Mohan Bhagwat's New York roundtable spotlights Indian youth and US-India ties

Newyork,UPDATED: Aug 28, 2026 02:42 IST

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met leaders and executives from different industries during a roundtable in New York, where discussions covered sectors such as telecommunications, space, clean energy, technology and quantum computing. The interaction drew attention after Indian-American venture capitalist Asha Jadeja Motwani, who attended the meeting, said Bhagwat showed “unshakable confidence” in Indian youth and was a “true believer” in US-India friendship.

Bhagwat is in New York on a three-day visit as part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme. The roundtable took place ahead of his scheduled ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ at Madison Square Garden on August 29, where he is expected to address 6,000 members of the Indian diaspora and other communities.

In a post on X on Thursday, Motwani said, “Had an amazing roundtable meeting with Mr Mohan Bhagwat in NY. He fielded important questions by all of us from various industries, including telecommunications, space, clean energy, not so clean energy, technology, quantum computing, etc.”

She said those present wanted to know how Bhagwat could help streamline procedures at different state levels and support the setting up of companies or manufacturing plants in India without “bureaucratic drag”. According to Motwani, Bhagwat answered the questions while making it clear that he was not speaking on behalf of the Indian government. She added that his replies “inspired confidence in all of us that he might be able to get a few things done”.

Listing what she described as key takeaways from the interaction, Motwani said, “The man has a heart of gold, truly believes in a unified India and a unified world. He sees absolutely no difference between various religious groups. For him, all Indians are ‘kutumbhakam’ (family).” She also said Bhagwat has a “bias” towards Indian youth, adding, “It was clear to see that he has unshakable confidence in Indian youth, and believes in the change that they are demanding. He seems to be their biggest champion in the country. Lucky for India.”

Motwani further said, “I have come away from the meeting 100 per cent bullish that the Indian youth will drive change in unprecedented ways. And RSS will help them overthrow the last vestiges of colonial structures that keep India slow. Proud of my home country India. What does Mr Bhagwat think of the US? He’s a true believer in US-India friendship and bridge building and has promised us that he will visit us more often.”

The upcoming Madison Square Garden event has been organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD), which has described it as a “landmark Raksha Bandhan gathering”. The organisers said it is expected to bring together thousands of Hindus and hundreds of Hindu, cultural, spiritual, service and community organisations from across the United States, and will explore the theme of universal oneness and the Hindu principle of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ — the world is one family — through cultural presentations and keynote addresses.

The New York roundtable was part of Bhagwat’s three-day visit and came just before the Madison Square Garden programme, with the interaction focusing on industry concerns, India’s youth and his views on India’s ties with the United States.

With PTI Inputs

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