In just over a year since its founding, The Bharat Global Industries Forum (BGIF) has moved from an idea rooted in the Swadeshi Jagran Manch’s vision of self-reliant industrial growth to a fast-expanding national platform — one now filing for trademark protection, opening state chapters across India, and brokering its first cross-border industrial partnership. Its own progress reports describe the mission in a single line: “From Vision to Action — Building Bharat as a Global Industrial Hub through Collaboration, Innovation, and Industrial Excellence.”

BGIF describes itself not as a conventional trade body but as a “strategic think-and-action platform” — one built to bring India’s leading industrialists, corporations, policymakers, global investors, technocrats, and innovators onto a single stage. Its stated objective is striking in scale: to help India grow from its current size of roughly ₹350 trillion to a ₹3000 trillion economy by 2047, establish the country as a global hub for manufacturing and exports, generate quality employment for its youth workforce, and position India as a global centre for research and development and a focal point of international trust and respect.

The Founders Behind the Forum

BGIF’s founding leadership brings together an exceptional blend of industrialists, technologists, and policy experts, reflecting the forum’s ambition to bridge industry, government, and global diplomacy.

Mr Sridhar Vembu, Founder and Chief Scientist of Zoho Corporation, serves as BGIF’s Chief Patron. A Padma Shri awardee and one of India’s leading technology entrepreneurs, Vembu is globally recognised for building Zoho into a world-class enterprise software company while championing rural entrepreneurship, decentralised innovation, and skill development.

Dr Amrit Sagar Mittal, Vice Chairman of the Sonalika Group, serves as BGIF’s Chairman. A veteran industrialist with over four decades of experience, he has transformed Sonalika into India’s third-largest tractor manufacturer with a presence in over 140 countries. His leadership in manufacturing innovation has earned him several honours, including the Rashtrapati Udyog Patra Award.

Mr Rajkumar Goel, Managing Director of SLR Metaliks, serves as Vice Chairman. He has led the development of a fully integrated alloy steel enterprise powered by renewable energy and is recognised for combining sustainable manufacturing with leadership principles inspired by Indian values of ethics, discipline, and resilience.

Dr Ashwin Johar, a founder member of BGIF, is a Central Committee Member of the BJP’s Foreign Affairs Department and Chairman of the Sigma Group of Companies. An economist and policy strategist, he has played key roles in investment promotion, international relations, and regional economic development, including assignments with NITI Aayog and the Government of Haryana.

Rounding out the core leadership team are Mr Yogesh Mehta, Chairman of the Vyankatesh Group and a visionary in the manufacturing and export of ferro alloys, who serves as Secretary General and also holds positions as State Convenor of the BJP MP Economic Cell and President of the Association of Industries, Madhya Pradesh.

Mr Pankaj Hans, Managing Director of Competent Industries — a fast-growing Faridabad-based manufacturer of construction equipment and heavy engineering fabrication — who serves as Treasurer. 

Dr Raj Kumar, Chairman of the United Group of Companies, with interests spanning food, textiles, automotive, and media, and a food scientist with two decades of global experience advising major FMCG corporations, who serves as a founder member.

Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Padma Shri awardee, and Whole-time Director of Sun International Limited, who is also a founder member and Head of North region.

Dr Sidharath S. Sharma, who serves as Organization Secretary. A 24-year veteran of both the private and government sectors and an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode, Sharma currently serves as Advisor to the Department of Co-operation, Government of Haryana, having previously advised the Government of Punjab and held leadership roles across the insurance and financial sector. 

The Executive Committee

Beyond its core leadership, BGIF’s Executive Committee includes Members of Parliament and prominent industrialists, reflecting the forum’s vision of connecting industry, policy, and national development.

Among them is Mr. Rajinder Gupta, Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, Padma Shri awardee and Chairman Emeritus of the Trident Group, who built Trident from a small chemical unit into a global textile and paper conglomerate with revenues exceeding USD 2 billion and a workforce of over 17,500.

The committee also includes Mr. K. Vishweshwar Reddy, Lok Sabha MP from Telangana’s Chevella constituency and founder of Citadel Research & Solutions, who is the only Indian parliamentarian to have been granted a US patent while serving as an MP.

