Fresh from paying a visit to Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, billionaire Gautam Adani on Monday said the world's largest human gathering is not just religious but a blueprint for sustainable civilisation.

"As India marches towards becoming a global superpower, we must remember: our strength lies not just in what we build, but in what we preserve," he said. "The Kumbh isn't just a religious gathering – it's a blueprint for sustainable civilisation." In a blog on LinkedIn, he said the Kumbh Mela is a reminder for that true scale isn't measured in balance sheets but in positive impact on human consciousness.

"In the Kumbh, we see the essence of India's soft power - a power not rooted in conquest but in consciousness, not in dominance but in service. India's true strength lies in its soul, where growth is not just economic power but a confluence of human consciousness and service.

"This is the lesson Kumbh teaches us - that true legacy is not in structures built, but in the consciousness we build - and that thrives for centuries," he said.

Adani, chairman of Adani Group, along with his family visited the religious event in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh on January 21.

Adani said the most successful project isn't a massive port or a renewable energy park - it's a spiritual gathering that has run successfully for centuries, serving millions without depleting resources or losing its soul.

"That's the real India story. That's the leadership lesson the world needs now," he said.

Stating that while Harvard Business School in its study of the Kumbh Mela's logistics marvelled at its scale, he said for him the gathering has a more deeper meaning. "The world's most successful pop-up megacity isn't just about numbers - it's about eternal principles that we at the Adani Group strive to embrace." "Consider this: Every 12 years, a temporary city larger than New York materialises on the banks of sacred rivers. No board meetings. No PowerPoint presentations. No venture capital. Just pure, time-tested Indian jugaad (innovation) backed by centuries of iterative learnings," he said.

At Kumbh, scale isn't just about size but it's about impact. "When 200 million people gather with dedication and service, it is not just an event but a unique confluence of souls. This is what I call "spiritual economies of scale." The larger it grows, the more efficient it becomes, not just materially but in human and humanity terms. True scale is not measured in metrics but in the moments of unity it creates." Long before ESG became a boardroom buzzword, the Kumbh Mela practised circular economy principles, he said, adding that the most powerful aspect is the absence of a single controlling authority.

"True leadership lies not in giving orders but in the ability to take everyone along. Various akharas (religious orders), local authorities and volunteers work in harmony. It's leadership through service, not dominance - a principle that modern corporations would do well to study. It teaches us that great leaders do not command or control - they create conditions for others to work together and collectively rise," he said.

As India aims for a USD 10 trillion economy, the Kumbh Mela offers unique insights into inclusive growth (it welcomes all from sadhus to CEOs, villages to foreign tourists), spiritual technology (time-tested systems for managing human consciousness at scale), and cultural confidence (it stands as a testament to cultural authenticity).

"Service is devotion, Service is prayer and Service itself is God," he added.

Kumbh, Adani said, poses a profound question: Can we build organisations that last not just years, but centuries? Can systems handle not just scale, but soul? "In an age of AI, climate crisis and social fragmentation, the Kumbh's lessons are more relevant than ever and encompass all of the following: Sustainable resource management, harmonious mass collaboration, technology with human touch, leadership through service and scale without losing soul," he added.

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