On July 25, the “One Harvard, Young Harvard” Mixer brought together incoming and returning students, alumni, faculty, and University affiliates for an evening of conversation and camaraderie, celebrating the connections that sustain Harvard’s community in India.
Hosted by the Mittal Institute’s India Office and Harvard Club of India, in collaboration with the Harvard Business School’s India Research Center, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s India Research Center, and the Harvard Business School Club of India, the gathering offered an opportunity to exchange experiences, build new connections, and strengthen ties across generations and Harvard schools.
The programme opened with a warm welcome from Ashok Mittal, President of the Harvard Club of India, setting the stage for thoughtful conversations across generations, disciplines, and professional experiences.
Tarun Khanna, Jorge Paulo Lemann Professor at Harvard Business School and Faculty Director Emeritus of the Mittal Institute, in his address highlighted the Mittal Institute’s work to connect Harvard with South Asia and foster research, collaboration, and engagement across the region.
The evening’s keynote was delivered by distinguished alumnus Akhil Gupta, former Chairperson of Bharti Airtel. Reflecting on his Harvard education and leadership journey, Gupta spoke about the ways in which his education shaped his leadership journey and continued to influence his personal and professional life.
A fireside conversation between Akhil Gupta and Tarun Khanna offered an opportunity to explore these themes further, reflecting on the enduring influence of Harvard education and the relationships that continue well beyond campus.
The gathering also celebrated the next generation of Harvard students. Arunima Mittal (top left), Vice Chairperson of Prem Tara Trust and an incoming Harvard student, introduced four of the ten recipients of the Prem Tara Scholarship Program: (clockwise) Anchal Shashi Bhatheja (top right; HLS’26), Sonali Singh (bottom left; HSPH’26), Rushikesh Wadekar (bottom centre; GSD), and Apoorva Rao (bottom right; HGSE’26). Each shared their aspirations and reflected on what the scholarship support means as they begin their studies at Harvard.
Faculty members Prof. Swayam Bagaria (left) and Prof. Eric Gurevitch (right) also shared perspectives from their experiences at Harvard, speaking about the courses they teach and offering insights into academic and campus life. Their reflections gave incoming students a glimpse into the intellectual opportunities and broader experiences that shape life at Harvard.
The evening brought together alumni from across generations, including Gurcharan Das (top left; AB Honors ’63; AMP, HBS ’91), Sanjay Kumar (top right; HKS ’15), Sheela Bhide (bottom left, left; HKS ’88), Meenakshi Datta Ghosh (bottom left, right; HKS ’87), and other members of the Harvard community, alongside a diverse group of incoming students. Past Mittal Institute alumni Garima Gupta (bottom right, left; Visiting Artist Fellow Fall 2023) and Vidya Subramanian (bottom right, centre; Mittal Institute Raghunathan Family Fellow 2020) also joined the gathering.
Together, their presence reflected the enduring strength of the Harvard community in India—a community connected not only by a shared institution, but by the relationships, ideas, and experiences that continue long after leaving campus.
The evening concluded with informal conversations over dinner, offering an opportunity for students and alumni to connect across schools and generations, exchange experiences, and build new relationships.
As the Harvard community in India continues to grow, gatherings such as One Harvard, Young Harvard offer a space to strengthen these connections and create new ones—bringing together the many people and perspectives that make the Harvard community across South Asia so vibrant.
