Mumbai May 02, 2025 (ANI): At the 'Taking Indian Culture Global' event, Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani highlighted India's rich civilisational heritage and dynamic youth. She emphasized India's growing global influence, both economically and culturally, calling it the cradle of civilisation. She praised India as the origin of key contributions like Om, zero, and Sanskrit, and described the country as a rising cultural and spiritual force in the world.Speaking at the 'Taking Indian Culture Global' event, Reliance Foundation Founder-Chairperson Nita Ambani said, "We are a country enriched by the wisdom of its civilisation, but equally energised by the throbbing energy of the world's youngest population... Where the rising power of our economy, soon to be the third largest in the world, meets our soaring global soft power. We are a timeless civilisation that gifted humanity with the enduring ideals of satya, ahimsa, ekta, and aman... Bharat is where it all began. India is the origin of Om, the sound of the birth of our Universe; the birthplace of zero, the beginning of the infinite; the home of Sanskrit, which gave the world language... We are the very cradle of civilisation. A cultural force whose time has come once again."
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00:00Taking India to the world is not a new concept or a new idea.
00:06The light of India has travelled far and wide for thousands of years.
00:13Hundreds of Buddhist monks from all over the world
00:17travelled on foot to India in ancient times
00:22in search of cultural and spiritual knowledge.
00:25In Japan and Indonesia, Hindu deities like Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shiva, Ram and Ganesh
00:36are worshipped even today.
00:39The splendour of India's temple architecture can be seen in Angkor Wat in Cambodia,
00:46Borobadur in Indonesia and the ruins of charm temples in Vietnam.
00:52Indian philosophy left a deep imprint on some of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of the world.
01:02We are a country enriched by the wisdom of its civilisation
01:06but equally energised by the throbbing energy of the world's youngest population.
01:14A country where sacred traditions meet modern dynamism in perfect harmony.
01:22Where the rising power of our economy, soon to be the third largest in the world,
01:29meets our soaring global soft power.
01:31We are a timeless civilisation that gifted humanity with the enduring ideals of Satya, Ahimsa, Ekta and Aman,
01:45truth, non-violence, unity and peace.
01:49A luminous nation that gave the world the wisdom of the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita
01:57and the teachings of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.
02:04Bharat is where it all began.
02:08India is the origin of Aum, the sound of the birth of our universe.
02:14The birthplace of zero, Shunya, the beginning of the infinite.
02:22The home of Sanskrit that gave the world language.
02:27The land of yoga and Ayurveda, the pioneer in science and philosophy.
02:34From Aryabhat's astronomical calculations to Adi Sankaracharya's Advaita Vedanta.
02:42The beacon of arts and literature.
02:45From a classical music and dance forms to the epics Ramayan and Mahabharata.
02:53We are the very cradle of civilisation.
02:57A cultural force whose time has come once again.
03:01Every civilisation tells a story.
03:07Some tell it with power and might.
03:10But we have always told our stories with our soul.
03:15For over 5,000 years, from our Kathavachaks to the travelling bards,
03:21from our legendary folklore to temple murals,
03:25and from our epics to present-day cinema,
03:28storytelling has always been the heartbeat of our legacy.
03:36In the modern age, India's magnificent heritage
03:40and the soft power of our theatre, dance, music, cinema,
03:45writers, artists and artisans
03:47have won the hearts and minds of people
03:50in all continents and corners of the globe.
03:55Friends, like all Indians,
03:59we at Reliance Foundation
04:01are great admirers and ardent supporters
04:04and passionate lovers of art.
04:07and we deeply believe in the power of our culture
04:11to heal, inspire and unite.
04:16At the Foundation,
04:18we regard it to be our highest duty
04:21to protect, preserve, revive and honour
04:25India's priceless artistic legacy.
04:28It is with this spirit
04:31that we started the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
04:35two years ago.
04:37Our vision is to showcase the best of India to the world
04:42and bring the best of the world to India.
04:45With the same vision,
04:49we started Swadesh,
04:50our humble movement
04:52to encourage and promote
04:54India's age-old arts and crafts
04:57on the global stage.
