Relevance of Ancient Indian Philosophical Thought to Contemporary Times | Mr S Gurumurthy

On September 20, 2026, journalist and corporate advisor Mr Gurumurthy Swaminathan delivered the Sri S G Sundaraswamy Memorial Lecture 2026 at Sai Hira Global Convention Centre, Prasanthi Nilayam, on “Relevance of Ancient Indian Philosophical Thought to Contemporary Times.” Exploring Indian philosophy in the context of modern science and artificial intelligence, he highlighted the distinction between knowledge and information and the enduring relevance of India’s civilisational wisdom. He spoke on Dharma, family, community and shared responsibilities, emphasising their relevance to social harmony, economics and governance. He also reflected on the Vedic understanding of primordial sound and the transmission of knowledge across generations as a vital force sustaining Indian civilisation. The annual endowed lecture, instituted by Mr S S Naganand, Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, honours the late Sri S G Sundaraswamy and provides the university community an opportunity to engage with distinguished scholars and contemporary ideas. The event was attended by Mr Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus, TVS Motor Company and TVS Holdings; Mr K Chakravarthi IAS (Retd.), Chancellor, SSSIHL; Prof. B Raghavendra Prasad, Vice-Chancellor, SSSIHL; Dr Srikanth Khanna, Registrar, SSSIHL; Mr RJ Rathnakar, Managing Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust; Mr S S Naganand, Trustee, Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, and his family; along with senior members of both trusts, faculty and students of SSSIHL.