Washingtonian Places Ghazala Hashmi, Neomi Rao, Radha Muthiah, Swati Sharma On Most Powerful List
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC-Nine Indian American women are among the 300 women named to Washingtonian’s 2026 list of the most influential women in the nation’s capital, with honorees holding senior positions across politics, law, business, philanthropy, medicine and media.
The list includes Usha Vance, second lady of the United States; Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi; Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller; DC Circuit Judge Neomi Rao; Assistant US Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon; Baker Tilly executive Monica Modi Dalwadi; Capital Area Food Bank President and CEO Radha Muthiah; Inova executive Rina Bansal; and Vox Editor in Chief and Publisher Swati Sharma.
Washingtonian said it consulted experts across different fields to identify women who are influencing their professions, building organizations, bringing people together and effecting change.
Vance is included in the National Politics section, while Hashmi and Miller are listed under Local Politics.
Rao and Dhillon are among the women recognized in Legal Powers. Rao is a judge on the DC Circuit of the US Court of Appeals, while Dhillon is assistant US attorney general for civil rights.
In the business category, Dalwadi is identified as eastern region managing principal at Baker Tilly.
Muthiah, who heads the Capital Area Food Bank as president and CEO, appears in the Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Religion section.
Bansal, president of Inova Alexandria Hospital and senior vice president at Inova, is among the women recognized in Medicine.
Sharma, editor in chief and publisher of Vox, is included in the Media section.
Washingtonian said its understanding of what makes a woman “powerful” in the capital has changed over the years, with women increasingly occupying leadership positions in government, executive offices, media organizations and the courts.
The publication also noted that the list includes women with sharply different political views, including those aligned with the MAGA movement and those who oppose the Trump administration. Washingtonian said it sought to highlight women wielding influence in Washington without passing judgment on their accomplishments or political positions.
