grassroots initiative that encouraged Indian Americans to engage in town governance. The effort proved highly successful, resulting in dozens of Indian American Town Meeting members and multiple appointments to town committees.
Friends and colleagues remembered Bhatia as a tireless advocate, a bridge-builder across cultures, and a mentor who believed deeply in the power of civic participation to strengthen democracy.
His contributions to Lexington and to the broader Indian American community will be felt for generations.
