BCCL CMD Inspires Youth with Message of Technology, Spirituality and Nation-Building at ISKCON Dhanbad Mega Youth Festival
Manoj Kumar Agarwal says India's youth must become creators of technology while staying rooted in values to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047
Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) Manoj Kumar Agarwal urged India’s youth to embrace cutting-edge technology while remaining firmly rooted in cultural and spiritual values during the 5th Mega Youth Festival organised by ISKCON Dhanbad on the concluding day of the four-day Lord Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra Festival at Golf Ground, Dhanbad.
Serving as the Chief Guest, Agarwal inaugurated the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp in the presence of ISKCON Dhanbad officials, representatives from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, other educational institutions, volunteers, dignitaries, and more than 2,000 registered youth who participated enthusiastically in the festival.
Congratulating ISKCON Dhanbad for successfully organising the grand event, Agarwal described the Mega Youth Festival as much more than a cultural gathering. “The Mega Youth Festival is a powerful movement for character building, leadership development, spiritual awakening and nation-building. India is the world’s youngest nation, and our youth will play the most crucial role in realising the vision of a Developed India by 2047,” he said.
Youth Must Lead India’s Technology Revolution
Highlighting the rapid transformation taking place across industries, the BCCL CMD said today’s era belongs to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), Data Analytics, and Industry 4.0.
He encouraged young people to move beyond being consumers of technology and become innovators capable of creating future-ready solutions.
“Today’s youth should aspire to become creators, not merely users, of technology. Public Sector Enterprises, including BCCL, are rapidly embracing digital transformation through drone surveying, GIS mapping, smart mining, automation and AI-based decision-making,” he said.
Technology Needs the Guidance of Spirituality
Emphasising the importance of balancing technological advancement with ethical and spiritual values, Shri Agarwal remarked that while technology accelerates progress, spirituality provides the direction necessary for meaningful growth.
“Technology provides speed, but spirituality provides direction. Without the right direction, speed alone cannot lead us to the right destination,” he observed.
He praised ISKCON for nurturing values such as self-discipline, compassion, emotional balance, teamwork and purposeful living among young people. Encouraging the youth to remain lifelong learners, he urged them to respect their parents, teachers and the nation while maintaining harmony between innovation and spirituality.
Prayers at Shri Gundicha Temple
Following the event, Agarwal visited the beautifully decorated Shri Gundicha Temple set up at the Golf Ground premises, where the idols of Lord Jagannath, Goddess Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra were installed after the Rath Yatra.
He offered prayers for the happiness, prosperity and well-being of Jharkhand and the nation. The CMD also visited the grand Jagannath Pandal, Anand Bazaar and Rath Parikrama site, receiving the blessings of Lord Jagannath.
Innovative Rath Yatra Attracts Thousands
The four-day Shri Jagannath Rath Yatra Festival, organised by ISKCON Dhanbad from July 16 to 19, drew thousands of devotees and visitors.
One of the festival’s biggest attractions this year was an innovative automatic chariot developed by students of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad and BIT, featuring technology capable of adjusting the chariot’s height according to the route, demonstrating an impressive blend of tradition and engineering innovation.
Apart from religious ceremonies, the festival featured Mahaprasad distribution, Bhagwat discourses, Anand Bazaar, devotional programmes and a range of cultural activities.
The concluding Mega Youth Festival also included a drug de-addiction awareness campaign, youth oath-taking ceremony, motivational lectures and cultural performances, encouraging participants to embrace positive values, social responsibility, spiritual awareness and active participation in nation-building.
