Percentage of Indian scientist in nasa
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percentage of Indian scientists at NASA statistics
Here is the accurate, fact-checked answer:
Indians at NASA - The Real Numbers
The viral "58%" or "36%" claims are false. These figures circulate widely on social media and WhatsApp but have been repeatedly debunked.
What NASA's own data says:
| Category | % of NASA Workforce |
|---|---|
| White / Caucasian | ~72% |
| Black / African American | ~12% |
| Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) | ~7-8% |
| Hispanic / Latino | ~8% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | ~1% |
- NASA employs nearly 17,000 people, all of whom must be US citizens (with very rare exceptions).
- Indians fall within the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) category, which is only 7-8% of the total workforce.
- Since AAPI includes people of Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian origins - not just Indian - the share of specifically Indian-origin employees is a subset of that 7-8%, meaning it is likely 2-4% at most.
Why the myth is so widespread:
A viral message claiming "58% of NASA employees are Indian" spread across LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Twitter, lumping together prominent Indian-origin CEOs (Microsoft, Google, Adobe, etc.) with incorrect NASA stats. Scroll.in fact-checked and confirmed this is false.
Notable Indian-origin figures at NASA:
- Sunita Williams - astronaut (Indian-American)
- Kalpana Chawla - astronaut (Indian-born, tragically died in Columbia disaster)
- Many Indian-Americans hold senior scientist and engineer roles
Bottom line: There is no verified figure specifically for "Indian scientists" at NASA, but the realistic estimate based on official data is somewhere in the 2-4% range - still a meaningful and proud contribution, but far below the viral claims.
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