05:00Swadesh honours our traditional artisans
05:03who have learnt at the feet of their fathers
05:06and grandfathers
05:07and whose every weave,
05:10every carving,
05:12every brush
05:13carries not just the touch of the hand
05:16but the memory of centuries.
05:20For instance,
05:21the Indian saree
05:23which is one of the fondest expression of our tradition.
05:27Today,
05:28our timeless nine yards
05:30are weaving the India story
05:32across fashion runways
05:34woven by our weavers
05:37with love
05:38and worn by women
05:40with pride
05:41wherever in the world they are.
05:44From Mother Teresa
05:45to India's missile women,
05:48Dr. Tessie Thomas
05:49to our Finance Minister,
05:51Srimati Nirmala Sitaraman,
05:54our lawyers to journalists
05:56and from astronauts to change makers
05:58all wear it
06:00as an ode to a legacy
06:02that has been passed down
06:04over thousands of years
06:06from their mothers,
06:08grandmothers
06:08and great-grandmothers.
06:11That
06:12is the magic of our culture.
06:15It evolves
06:16without erasing.
06:19In most parts of the world,
06:22culture is something
06:23to be preserved
06:24but in India,
06:26it is something
06:27we live every day.
06:29for us,
06:30it is not a memory
06:32frozen in time.
06:34It is our living reality.
06:37It flows like a river
06:39and breathes like a forest.
06:42Here in India,
06:43the modern does not compete
06:45with the ancient.
06:46It co-exist
06:47in perfect harmony.
06:49and this is what
06:52Indian culture
06:53sets us apart.
06:55Our ability
06:56to hold
06:57contradictions
06:58with grace,
06:59to honour tradition
07:01and welcome
07:02transitions
07:03and transformations,
07:05to cherish
07:06our similarities
07:08and celebrate
07:09our differences.
07:11For centuries,
07:14India has gifted
07:14the world
07:15its wisdom,
07:17its beauty
07:17and its soul.
07:20Somewhere along the way,
07:22our voice softened.
07:24But now,
07:25it is rising again.
07:27And for that,
07:29we owe deep gratitude
07:30to our Prime Minister,
07:32Modiji,
07:33whose unwavering vision
07:35and leadership
07:35have reignited
07:37India's voice
07:38on the world stage
07:40with pride
07:41and purpose.
07:43From yoga
07:44to Chandrayaan,
07:45from digital inclusion
07:47to cultural diplomacy,
07:49from G20
07:50to waves,
07:52today,
07:53India's spirit
07:54is inspiring
07:56the world
07:56like never before.
07:59And young Indians
08:00are answering
08:01the call,
08:03embracing our roots,
08:05carrying our spirit
08:06and making India
08:07proud
08:08on the world stage.
08:10from sports fields
08:12to concert halls,
08:14from fashion houses
08:15to global kitchens
08:17and international dance festivals.
08:20In spite of living
08:22away from India,
08:24young global icons
08:25like Anushka Shankar
08:27and Rishabh Sharma
08:28in music,
08:29Vikas Khanna
08:30in cuisine,
08:32or Priyanka Chopra
08:33in cinema
08:34are holding
08:35the spirit of India
08:36dear to their hearts
08:38and spreading
08:39the message
08:40of Indianness
08:41around the world.
08:44This,
08:44my friends,
08:45is not the beginning
08:47of something new.
08:49It is
08:50our very foundation
08:51and that is why
08:53I am happy
08:55to share
08:55that this September
08:57with great joy
08:59and pride
09:00we are taking
09:01Indian culture
09:02to the world.
09:04The Nita Mukesh Ambani
09:06Cultural Center
09:07will proudly present
09:08a grand Indian weekend
09:10at the iconic
09:12Lincoln Center
09:13in New York.
09:14We will spotlight
09:23the soul of India
09:24in all its glory.
09:27Our arts and artisans,
09:28our weaves and weavers,
09:30our songs and dances,
09:32and our fashion and food.
09:36Friends,
09:37standing here at waves,
09:39among creators,
09:41thinkers,
09:41dreamers,
09:42and designers,
09:43I speak
09:45as a fellow dreamer,
09:47a passionate artist,
09:49and an eternal believer
09:51in the power
09:52of our culture.
