Architect of Community: Shikha Malhotra Brings Generations Together in Greater Boston’s Indian American Network
Indian American leader recognized for creating cultural spaces that connect families, youth, and professionals
BOSTON — For Shikha Mangalick Malhotra, community is something that must be built intentionally. “Communities don’t just happen,” she says. “They can be thoughtfully created so people feel welcomed and supported.”
For more than a decade, Malhotra has worked to do just that in the Greater Boston area, helping cultivate a vibrant, multi-generational Indian American network that celebrates heritage while embracing modern identity.
Raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, in a large family surrounded by a strong Indian community founded in part by her grandfather, Malhotra grew up understanding the importance of belonging. When she later settled in Brookline, Massachusetts, she sought to recreate a similar environment for her own children—one that balanced Indian traditions with their American upbringing.
Finding that such a space did not fully exist, she helped build one.
Fo an exclusive video interview with Malhotra, please click here, or on the image below.
Malhotra is the co-founder of IFNet, a dynamic community organization that began with a small Diwali gathering of about 100 people. Today, the network reaches more than 1,800 subscribers and is supported by over 300 volunteers. Its signature Diwali Ball has grown into a major annual celebration attracting about 1,000 attendees.
Among IFNet’s most impactful initiatives is its Sleepaway Camp, which Malhotra helped launch. Now in its sixth year, the program hosts more than 400 children annually and has become a meaningful cultural experience for many families.
In addition to community leadership, Malhotra works as a real estate professional with Compass in Chestnut Hill and partners on residential development projects in Brookline, Newton, and Acton.
A graduate of Northwestern University and the Harvard Graduate School of Education, she continues to mentor and support the next generation.
Malhotra will be honored as one of Outstanding Women of 2026 at the annual gala on March 14 at the Boston Marriott Burlington.
