Gopal Raju

Gopal Raju (3 January 1928 – 10 April 2008) was an Indian-born American publisher, editor, journalist, businessman and philanthropist. He was considered to be a pioneer of Indian American ethnic media in the United States.

Career Raju launched the first successful Indian newspaper in the US, India Abroad, in 1970. The India Abroad newspaper refers to itself as the "oldest Indian newspaper published in North America."

Raju remained involved with the Indian American media following his sale of India Abroad to Rediff.com in 2001.

Death Gopal Raju died at the age of 80 at a hospital in New York City on 10 April 2008. He had been hospitalised for about a week for the treatment of jaundice and is believed to have died from complications of the disease.

Tributes poured in from friends and colleagues. Former Prime Minister of India Inder Kumar Gujral stated, "He was a institution and also the most significant bridge between India and America." Sreenath Sreenivasan, the current dean of students at the Columbia University School of Journalism, also paid tribute to Raju saying, "Raju paved the way for every Indian journalist working in the US today. He was also tremendously supportive of SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) and my own work."

Raju was once quoted as saying, "My job is to publish a quality newspaper and not to project myself."