India must reinvest in its civilisational values to achieve long-term prosperity, industrialist Hari Mohan Bangur said at the World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) 2025, held in Mumbai on 20 December.

The two-day forum, themed Innovation, Self Reliance and Prosperity, was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, WHEF founder Swami Vigyananand, organising committee chairman Rajesh Sharma, and industry leaders including Hari Mohan Bangur, Chairman, Shree Cement Ltd, and Sajjan Jindal, Chairman, JSW Group.

Addressing the inaugural session, Bangur said India’s strengths in talent, resources and technology were sufficient to drive growth without external dependence. He also handed over a letter of intent to invest Rs 20 billion in Maharashtra to Chief Minister Fadnavis.

Highlighting India’s ethical economic framework, Bangur said that in Indian culture, dharma guides artha, stressing that profit must be balanced with responsibility. “We must get out of the Macaulayan education system and reinvest in our old values. For centuries India alone accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the world economy,” he said, adding that the Hindu Economic Forum would deliver results over time.

On innovation, Bangur cited Shree Cement’s efforts to improve energy efficiency by enabling power plants to operate at 30 per cent capacity utilisation, reducing unnecessary coal consumption. He called for a broader shift in mindset, saying innovation must extend to education and thinking.

Chief Minister Fadnavis described World Hindu Economic Forum as a platform for collaboration rooted in Indian philosophy. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Yadav highlighted India’s rising global stature and said Madhya Pradesh had attracted Rs 8.5 trillion in investments across sectors including mining, energy and tourism.