09:54I speak
09:55to every artist,
09:57animator,
09:58writer,
09:59designer,
10:00playwright,
10:00musician,
10:02filmmaker,
10:02or policy maker.
10:04I speak
10:05to you
10:06as the storytellers
10:08of India's tomorrow,
10:10as modern ambassadors
10:11of India's heritage.
10:13and I want to remind you,
10:17you are not just
10:18telling the story,
10:20you are the story,
10:22you are the custodians
10:23of India's soul.
10:26The time has come
10:27for a culture,
10:29not just to inspire
10:31the world,
10:32but also transform it
10:34and make it a better place
10:36to live in
10:36for all humanity.
10:38I am sure
10:40that in the near future,
10:43Indian crafts
10:44will shape
10:45global aesthetics,
10:47Indian Ayurveda
10:47will shape
10:49global healing,
10:51Indian spirituality
10:52will shape
10:53global well-being,
10:55and Indian storytelling
10:56will shape
10:58global imagination.
10:58Let our Amarchitra Kathas
11:02be the world's
11:03next Harry Potters.
11:05Let our epics,
11:06Ramayana
11:07and Mahabharata
11:08light up
11:09the silver screens
11:10of the world.
11:12Let our classical dances
11:13sparkle
11:14on the grandest
11:15of global stages.
11:17Let our stories
11:18inspire generations
11:19to come.
11:21Because friends,
11:23culture is not just
11:24a reflection
11:25of who we are.
11:28It is a powerful tool
11:29to shape
11:30who we become.
11:33In a world
11:33building virtual reality,
11:36let us also embrace
11:38spiritual reality.
11:41In a world
11:42obsessed with speed,
11:44let us also remember
11:45the value of stillness.
11:48In a world
11:49racing towards
11:50AI,
11:51artificial intelligence,
11:53let us not lose
11:54the wisdom
11:55of the original AI,
11:57ancient intelligence.
12:00Imagine a world
12:08that combines
12:09the innovation
12:09of artificial intelligence
12:12with the intuition
12:13of ancient intelligence.
12:15A world
12:18where data
12:18is driven
12:19by dharma,
12:21where our choices
12:22are led
12:22by our collective
12:23conscience,
12:25where progress
12:26is defined
12:26not just by power
12:28but by purpose,
12:31and where intelligence
12:32is not just
12:34artificial
12:35but awakened
12:36in service
12:38of humanity.
12:39today,
12:41empowered
12:42by digital
12:42technology
12:43and strengthened
12:44by global
12:45partnership,
12:47we stand
12:47at a moment
12:48unlike any
12:50before.
12:51A moment
12:52where Indian
12:53culture can shine
12:54in the world stage
12:55not just in fragments
12:57but in its full
12:59grandeur.
13:01And in doing so,
13:03we offer the world
13:04a gift.
13:06A gift for our
13:07children.
13:08A world
13:09that they will
13:10not just
13:11inherit
13:11but cherish
13:13for generations
13:14to come.
13:16That world
13:18is calling
13:19on India
13:20now.
13:21On our stories,
13:23our soul,
13:24our spirit,
13:25our spirituality
13:27and our
13:28sanskriti.
13:30So,
13:31let us all
13:32rise
13:32not only
13:33to honor
13:34the glorious
13:35of our
13:36past
13:37but to
13:38ignite
13:38the promise
13:39of our
13:40future.
13:42Let us
13:42step forward
13:43as the
13:44torchbearers
13:45of a
13:45timeless
13:46civilization
13:47walking
13:48the path
13:49of courage
13:50and conviction.
13:52Let us
13:52carry the
13:53force
13:54of our
13:54eternal
13:55values
13:56and
13:56enduring
13:57culture.
13:58A force
13:59that brings
14:00light where
14:01there is
14:01darkness.
14:03That gives
14:03hope where
14:05there is
14:05fear.
14:06That binds
14:07humanity
14:08together
14:08when the
14:10world feels
14:10broken apart.
14:13This is
14:14our moment.
14:16Let's seize
14:17it together
14:17with grace
14:19and with
14:20wisdom.
14:21Dhaniawad
14:22Jai Hind.