Tagore Talk 2025 at India House: Glimpses of India’s History and Governance by Sanjeev Sanyal

By Partha Sarathi Chatterjee Advisor, TSH

HOUSTON: It was not a Bollywood star or a famous religious preacher, but on April 19th evening it seemed that a rock star had come to town from the overflowing crowds that came to India House to attend the 2025 Tagore Talks.

The featured speaker at the event was Mr. Sanjeev Sanyal, Secretary of the Government of India and a member of PM Modi’s Economic Advisory Council. The Talk was the 10th in an annual series that is organized by the Tagore Society of Houston (TSH), an iconic Houston institution established in 1974 with the primary mission of propagating the universal philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. Tagore’s vision for a modern India is beautifully expressed in the words of the poem “Where the mind is without fear…into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.” It is in this light that the Tagore Society invited Mr. Sanyal, who in his own right is a renowned thinker, economist, in fact a veritable polymath, to headline this year’s Talk, to illuminate for the community the inner strivings of the Government of India in order to reach the goal of a Vikshit (Developed) Bharat by 2047.

This Talk was attended by a standing room only crowd. Many of them have been ardent followers of his eloquent podcasts and interviews on the internet. The event was kicked off by a soulful rendering of Tagore’s famous song “Anandaloke” by two of the youngest members of Tagore Society.

Dhruba Ghose, TSH President, welcomed everyone and gave the highlights of TSH mission and its achievements. Honorable DC Manjunath, Consul General of India  in Houston, spoke about why the Talk and TSH’s mission is relevant in modern times and Tagore’s connection to Houston. Dhruba Ghosh then introduced Ms. Sunanda Vashisht, a celebrated Houston journalist, who then introducedMr. Sanyal to the crowd and moderated the rest of the Talk.

Sanjeev Sanyal’s Talk was focused “India’s Process Reforms: Attrition Warfare vs DOGE Blitz”. He explained the meticulous process that is being followed to reduce bureaucracy, cut down on processing time, eliminate waste and ridiculous norms, many carried over from British times. Every success he highlighted needed deep investigative analysis and incessant desire to find waste and improve processes. Tagore’s words are so apropos for the passionate zeal by which these reforms are being approached, as detailed by Mr. Sanyal.

“… Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit …”

The important aspect of the Talk was not the details but its demonstration of the brilliant technical minds that are driving India’s development. Sanjeev Sanyal attended other smaller gatherings before the event, including at the Consul General’s house, with community leaders, TSH volunteers and sponsors, and also after the event. At every such gathering, the discussions were animated and covered many aspects of India’s governance and place in
the world. One could sense his admirable brilliance across subjects.

From AI to modelling in ship design to economics to governance, he floored the audience with his clarity of thoughts and depth of knowledge. He talked about his work in building a stitched ship in line with India’s maritime glory. He discussed how the world order needed disruption for meaningful change and how India is primed for success given the world situation now. A stable educated population, governed by an efficient government, can do wonders. He even talked about AI governance, the perils of declining population faced by various countries, terrorism and instability, and how it is critical for India to continue the path it is currently on.

Seeing Mr. Sanyal in person, hearing him talk and converse in smaller groups, it is obvious that India is in good hands; it completely moved the needle in the terms of the community’s general perception of how India is governed.

Tagore Society of Houston could bring this fantastic event and the brilliant speaker Sanjeev Sanyal, thanks to the incredible team of Executive Board, Advisors and volunteers, supported by sponsors and partner organizations. TSH will continue to bring such eminent speakers and cater to the vibrant community here in Houston.