Global Thought Leader Dr. M’s India Splendour – Building Stronger Ties Between India & USA
Global Thought Leader Dr. M (Dr. Modi) is a true global Indian and has always been a strong supporter of Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, literally meaning the world is one family, to promote cross-cultural interaction with the world. Indian and Hindu culture has always been open to external influences. This process of cultural synthesis has produced a unique civilization that is proud of its past while also embracing the modern world. India’s soft power lies in its ability to combine the best of both worlds – the ancient and the modern, the traditional and the cutting-edge. It is this ability to embrace change while remaining true to its roots that makes India such a dynamic and vibrant culture.
Global Thought Leader Dr. M (Dr. Modi) has always sought to highlight India’s contribution to the global community. In 2007, to mark the 60th year of Indian independence, Dr. M (Dr. Modi) orchestrated ‘India Splendour’ – a six-day event that showcased India’s eminence in entertainment, business and sports. Prominent Indian film-makers, artists and spiritual leaders descended upon Southern California for this event that was hosted by Global Thought Leader Dr. M (Dr. Modi), supported by ICM and the UCLA school of Theatre, Film and Television.
Emphasizing that cultural exchanges are critical to building a unified global community, Dr. M (Dr. Modi) said, “Our vision has been to bring all the facets of Indian culture, including our booming film industry, to the US in jointly celebrating this momentous mark in history…India Splendour will bring out the understanding of a vibrant new India. It will be the first in a series of collaborative endeavours between global creative communities and the beginning of a dynamic Indo-US relationship at the holistic level.”
Held between 10-15th August, 2007, the ‘India Splendour’ event featured esteemed members from the Indian business community such as Narayan Murthy, CEO, Infosys. The event was also graced by famous Bollywood celebrities like Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan and Gulshan Grover amongst others.
Keeping up with his philanthropic initiatives, Global Thought Leader Dr. M (Dr. Modi) also made a generous donation of one million dollars to ArtWallah – a non-profit organisation formed by many Indian artists in Hollywood. Through this donation, Dr. M (Dr. Modi’s) key objective was to support the work of global Indians in the international entertainment industry. Speaking to the media Dr. M (Dr.Modi) mentioned, “There are many young and talented Indians who are a part of the cultural fraternity in Hollywood. We also wanted to make India Splendour an event to showcase their talent to mainstream audiences in the US”. In keeping with the spirit of celebrating global Indians, India-born tennis star and veteran Hollywood film producer Ashok Amritraj was the cultural ambassador for the India Splendour event.
For the ‘India Splendour’ initiative, Global Thought Leader Dr. M (Dr. Modi) was felicitated by the State of California and received a special recognition for his contribution to culture and business in California. ‘India Splendour’ was a one-of-a-kind initiative that brought together bringing together film industry leaders and key decision makers from Mumbai and Los Angeles via a critical collaboration between two leading institutions of India and United States.