Artha Forum is a non-profit initiative that brings together business leaders and professionals to integrate ancient wisdom with modern enterprise, fostering ethical wealth creation, conscious leadership, and compassionate impact.
Our Story
A brief look at the milestones that have shaped Artha Forum; from its beginnings to its evolution as a platform for wisdom, leadership, and conscious living.
Our Mission
Artha Forum integrates timeless Vedic wisdom with modern leadership to guide individuals in building prosperity with purpose, leading consciously and serving society with compassion.
Inspired by the concept of Purushartha - the four goals of life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (prosperity), Kama (fulfilment), and Moksha (liberation) - Artha Forum believes that true success is measured not just by what we earn, but by what we give back.
Inspired by the concept of Purushartha - the four goals of life: Dharma (righteousness), Artha (prosperity), Kama (fulfilment), and Moksha (liberation) - Artha Forum believes that true success is measured not just by what we earn, but by what we give back.
Artha Forum
We aim to:
- Promote ethical wealth creation and the spirit of service, guided by the principle: “Earn with Integrity, Spend with Compassion.”
- Build awareness among entrepreneurs and professionals about real life business models and stories that balance profitability with social good, through events, conferences and literature.
- Cultivate a value-led global community of individuals, integrating spirituality, philanthropy, and responsible business practices into their work.
- Enable collaborative impact by bringing together like-minded leaders in supporting sustainable enterprises and social initiatives through financial and advisory contributions.
Our Inspiration
His Holiness Radhanath Swami
His Holiness Radhanath Swami is a renowned Gaudiya Vaishnava guru, Bhakti-yoga practitioner, spiritual teacher, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Journey Home. Born in Chicago, he embarked on a lifelong spiritual quest at the age of 19, traveling across Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia before finding his spiritual home in Vrindavan, where he became a disciple of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON.
His teachings draw from ancient Indian scriptures such as The Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, bringing practical guidance for conscious living, compassionate action, and inner harmony. Over the past fifty years, he has inspired countless individuals and led transformative social initiatives, including:
- Annamrita Foundation, providing free nutritious midday meals to over 1.2 million children daily across 10 states through 17 automated kitchens.
- Bhaktivedanta Hospital, a 300-bed charitable super-speciality hospital, evolved from free medical camps in the 1990s.
- Govardhan Eco-Village, a spiritual retreat and eco-friendly destination now visited by over 1 million people annually, recognized for excellence in sustainability and environmental conservation.
- Founding the iconic Radha Gopinath Temple, Mumbai
- Establishing missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.
Radhanath Swami continues to travel across India, Europe, and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga, engaging in global interfaith dialogues at institutions such as Oxford Union and Princeton University, and inspiring leaders and devotees alike with his vision, guidance, and compassion.
In Vrindavan he found the teacher he was searching for in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977) the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and representative of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. In choosing Bhaktivedanta Swami, as his guru, Radhanath Swami felt compelled to shear his matted locks and reenter Western society with a mission to share the sacred wisdom he had received. This return exemplifies the form of devotional yoga which is at the heart of Radhanath Swami’s teachings, a spiritual practice expressed as tangible action meant to bring about personal fulfillment and benefit the world.
At the the age of 31 he took the monastic vows of a Vaishnava sanyasi and became known as Radhanath Swami.
Today Radhanath Swami travels regularly throughout India, Europe and North America, sharing the teachings of Bhakti-yoga. He resides much of the year at the Radha Gopinath Ashram in Chowpatty, Mumbai.
For the past twenty-five years he has guided the community’s development and has directed a number of acclaimed social action projects including Midday Meals, which daily serves more than 260,000 plates of sanctified vegetarian food to the children of the slums of Mumbai. He has also worked to establish missionary hospitals and eye camps, eco-friendly farms, schools and ashrams, an orphanage, and a number of emergency relief programs throughout India.
His Holiness Radhanath Swami’s Bestselling Book – The Journey Home
Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide.
The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self awareness and a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine.
Through near-death encounters, apprenticeships with advanced yogis, and years of travel along the pilgrim’s path, Radhanath Swami eventually reaches the inner sanctum of India’s mystic culture and finds the love he has been seeking. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming.
Gauranga Das
Gauranga Das is a spiritual leader, educator, and author, trained as a B.Tech from IIT Bombay. He serves as Director of ISKCON Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV) - a United Nations World Tourism Organisation accredited ecovillage - and as a United Nations Environment Program Faith for Earth Counsellor. A respected voice on leadership and ethics, he has authored bestsellers including Art of Resilience and Leadership Lessons from the Bhagavad-Gītā.
He leads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, which aims and works towards preserving India’s ancient manuscripts and knowledge systems for future generations. Recognized with honors such as the Dalmia Bharat CSR Impact Award, Pride of India Magna Award, IGBC Fellowship, and an Honorary Doctorate from Kaziranga University, he has also contributed to the G20 Food Systems group and serves as visiting faculty at IIM Nagpur.
A prominent teacher of the Bhagavad-Gītā and Srimad Bhagavatam, Gauranga Prabhu bridges spirituality, sustainability, and leadership - demonstrating that impact and purpose can extend far beyond a conventional corporate résumé.
