Over a month after New York authorities announced they would return 657 looted antiquities worth $14 million to India, the South Asian diaspora is seeking to build a permanent 20,000-square-foot Indian museum in the US capital, Washington, DC. The historic push led by Indian American educationist and community leader Dr Amitabh Sharma aims to establish the India Heritage Center, allowing visitors to walk through the country’s history dating back more than 11,000 years.
Organisers behind the ambitious efforts describe the proposed institution as the first dedicated museum in the US focused on India’s civilisational, cultural, and historical journey.
Nearly eight years of research and planning have already gone into the project. Those attached to it affirm that the awaited Indian museum would use immersive technology, virtual reality (VR), and other interactive multimedia displays to showcase India’s evolution on the global stage.
“Indian history and Indian civilisation has never been portrayed in the strength that it deserves,” diaspora leader Dr Amitabh Sharma told IANS. “It is important in today’s perspective, more importantly, to be able to tell the world that this is the rich civilisation, rich heritage that we have in terms of culture, history, our contributions, and so on and so forth.”
How much will the dedicated Indian museum in the US cost?
India Heritage Center has been described as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt US corporation on its website. Educators, historians, Indologists, researchers, technologists, cultural and spiritual leaders, and community partners are working as a team to execute the project.
Estimates highlighted in the IANS report suggest the total project cost is between $12 million and $14 million. The IndiaHeritageCenter.Org website urges the Indian diaspora, high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders and CEOs to support the museum of Indian civilisation, history and culture, seeking to create a legacy that transcends business, geography and generations.
More about the proposed 20,000-ft-sq India Heritage Center
The envisioned 20,000-square-foot museum is expected to feature 10 galleries, an auditorium with 350 seats, a gift centre, a library, and reception facilities.
Aiming to preserve one of the world’s oldest continuous civilisations, the proposed India Heritage Center would present ancient scientific discoveries, philosophical and spiritual traditions, and contributions to mathematics, astronomy, medicine, metallurgy, architecture, yoga, linguistics, and more. Such a landmark focused on Indian civilisation would also preserve the country’s literature, arts, music, and dance; stories of resilience through invasions and colonialism; India’s freedom struggle and democratic rise, and the nation’s emergence as a global leader in technology, economy, and innovation, according to the IHC website.
As part of its multi-fold mission, such a dedicated museum and knowledge hub also hopes to sensitise the global multiethnic community, academia, media, and opinion-makers. Additionally, it aims to dispel ignorance and distorted information about India’s journey, as stated on the website.
“The actual history has not been portrayed,” Dr Amitabh Sharma shared further with IANS. “So we felt that it is time that we collected all this data, and then we showcase this to not only our community, our diaspora, our future generations who are totally oblivious of the facts, actual facts of the history, but also to sensitise the multiethnic community.”
Sharma added that although the process of identifying a suitable location for the museum in Washington, DC, is still ongoing, the capital emerged as the preferred hub for the India Heritage Center given its visibility and international reach.
Diaspora’s push for an Indian museum in the US amid rising ‘anti-India’ hate
According to a 2025 report by the Pew Research Centre, the Indian community in the US has grown to over 5.2 million, making it the second-largest Asian community in the country.
The Indian-origin population isn’t the only thing rising in America amid the diaspora’s push for the India Heritage Center. A study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) indicated that anti-Indian posts on social media platform X tripled last year.
Similarly, a Carnegie survey of Indian Americans released in February stated, “Indian Americans report widespread perceptions of bias, frequent encounters with online racism, and marked levels of personal harassment or discrimination.”
The Center for the Study of Organized Hate’s “Anti-Indian Racism on X on the Rise” report, published in September 2025, analysed 680 high-engagement anti-Indian racist posts that amassed more than 281 million views. The results showed that “immigration- and expulsion-themed rhetoric accounted for nearly 70% of the dataset, with resentment about Indians holding H-1B visas and STEM jobs serving as key drivers.” It further pinpointed the US as the “epicentre of anti-Indian digital racism during the study period.”
Amid all the negatives, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr.’s late April announcement about New York surrendering 657 antiquities collectively valued at nearly $14 million to the people of India was a welcome change.
“The scale of the trafficking networks that targeted cultural heritage in India is massive, as demonstrated by the return of more than 600 pieces today,” said District Attorney Bragg. “There is unfortunately more work to be done to return stolen artifacts back to India, and I thank our team for their persistent efforts.”
The issue grabbed attention shortly after Indian-origin New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani offered sharp commentary on the 105.6-carat Koh-i-noor diamond’s ownership. As one of the largest cut diamonds in the world is currently placed in the Queen Mother’s crown and held in the Tower of London, Mamdani told reporters that the UK should return it to India.