Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar addresses industry leaders and entrepreneurs in Bengaluru on June 7, 2025. (Photo: Screen grab from X Account @VPIndia)
YMAM Desk
New Delhi, June 8, 2025: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar delivered a candid and wide-ranging address to industry leaders and entrepreneurs in Bengaluru on June 7, 2025, urging political dialogue, industry-farm convergence, and a quantum leap for India’s growth.
Here are the top takeaways from his remarks:
1. Turn Down the Political Heat
Dhankhar called on political parties to lower the “political temperature” and replace confrontation with constructive dialogue. “Democracy is defined by dialogue and discourse,” he said, underlining the importance of cooperation between Centre and States.
2. National Issues Need a National Lens
He urged all parties to view issues of security, nationalism, and development through a national—not partisan—prism. “Political sagacity is available across the spectrum,” he noted, advocating for unity on matters of national interest.
3. Freedom of Expression is Non-Negotiable
Invoking Vedantic principles, the Vice-President emphasized that democracy cannot exist without freedom of expression and debate. Any attempt to curb this, he warned, is a “deficiency in democracy.”
4. Industry Must Drive Greenfield Growth
Dhankhar observed that greenfield projects aren’t emerging fast enough and encouraged industry leaders to “converge in clusters” to ensure equitable employment and growth. He contrasted industry’s focus on balance sheets with the need for visionary expansion.
5. Time for Industry-Farm Synergy
Drawing on his farming roots, Dhankhar called for deeper integration between industry and agriculture. He urged corporates to invest in the farm sector—not as charity, but as a “gainful investment”—and to help farmers become part of the marketing chain.
6. Research & Innovation: The New Arsenal
He stressed that India’s global standing will be defined by its research capacity and technological innovation. “Peace is fundamental to growth, but peace comes from strength,” he said, linking security with scientific progress.
7. Viksit Bharat: From Dream to Objective
Declaring that “Bharat is on the rise as never before,” Dhankhar said the country must now focus on multiplying per capita income eightfold to match its demographic size. “Viksit Bharat is no longer our dream—it is our objective.”
The Bottom Line
Vice-President Dhankhar’s Bengaluru address was a call for unity, innovation, and practical action—across politics, industry, and agriculture—to ensure India’s unstoppable rise.
Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and other dignitaries were present at the event.