Sudhir Mehta: Self-Reliance & Big Thinking for Graduates

Gandhinagar, Dec 11 (PTI) Torrent Group's chairman emeritus Sudhir Mehta on Friday called on graduating students to adopt self-reliance, big thinking and strong values as guiding principles in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Delivering the convocation address at Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) here, Mehta said the university - founded in 2007 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision - had evolved into a multidisciplinary institution of international repute, with alumni strength rising from 132 in its first batch to more than 16,700 today.

It has shaped into India's only comprehensive energy institution, now drawing students from 22 countries.

Recalling Torrent Group's origins, he urged graduates to make self-reliance a personal ethos and contribute to a 'Viksit Bharat' by innovating and addressing unmet national needs.

He also encouraged them to "think big", citing Torrent Pharma's global expansion and the group's growing energy footprint across power generation, distribution and city gas networks.

"Technological disruptions, climate imperatives, shifting geopolitics and bilateral equations are making global markets dynamic and unpredictable," he said.

Mehta said his father, late Uttambhai N Mehtra, laid the foundations of Torrent with the idea of making the country self-reliant and producing affordable quality medicines.

"That was a time when multinationals were dominating India's pharma sector, and he thought of introducing locally made, good quality medicines for mental illness at a far lesser cost. He faced unimaginable challenges. But with his hard work and never-die spirit, he eventually succeeded," he said.

Torrent Pharma is today the second largest Indian pharmaceutical company having presence across 50 countries.

And Torrent Group, through Torrent Power and Torrent Gas, is one of India's leading integrated energy players with a power generation portfolio of 10 gigawatts, a power distribution network in 12 cities and a gas distribution network in 34 cities.

"I urge you all to think big and chase your ambitions with a hunger to succeed. The future belongs to those who can combine science and technology with creative imagination to bring innovative solutions for society and improve the overall quality of life," he said.

Highlighting the opportunities in renewable energy, biofuels, carbon sequestration, semiconductors, automotive research and solar technologies, Mehta said PDEU students were well positioned to lead India's next wave of innovation.

Even as technology reshapes industries through AI, Industry 4.0 and digital tools, he stressed that "technology gives power, but values give direction", underscoring integrity as the essential compass for future leaders.