Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy declared his candidacy for 2024 United States president on Wednesday(IST).

The healthcare and tech sector entrepreneur tweeted, “America’s strength is not our diversity but the ideals that unify us across our differences. Merit. Free speech. Truth. Accountability. I believe deep in my bones these ideals still exist, and I am running for President to revive them”, through his official Twitter handle.

Vivek Ramaswamy founded Roivant Sciences in 2014 and led the largest biotech IPOs of 2015 and 2016, eventually culminating in successful clinical trials in multiple disease areas that led to FDA-approved products. In 2022, he launched Strive Asset Management, a new firm focused on restoring the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics.

Vivek Ramaswamy pledges to bring merit back and stop dependence on China

The 37-year-old, healthcare and tech sector entrepreneur, conservative commentator, and author, whose parents migrated to the United States from Kerala and worked at a General Electric plant in Ohio has pledged to bring merit back and stop dependence on China.

He said, “I think we need to put ‘merit’ back into ‘America’ in every spirit of our lives”, adding that he will end affirmative action in “every sphere of American life”.

Mr. Ramaswamy further said, “I’m all for putting America first, but in order to put America first, we have to first rediscover what America is. And to me, those are these basic rules of the road that set this nation into motion from meritocracy to free speech, to self-governance over aristocracy”.

Vivek Ramaswamy has become the second community member to enter the Republican Party’s presidential primary after Nikki Haley.

Also read: Indian-American Nikki Haley To Run For US Presidency in 2024

Prior, Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations and two terms former governor of South Carolina, announced her presidential campaign.

She said that she will contest against her former boss and ex-US President Donald Trump for the Republican Party’s nomination.