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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the sixth Ramnath Goenka lecture here on Monday.
The lecture, named after the founder of the Express Group, invites speakers who have shaped change and inspired critical thought on the most pressing contemporary challenges and issues.
“This lecture is not a ceremony but a commitment, to the values of truth-telling, accountability, and the power of ideas,” said Viveck Goenka, chairman, Express Group.
“This is a time when power equations of the world are being upended, when nations are redefining both their place and purpose and when uncertainty and volatility are the keywords of our times. That’s why listening to the Prime Minister, representing the highest elected office in the world’s largest democracy, has a deeper resonance,” he said.
Goenka added that the Prime Minister, speaking in Ramnath Goenka’s name, is “a reaffirmation that the dialogue between the state and the free press remains the heartbeat of a confident nation.”
The Ramnath Goenka Lecture celebrates the power of informed ideas. The Indian Express is honoured to host Prime Minister of India Shri @narendramodi at the Sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture as he shares his thoughts on courage, independence, and India’s enduring democratic spirit.… pic.twitter.com/X6MaYHEYRU
— Financial Express (@FinancialXpress) November 14, 2025
The first in the Ramnath Goenka lecture series was delivered by Marianne Pearl, wife of The Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was killed by terrorists in Pakistan.
Since then, speakers have included RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan, who was prescient in his articulation of India’s role in the global economy; President Pranab Mukherjee, who reflected on the power of a free press in a democracy; Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi who urged the judiciary to be on the “front foot” to reinforce its moral and institutional leverage; External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who talked about moving away from the dogmas of Delhi to embrace the dramatically changing world; and, most recently, technologist and philanthroist Bill Gates, who laid out the contours of how technology is reshaping human lives and scripting social change.
