Sonam Kapoor's Brother-in-Law Anant Ahuja’s NGO Receives $750,000 USAID Grant? Claims Stir Controversy

New Delhi: US Representative Nancy Mace's viral video claiming a $750,000 grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to Good Business Lab (GBL), an NGO co-founded by Anant Ahuja, brother of Sonam Kapoor's husband Anand Ahuja, has sparked controversy. In the video posted by the US Representative, she claimed that the grant, awarded in 2020, aimed to support migrant garment workers' mental health in India, particularly addressing social isolation and mental health challenges faced by young female workers. The grant is now under scrutiny amid political tensions regarding USAID's expenditures and alleged interference from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

A social media post regarding the connection of Anant Ahuja with the GBL, stated, "He serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of 'Good Business Lab', a not-for-profit, labour innovation lab which design, test, and scale programs using rigorous research methods, that align worker wellbeing with business interests."

The funding supported a randomised controlled trial (RCT) involving 1,000 female junior factory workers at six factories. The program paired junior workers with senior colleagues to provide mentorship and emotional support, aiming to assist India's massive rural-to-urban migrant workforce in coping with social and psychological distress.

However, the grant has come under scrutiny amid political tensions over USAID's spending. The viral video posted by US Representative Nancy Mace questioned whether such foreign aid aligns with US priorities, captioning it "USAID is too busy playing global good Samaritan to advance American interests".

According to USAID's official page, if the program is successful, it could be expanded to benefit Shahi Exports' 150,000 workers and potentially influence industry-wide mental health initiatives.

The controversy surrounding the grant has raised concerns about political interference, with officials from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly attempting to halt USAID's fund transfers.

The intervention aimed to help India’s massive rural-to-urban migrant workforce—an estimated 120 million people—cope with the social and psychological distress of migration.

USAID stated that if successful, the model could be expanded to benefit Shahi Exports’ 150,000 workers and potentially influence industry-wide mental health initiatives.

The funding has now come under scrutiny amid political tensions over USAID’s spending. According to AP, officials working with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reportedly sought access to the US Treasury’s payment system to halt USAID’s fund transfers, raising concerns about political interference.

While DOGE initially claimed it only sought to audit USAID’s financial integrity, reports suggest efforts were made to block payments—fuelling concerns among federal employees and Democratic lawmakers that funds appropriated by Congress were being withheld to align with political agendas.