Six Indian-born achievers among Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants of 2026

(Sep 26, 2026) Six Indian-born Canadians feature among Canada’s Top 25 Immigrants of 2026, representing diverse journeys and achievements across entrepreneurship, food, community work and television, and accounting for nearly a quarter of this year’s honourees.

The stories of the six Indian-origin honourees this year is as varied as the fields they represent. From building a spice business in Halifax to finding a place in Canadian television, the honourees have pursued careers and initiatives that have shaped their lives in Canada while contributing to their communities. Two of the six Indian-born honourees received special recognition this year. Shivani Dhamija was named the recipient of the Entrepreneur Award, while Poshak Sachdeva received the Youth Award.

For 18 years, the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards have spotlighted immigrants whose work and achievements have helped shape communities across Canada. The 2026 edition drew hundreds of nominations, with 75 finalists reviewed by a panel of past winners. More than 50,000 public votes, alongside judges’ merit scores, determined the final 25 honourees.

Shivani Dhamija: The entrepreneur putting Indian spices on Canadian shelves

Shivani moved to Canada from India in 2011 as an international student, arriving in London, Ontario, She later moved to Halifax with a public relations diploma from Fanshawe College. Her journey took an unexpected turn when jobs in media and public relations proved difficult to find. She worked as a cashier at McDonald’s and later at the Canada Games Centre in Halifax, taking on roles far removed from the career she had trained for.

She had grown up in a small Indian town, shopping at the local bazaar with her mother, but admits she could barely cook when she left home. “It took me three years to make an okay dish everyone could tolerate,” she once recalled.

Her entrepreneurial journey began when an Indian trucker became a customer looking for food that reminded him of home. Cooking for him grew into a packaged Indian meal delivery service in Halifax. Cooking classes followed, and Shivani began developing spice blends without fillers, drawing on lessons from her mother.

Today, Shivani’s Kitchen products are sold in more than 150 grocery stores, including Costco, Walmart and Sobeys. The business has also received an Atlantic Business Award of Distinction. After being a finalist for the Top 25 last year, Shivani has received special recognition this year by being named the recipient of the Entrepreneur Award.

Poshak Sachdeva: The young irrigation leader

Poshak was 18 when he arrived in British Columbia from India as an international student. The move was largely driven by his parents, who believed Canada offered opportunities he might not find at home. With limited options to support himself in a new country, his first job was at a butcher shop, despite being a lifelong vegetarian.

After graduating from the University of the Fraser Valley, Poshak built a career across administration, education and workforce development before moving into the water and irrigation sector. At 25, he became the youngest executive director in the history of the Irrigation Industry Association of British Columbia.

His work now spans agriculture, education, workforce development, public policy and water stewardship. He has also received two BCBusiness 30 Under 30 recognitions and uses his social media platforms to share his experiences as a newcomer and mentor immigrants and young professionals.

At 28, Poshak received the 2026 Youth Award. Reflecting on the immigrant experience, he says, “moving to a new country is an act of courage long before you arrive.”

Supinder Wraich: Award-winning actor bringing Punjabi stories to Canadian television

Supinder was born in India and moved to Canada with her family when she was four, growing up in Toronto’s Rexdale neighbourhood. Her early years included ESL classes and the pressure to fit in, experiences she has spoken about in discussing her identity and representation on screen.

She trained in film and television at Sheridan College and acting at the Canadian Film Centre’s Actors Conservatory. Supinder began with smaller roles in series including The Strain and The Expanse, while also developing her own stories and characters.

She created, wrote and starred in the CBC Gem series The 410, which received three Canadian Screen Award nominations. Her first Canadian Screen Award came for the digital series Guidestones. In 2025, she won another for Best Lead Performer in a Drama Series for her role as rookie police officer Sabrina Sohal in CBC’s Allegiance.

The role was significant for Supinder because, as she put it, someone had finally “written a dynamic Sikh Punjabi woman for me to inhabit.” She has also played Aqsa in the acclaimed series Sort Of, continuing to bring South Asian experiences to Canadian television.

Jatinder Pal Singh: A familiar face in Toronto’s Little India

Known to customers as Kuki, Jatinder founded Chandan Fashion with his wife, Sarab, in Toronto’s Gerrard India Bazaar in the mid-1980s. What began as a family business grew into a longstanding presence in one of the city’s best-known South Asian commercial neighbourhoods.

The store’s distinctive pink and blue storefront has become a familiar sight on Gerrard Street East. Chandan Fashion sells wedding and occasion wear for brides and grooms, with fabrics sourced from India and custom tailoring carried out in-house.

The business has remained a family enterprise, with Jatinder and Sarab’s children, Chandan and Chandni, and daughter-in-law Roop involved in its operations. The family has since expanded with a second store, Chandan Heritage, in Brampton.

Their lives and business reached a wider Canadian audience through the CBC docuseries Bollywed, now in its third season. The series also took the family back to India, allowing them to share their culture, family business and connection to the country with a national audience.

Aparna Rangnekar: Muralist bringing the community together through art

Aparna trained at Mumbai’s Sir J.J. School of Art, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a specialisation in mural painting before pursuing postgraduate studies in ceramics and pottery. Her artistic training in India has since informed a Canadian practice centred on community participation.

She has led community art projects across the Greater Toronto Area and serves on the board of Arts Milton. Since 2014, she has also taught at the FirstOntario Arts Centre Milton, where three murals created with Milton residents during Culture Days are now on permanent display.

For Aparna, art is as much about bringing people together as creating an object. Her work as an artist educator, cultural advocate and community arts facilitator has involved residents of different ages and backgrounds in shared creative projects.

Her contribution extends beyond individual artworks to creating spaces where people can participate, connect and see their own communities represented through art.

Sneha Jain: The innovator reshaping healthcare delivery

Sneha moved from India to Canada in 2020 after building an international healthcare career that included experience with Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Stanford Health and Massachusetts General Hospital. Her move was motivated in part by her belief in Canada’s universal healthcare foundation and its emphasis on making quality care accessible.

Today, she is regional director of clinical innovation and system optimization at Fraser Health in British Columbia, where she leads initiatives that use technology to improve access to care and strengthen healthcare delivery.

Her work extends beyond her formal healthcare role. Sneha is the lead organiser of Google Developer Group Burnaby and a strategic advisor to Immigrant Networks, supporting newcomers and emerging professionals. She also champions responsible artificial intelligence and co-founded Mynd Ojas AI, a platform focused on women’s health, mental wellness and support for neurodiverse populations.

For Sneha, settling into Canada has involved more than professional achievement. A hike in British Columbia, when she realised she was no longer simply visiting its landscapes but living there, became a defining moment of belonging. Her ambition is to help immigrants fulfil their potential while contributing to a healthcare system that serves every Canadian.

For the six honourees, the recognition marks another milestone in journeys that began in India and found new chapters in Canada, reflecting the evolving story of immigration and belonging in the country.

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