The list was released by White House on Wednesday. White House Fellows Programme is the most prestigious programme for leadership and public service in the US.

The regional finalists would be interviewed for the final list of about 30 outstanding women and men, who would then be appointed as a White House Fellow for one year by the US President, Barack Obama.

While the White House does not release the names of the regional finalists based on the ethnicity of the successful candidates, at least eight of them has been identified as Indian Americans, based on their names.

These outstanding Indian Americans who have made it to the list of 108 regional finalists, are Komal Bazaz Smith from Arlington in Virginia; Sudip K Bose (Chicago); Sreekanth K Chaguturu (Boston); Amar A Desai (Westlake Village, California); Anish P. Mahajan (Los Angeles); Manish K Sethi (Brookline, Massachusetts); Minesh Shah (Bronx, New York) and Raj M Shah (Philadelphia).

Among the alumni of this prestigious fellowship are former Secretary of State Colin Powell, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta, Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso, and Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

Founded in 1964, the White House Fellows program is America's most prestigious program for leadership and public service. White House Fellowships offer exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.