Abu Dhabi, UAE: Indiaspora Founder and Chairman, MR Rangaswami has noted that Indiaspora Forum for Good (IFG) 2025 Summit, from February 23-26, 2025, will foster new relationships, spark innovative ideas, and leave delegates with inspiring memories that drive action.

“Over the next three days, I think you’re going to forge new relationships, spark new ideas. I think the most important thing is you’re going to take back memories that I hope will inspire action. So, I think Indiaspora is not just a community. I hope it becomes a movement that all of us can look back,” Rangaswami stated during the plenary session at the Grand Hyatt in Abu Dhabi on February 24th.

Reflecting on his experience at Mahakumbh, Rangaswami noted the strong spirit of service, where people passionately helped others.

“That’s why I think we’re all here today. It’s because we want to serve. We want to do seva,” he said.

Rangaswami recalled founding Indiaspora 13 years ago, initially as a mere idea to unite the community. “It was just an idea in my mind, we have to start an organization for our community. But soon, I found another 100 people who really believed in this cause, and we got together for the first meeting in 2012. When we met, the magic happened. These 100 people who came together really created the movement for Indiaspora,” he shared.

He expressed gratitude to the original supporters and honored his late nephew, Srinivas, who conceived the name Indiaspora but passed away due to brain cancer. Srinivas had chosen the name because it encompassed both “India” and “diaspora,” while also carrying the symbolic meaning of “Dia” as light.

Over the past decade, Indiaspora has grown into an influential network, with approximately 400 core members funding its nonprofit activities.

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, the Goodwill Ambassador of Indiaspora, likened the event to Mahakumbh.

“Today, right here in the UAE, I believe Indiaspora is a microcosm of Mahakumbh, bringing us all together as one, uniting us all in a vision for a better world,” he said noting “I’m proud to be the Goodwill Ambassador of Indiaspora.”

He underscored Indiaspora’s role in building bridges between global communities, connecting leaders and young changemakers, fostering entrepreneurship, and enhancing philanthropy and social impact.

“I truly believe that India is uniquely positioned as the ballistic development engine of the Global South. India has a great advantage to play this role… India has inspired trust with its selfless actions during COVID, providing vaccines for smaller nations, despite having a billion and a half of its own to take care of,” he noted.  

He highlighted the significant contributions of the Indian diaspora, with over 30 million Indians across 100 countries driving business innovation and social impact.

“Their entrepreneurial spirit has resulted in the creation of more than two and a half million Indian owned businesses worldwide, contributing significantly to job creation and economic growth, particularly in emerging markets,” he added. 

FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam spoke about the intersection of business leadership and social impact.

“You do good by doing good, meaning the act of the business that you create, the act of the work that you do to serve your customers, you’re actually doing good for the world,” he said, emphasizing how FedEx connects people and enables economic growth globally.

He recalled leading FedEx’s efforts to transport 100,000 oxygen concentrators to India from the United States. Additionally, FedEx facilitated a process for individuals to send concentrators, shipping 1,500 units to India.

Today, FedEx operates with 700 planes, 500,000 employees, and 5,000 facilities across more than 20 countries.

“A lot of companies that I know are looking to find ways to expand in India, and it’s going to be an interesting time in the next five years as to how that plays out,” Subramaniam observed.

He emphasized that Indiaspora is fostering an ecosystem of meaningful connections, reinforcing sustainability, and unlocking opportunities at a critical moment for India and the global Indian community. According to him, this Summit is particularly significant in creating valuable opportunities and impactful collaborations.

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