Other members include Mr. B. Indrasen Reddy, founder of Four Solar Energy Systems and Managing Director of Energy Homes and Namaste Solar, with three decades of experience in renewable energy and technology-driven entrepreneurship. 

Mr. Naresh Kumar, promoter of the Dynamic Group and a pioneer of India’s private offshore drilling industry, who also has interests in mining and renewable energy and has served on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Drilling Contractors. 

Mr. Madhuram Reddy, an industrialist recognised for his contributions to infrastructure, sustainable farming, and agricultural innovation.

The International Committee

To strengthen its global outreach, BGIF has established an International Committee comprising Indian-origin professionals based overseas. Members include Mr. Jitu Yadav (Dubai, UAE), Mr. Vikas Vashisht (Sydney, Australia), Dr Dame Neelam (Belarus), and Mr. B.K. Anand, a former Indian diplomat whose experience brings valuable expertise in international relations and diplomatic engagement. Together, this network gives BGIF a presence across three continents, reinforcing its strategy of building strong partnerships through the global Indian diaspora and international business communities.

A Growing Roster of Industry Members

Since its launch, BGIF has brought together leading companies from manufacturing, FMCG, steel, real estate, technology, and international trade. Its members include Zoho Corporation, Sonalika Tractors, SLR Metaliks, Haldiram’s, Pioneer Group, Trident Group, Sun International, Supple Tek, Dynamic Group, Unity Builders, AMD Group, Ambika Steels, Arora Iron & Steel, Varuna International, SG Alloy & JD Alloy, RHI Magnesita, Reghuvamsi Group, Nano Wings, Altruist Tech, GB Realty and many more. This diverse membership reflects BGIF’s commitment to uniting large Indian industries, Indian-origin multinational companies, and globally promoted Indian enterprises to foster industrial collaboration, attract investment, strengthen exports, and position Bharat as a global industrial hub.

Industry and Policy Expertise on Tap

BGIF distinguishes itself by combining corporate leadership with a strong network of industry experts, technocrats, and policy advisors, positioning itself as a bridge between business and government. The forum supports members through policy advocacy, sector-specific insights, regulatory guidance, and access to investment bankers for fundraising, deal structuring, and business expansion, offering a comprehensive platform for industrial growth.

Advocacy That Delivers, and a First Cross-Border Breakthrough

During the recent Middle East crisis, BGIF engaged  with the Government of India to seek relief from freight overcharges imposed by shipping companies. The government accepted the demand, delivering tangible relief to industry.

BGIF was also invited by the Ministry of Finance for pre-Budget consultations ahead of the Union Budget, where its recommendations were well received.

Alongside this, BGIF notched its first cross-border achievement, facilitating an MoU between an Indian manufacturer and an overseas industrial partner to strengthen manufacturing cooperation and technology exchange — a template BGIF hopes to replicate with other countries ahead.

Driving the Expansion on Both Fronts

BGIF has rapidly expanded its presence through a chapter-based structure, with chapters already established in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir and new chapters under formation in Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. This domestic growth, aimed at connecting industry leaders, policymakers, investors, and innovators, has been coordinated by Founder Member & Organization Secretary Dr Sidharath Sharma. Alongside this, Founder Member Dr Ashwin Johar and Dr Sharma have jointly led BGIF’s international outreach across Australia, Russia, Sri Lanka, Belarus, the UAE, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, helping secure the forum’s first international MoU and build a growing network that supports BGIF’s vision of positioning Bharat as a global industrial hub.

What Comes Next

BGIF’s roadmap includes launching additional state chapters, forging new international partnerships, and organising industry-focused conclaves and policy dialogues to strengthen Bharat’s position as a global industrial hub. Backed by a founding team with expertise in enterprise technology, tractor manufacturing, steel, ferro alloys, construction equipment, FMCG, and public policy, along with a rapidly growing membership base, BGIF continues to expand its domestic network and international collaborations. BGIF is positioning itself as one of the more ambitious new entrants in India’s crowded field of industry associations — one explicitly built to operate at the intersection of Swadeshi economic philosophy and global industrial competitiveness.