Business mogul Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia on Sunday facilitated a meeting between Indian spiritual leader Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja at the Office of the Prime Minister.
The August 17, 2025 meeting followed India’s 79th Independence Day celebrations in Kampala and underscored deepening cultural and diplomatic ties between Uganda and India.
Shri Shastri, 29, a globally renowned preacher from Madhya Pradesh who commands massive followings at his “divine courts,” is in Uganda on a mission to connect with the Indian community and foster people-to-people relations.
Prime Minister Nabbanja, dressed in a floral gomesi with a yellow sash, warmly received the cleric, hailing the visit as “a sign of friendship and unity” between the two nations. She emphasized that Uganda values its long-standing relationship with India, one of the country’s biggest investors, and pointed to interfaith dialogue as an important pillar of social cohesion.
Dr. Ruparelia, who has been at the forefront of championing recognition of Asians as Uganda’s 66th tribe, described the visit as “a bridge of cultures” and a chance to strengthen bilateral relations beyond business. He was accompanied by businessman and politician Sanjay Tanna, who also joined the courtesy call.
Photos from the Office of the Prime Minister show Nabbanja exchanging the spiritual book Sita Ram with Shastri, who wore traditional Indian attire with a forehead tilak. The delegation posed alongside Ugandan and Indian flags in a symbolic gesture of unity. A separate image of Sanjay Tanna kneeling beside Sudhir before the spiritual leader sparked chatter on social media.
India remains one of Uganda’s top economic partners, with investments in agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, and ICT. The Indian community in Uganda, estimated at about 30,000, contributes significantly to trade, industry, and philanthropy.
Although Nabbanja’s social media post on the meeting attracted mixed reactions from Ugandans—some diverting to concerns over jobs and service delivery—analysts note that such engagements enhance Uganda’s soft diplomacy while keeping the Indian diaspora actively involved in the country’s development agenda.
For Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, founder of the Ruparelia Group and Uganda’s wealthiest businessman, the meeting reaffirmed his role as a key link between government and the Asian community.
