The Pune edition welcomed participation from citizens, youth organizations, volunteers, and well-known personalities from across the city, representing the spirit of unity and collective wellness.

Over 5,000+ participants enthusiastically joined the 3K, 5K, and 10K categories for both running and cycling, transforming the university campus into a vibrant celebration of harmony, togetherness, and social consciousness.

The event was graced by distinguished dignitaries and leaders from government, industry, and civic circles, including:

• Rajan Navani, Chairman & Managing Director at Jetline Group of Companies
• Dharmesh Vaidhya, State President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Org, Maharashtra West
• Capt. Girish Lele, District President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Pune
• Prof. Parag Kalkar, Honourable Pro Vice-Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
• Shri Ravindra Shingapurkar, Member, Management Council, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
• Prof. D. B. Pawar, Member, Management Council, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
• Prof. Jyoti Bhakare, Officiating Registrar, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
• Sucheta Kadethankar, an Indian sportsperson from Pune
• Richi Mathur, Co-Founder and Vice Chairman, Lighthouse Communities
• Abhishek Ubhe, A seasoned athlete
• Dr. Sudam Shekhe, Assistant Director, Sports
• Dr. Vishnu Petkhar, Head, Department of Sports and Physical Education
• Prof. Vinayak Joshi, Director, Internal Quality Assurance Cell
• Prof. Vaibhav Jadhav, Centre for Distance and Online Education

Speaking about the initiatives, Dharmesh Vaidhya, State President, Sri Sathya Sai Seva Org, Maharashtra West, said, “The Sri Sathya Sai Run & Ride is more than an event; it’s a movement that connects hearts through action. As we celebrate 100 years of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s birth, we continue to carry forward his message of selfless love, unity, and service. Today, Pune came together not just to run or ride, but to reaffirm these eternal values.”

Prof. Parag Kalkar, Honourable Pro Vice-Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, said, “Events like these beautifully align with the vision of Fit India and youth empowerment. It’s inspiring to see the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation uniting citizens under one mission — promoting fitness with compassion, discipline with devotion, and strength with service.”

Mr. Rajan Navani, Chairman & Managing Director at Jetline Group of Companies, added, “The Sri Sathya Sai Run & Ride exemplifies how faith and fitness can coexist to build stronger communities. The event’s emphasis on inclusivity, service, and togetherness truly embodies the essence of what India stands for — unity in diversity and progress through purpose.”

Capt. Girish Lele, District President of Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Pune, said, “This Run & Ride event is a holistic 360-degree approach towards fitness at the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels of the entire mankind. It stands for world peace, happiness, and harmony for all. It is not just a test of physical endurance but also a celebration of equilibrium and unity in thought, word, and action.”

The event concluded with participants pledging to uphold the values of physical wellness, mental peace, and social harmony. As part of its centenary celebrations, the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organisation, Maharashtra, will continue to spread this spirit through a series of community outreach initiatives across the state. Extending this message beyond Maharashtra, the organisation has also embarked on the Sri Sathya Sai Prema Pravahini — a nationwide Rath Yatra traversing all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, carrying the message of love and unity to every corner of India. In parallel, the Sri Sathya Sai National Cricket League (SSSNCL) seeks to engage the youth through the unifying spirit of sport, fostering teamwork, discipline, and service — virtues that lie at the heart of Bhagawan’s vision for a harmonious society.

The post Celebrating Togetherness: Highlights from the Sri Sathya Sai Run & Ride in Pune appeared first on NRI News.

In the morning of September 19th, a delegate group of 70 individuals will attend a White House Briefing to discuss issues concerning our diverse communities, followed by a White House tour for 100 Summit attendees. In the afternoon, representatives of the DOJ will meet and listen to our community voices at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which will be followed immediately by a youth session discussing racial bias in school and cross-cultural identities. 

During the Unity Summit on September 20th, the AAUC will advocate for various causes such as racial discrimination, civil rights, hate crime prevention, immigration, and Asian American history education. GOPIO had suggested taking up the legislative issue of legal immigration backlog (Green Card) which has put 1.2 million Indian applicants on the waiting list, at the current level may take as many as 100 years to get a visa number until and unless the immigration rules are changed to remove the discriminatory rules towards Indian applicants and also the Chinese and Filipino applicants. There are two bipartisan bills in Congress (HR-6543 and S-3269) that could reduce this long waiting period. These bills are included in the AAUC Summit agenda.

The summit will also mark the launch of the mobile-responsive online AAPI Community Hub. During the press conference on September 20th, the AAUC will present its resolution on the Alien Land Laws. Additionally, the AAUC will also highlight the power of the online AAPI Community Hub.

Several distinguished individuals will be recognized for their contributions during the summit:

• US Rep. Judy Chu will receive the Political Leadership Award.
• US Rep. Andy Kim will receive the Public Service Award.
• Suffolk County Police Asian Jade Society, SEWA-AIFW, Team Aids, and Elizabeth de Leon-Gamboa will be honored with the Community Service Award.
• Mr. Evan Chen will be recognized as Philanthropist of the Year.
• Ms. JencyMalena Mesik and Mr. Suraj Kulkarni will receive the President’s Young Person and Youth Awards, respectively.

The AAUC Unity Summit registration is now closed. Attendees from across the country representing diverse AAPI ethnicities and age groups will have networking opportunities with leaders from multicultural ethnic groups through in-person interactions.

The AAUC has made significant contributions to the AAPI community by organizing national conferences, assembling a diverse working board, developing monthly newsletters and podcasts, and creating an online hub that connects over 15,000 AAPI nonprofits across all 50 states. To learn more about the conference agenda, visit https://www.asamunitycoalition.org/2024-unity-summit/.  

The post The Asian American Unity Summit at The Capitol Promises Impactful Discussions appeared first on NRI News.

The Unity Run was flagged off on August 10th at Ace AV Ampere, Shivajinagar, Pune, where Soman began his expedition on the Ampere Nexus electric scooter after a meet and greet with dealers and customers. Over the next four days, the Nexus will be a companion to Milind Soman as he runs covering inter-city long distances. The run concludes at Vasai-Virar Fort on August 13th. During the run, he also interacted with the Greaves community while passing Mumbai.

The Ampere Nexus, launched in April, has been dubbed ‘The Nex Big Thing’ for its powerful performance, robust build, and stylish design, promising to redefine the electric two-wheeler segment. Entirely conceptualized and developed in India, it sports a 3 kWh LFP battery with 30% extra battery life to empower consumers to meet their urban mobility needs with convenience. The Nexus has seen a great response from the customers and is available for booking at an introductory offer.

Unity Run started in 2021, is a remarkable fitness initiative by Milind Soman that emphasizes health, unity, and environmental awareness. This collaboration aims to raise awareness about the importance of environmental conservation and the role of electric vehicles in reducing carbon emissions. The partnership with Greaves Electric Mobility aims to highlight the deep connection between sustainable choices and their overall impact on our health and well-being as a society, encouraging millions to adopt sustainable mobility.

The post Fitness Enthusiast Milind Soman Kicks Off Unity Run appeared first on NRI News.