He leads the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre, which aims and works towards preserving India’s ancient manuscripts and knowledge systems for future generations. Recognized with honors such as the Dalmia Bharat CSR Impact Award, Pride of India Magna Award, IGBC Fellowship, and an Honorary Doctorate from Kaziranga University, he has also contributed to the G20 Food Systems group and serves as visiting faculty at IIM Nagpur.
A prominent teacher of the Bhagavad-Gītā and Srimad Bhagavatam, Gauranga Prabhu bridges spirituality, sustainability, and leadership - demonstrating that impact and purpose can extend far beyond a conventional corporate résumé.
Our Evolution
Founded in 1996, Artha Forum has grown steadily through decades of learning, dialogue, and lived values, expanding its reach while remaining rooted in integrity and timeless wisdom.
It all began in 1996 when three young men from three different walks of life got together to do something revolutionary.
They were :
- Kushal Desai (APAR Industries)
- Rajeev Srivastava (TCS & Mastek Software Services)
- Sanjiv Maheshwari (Novartis).
In early 1995, Rajeev thought of starting his own IT business and wanted to do something with a difference, with charity at its core. He discussed with Kushal who was excited to explore the idea of a software company with these principles. Sanjiv was asked to join as CFO of the company. While all three of them came from very diverse backgrounds, they decided to come together and build an enterprise whereby they could serve society and at the same time create wealth without having any karma. They had a strong focus to leading a spiritual life and this really bound them together in an aligned vision.
Keeping in line with their moto “Earn With Integrity, Spend With Compassion” they pledged 50 % of the profits to various charitable projects under the aegis of His Holiness Radhanath Swami. Thus was born Apar Infotech Corporation from 1996-2006 (Later acquired by Ness Technologies). Radhanath Swami guided them “Make sure that in whatever you do, there is no greed and pride”.
They also started the Basil Growth Corp, a Private equity Fund,that invested in 8 niche technology companies. The model remains the same: part of the upside must go to charity! They humbly credit all their successes to the blessings of their saintly mentors and the hand of God!
Voices from the Community
Reflections shared by participants who have been inspired through Artha Forum gatherings.
Sushant Patnaik
Entrepreneur, Silicon Valley
I can’t express this in words, how this has been an eye opener for me. My sincere thanks to the organizers.
Rishi Sethia
Director, Stromme Foundation
Beautiful, spiritual, soulful and blessed conclave. Thanks for such an insightful and enriching experience.
Anil Biyani
Director, Damodar Threads Ltd
We had a great time, I really enjoyed the conclave and all the discussions.
Ron Pitamber
CEO, Heritage Hotels Group
We had a great time. It was an inspirational speech.
Sandra Parnell
Former Mayor of Elstree and Borehamwood
We had a great time, it was an inspirational speech. I felt calm and so good.
Gaurav Mendiratta
Founder & CEO, SocioSquares
Excellent arrangement and a delightful experience. I would like to come back again.
Rashmikant Kamdar
President, Rushab Pharmaceutical
It was absolutely amazing. I just loved it.
Kush Panchal
International Yoga Trainer
It was an honour to hear Bhakti Rasamrita Swami live. I did love to be a part of Artha Forum.
Amrita Singh
Leadership and Life Coach, Back to Source Coaching
The stories, the sincerity, and the devotion with which each speaker shared their journey touched me deeply. To witness young founders building enterprises rooted in service to humanity, moved me profoundly.
JP Mishra
Founder & CEO, Deep Algorithms
Listening to the stories and entrepreneurial journeys of accomplished leaders reinforced the importance of strong values, ethical leadership, and the responsibility of giving back to society.
Our Team
Artha Forum is supported by a dedicated group of professionals, advisors, and volunteers who bring together a shared commitment to purpose-driven leadership.
Founder Members
Rajeev Srivastava is Managing Partner at Capital Square Partners with over 25 years of global operating and investing experience across the U.S., Asia, and Europe. He has been involved with a number of widely successful ventures such as founder/CEO at Apar Infotech and founder at Basil Partners which invested in multiple high-growth IT services companies.
Kushal Desai is Chairman & Managing Director of APAR Industries Ltd. and co-founder of Apar Infotech. He serves on boards of educational and healthcare institutions, including Dharmsinh Desai University and DDMM Heart Hospital, and supports initiatives like Annamrita, providing meals to over a million children.
Sanjiv brings deep expertise in finance, governance, operations, and M&A as a Senior Advisor at CSP. With extensive experience spanning over 35 years, at Basil Partners, Ness Global Services, Sandoz, Novartis, and Syngenta, he has worked in private equity, corporate finance, supply chain, and operational strategy across India, the U.S., U.K., and Singapore.
Managing Committee
Advisory Board Members
Strategy & Operations
In the Press
Over the years, Artha Forum’s initiatives and conversations have been featured across media platforms, reflecting its growing relevance in discussions on ethical business and conscious leadership.
Connect with us!
If you wish to share reflections or feedback from our events or explore collaboration opportunities to host a private gathering in alignment with Artha Forum’s mission, please write to us at: contact@arthaforum.com
Continue the Conversation
Stay connected with Artha Forum for event updates and insights from our previous dialogues and conferences.