Upendrra Rai, Chairman, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express
Upendrra Rai, Chairman, Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Bharat Express, was honored as a distinguished guest at the âBharatiya Patrakarita Mahotsav' held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. During the concluding session of this three-day festival, he shared his thoughts on âIndia's Future and Media' as the keynote speaker.
In his address, CMD Upendra Rai said, "I have been associated with the Indore Press Club and their events for a long time. We have been coming to Indore regularly." He shared an anecdote about Swami Ramteerth, a great saint and mathematician of India, with the audience. CMD Upendra Rai recounted the story to illustrate that there is no age limit to learning. He narrated, "Swami Ramteerth was once traveling to Japan. At that time, travel was by sea, taking months to complete. Onboard, Swami Ramteerth saw an elderly man learning Chinese (Mandarin), one of the most difficult languages in the world with over a hundred thousand pictorial characters. Surprised, Swami Ramteerth asked the elderly man why he was learning such a difficult language at his age. The elderly man responded, âI believe you are from India. Only an Indian would ask such a pessimistic and despair-filled question. I have never thought about how long it will take me to learn. I am learning for the joy of it. I want to live the rest of my life with this new language.'"
On the dais, he also mentioned about the difference in courage and cowardice, saying, "If someone shoulders the responsibility of an entire family and centuries of subjugation, these two things make us cowardly. But the journey to becoming brave begins when we start dreaming of the future, weaving those dreams, and voicing them." He emphasized that if we empower children to choose their future fearlessly, India's future will accelerate rapidly.
Upendrra Rai stated, "Kalam Sir gave the slogan âVision 2020.' We haven't reached there yet, but the start has been good. Some things have gone very well in India, like the tremendous work in infrastructure." Comparing India's economy with China's, he urged the audience to think about why China, once on par with India, has surged far ahead. To bridge this gap, he stressed the importance of channeling the energy of India's youth in the right direction and guiding their talents to make them self-reliant.
Speaking on Prime Minister Modi's âAtmanirbhar Bharat' slogan, he said, "If you haven't been self-reliant for thousands of years, you won't become so in two years. But a good start has been made; this government has awakened a consciousness among people. Good work should be appreciated, such as the cleanliness campaign. The government's efforts bore fruit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call."
Bharat Express under Mr. Rai's leadership is supporting the greenery campaign in Indore. Bharat Express will participate in the extensive tree plantation drive, aiming to plant 5.1 million saplings in Indore.
During the Mahotsav, Mr. Upendrra Rai also met with Madhya Pradesh's Cabinet Minister Mr. Kailash Vijayvargiya, Indore Mayor Mr. Pushyamitra Bhargav and DM Mr. Ashish Singh, engaging in discussions about various social and development issues.
