The 2025 Somaiya Alumni Reunion Series brought the Somaiya spirit to three vibrant hubs across the United States of America, creating a memorable collage of shared stories, ideas, and renewed bonds. Over the course of a week, alumni from Michigan, Southern California, and the Bay Area reconnected with their roots and engaged with the evolving vision of Somaiya Vidyavihar University.
Mr Samir Somaiya, President-Somaiya Vidyavihar, walked alumni through the Somaiya journey – its early Mission, its evolution into a multidisciplinary ecosystem, and its forward-looking expansion across education, research, sustainability, arts, and sports. The conversations naturally moved into updates on academic growth, the CASCADE sustainability initiative, and the development of new centres including Music, Physiotherapy, and Dharma Studies.
In his address, Mr. Samir Somaiya also highlighted the remarkable growth of Somaiya’s sports ecosystem, showcasing a video of the state-of-the-art sports infrastructure that now supports students across disciplines.
He further shared a compelling glimpse into the transformative work of Somaiya Kala Vidya in Kachchh—an initiative that empowers traditional artisans through design education—accompanied by a short video of its annual Kala Umang 2024 Fashion Show by graduating students.
Adding to this cultural narrative, he introduced alumni to the Maya Somaiya School of Music & Performing Arts and its expanding offerings in Indian classical music and dance, underscoring Somaiya’s commitment to nurturing excellence not only in academics but also in the arts.
An interactive Q&A added another layer of depth. Dr Larry Walker, President-Somaiya Foundation, spoke about global sustainability and the vision behind CASCADE, while Dr Abhishek Ghosh, Dean – Faculty of Dharma Studies at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, highlighted the universal relevance of Dharma in contemporary life and how Somaiya is pioneering work in Dharma studies in India like no other institution. This shared exchange created a strong, cohesive thread that linked all three reunions.
The series opened in Michigan (31st October 2025) setting the tone for reunions in Southern California (2nd November 2025) and Santa Clara (3rd November 2025).
The Voice of Alumni emerged as a recurring and powerful theme throughout the series. Across cities, alumni expressed a strong willingness to give back – offering mentorship, expertise and guidance and philanthropic support. The energy in the room was unmistakable. Alumni spoke passionately about staying connected with Somaiya and inspired by Mr. Samir Somaiya’s forward-looking vision, offered thoughtful ideas and commitment to contributing to the institution’s continued growth and service.
The event at Los Angeles stood out for its unique setting: a special gathering at the cutting-edge robotics facility of Brual Shah, co-founder of Gray Matter Robotics. Brual not only hosted the evening but also led a guided walkthrough of his lab, showcasing innovations that embody the very spirit of Somaiya excellence.
The trilogy came to a warm close in the Bay Area’s tech-driven alumni community infused the conversations with ideas for the future. They shared insights to strengthen Somaiya’s semiconductor, robotics, and startup ecosystem, and many showed interest in collaborating with RIDDL (Research, Innovation and Design Lab) on mentorship and incubation.
There were heartfelt moments too – including Dr Bimal Thakkar’s moving recollection of Prof. Mahendra Bhatt from the Physics department who refused payment and taught him on his personal time out of sheer generosity, echoing the core Somaiya values of humility and service.
Across all three cities, one thing stood out: no matter the distance or discipline, Somaiya alumni carry a deep sense of connection – to each other, to their teachers, and to the institution that shaped them. The 2025 Reunion Series proved that while the locations may change, the spirit remains of one community with infinite ways to grow together.
A Season of Gratitude and Togetherness
We extend heartfelt thanks to alumni champions whose boots on the ground efforts made each gathering truly memorable:
Michigan: Vikas Pawar, Krunal Mehta, Riten Munshi
Los Angeles: Brual Shah, Vatan Shah, Venkatesh Sankaran, Fenil Savla
Bay Area: Sanjay Agarwal, Nitul Shah, Aditya Ranadive, Jeet Mehta.
And for all the events, in fact the entire USA tour, our deepest thanks to Alumni Shaheen Mashraqui. Without her tireless efforts none of this would have been possible.
A shoutout to Durga Sinha and Aarti Singh and the alumni team of the Somaiya Alumni Office for driving alumni engagement globally.
As we celebrate this season of gratitude, we wish our entire Somaiya family a joyful and fulfilling Thanksgiving — filled with love, connection and rejuvenation.
As we look toward 2026, we are excited to expand U.S. alumni groups and continue strengthening the Somaiya alumni community together.
Upcoming Events
- Somaiya Alumni Reunion, Boston : 23 November 2025, Cambridge Boston. (Dr Abhishek Ghosh, Dean of Faculty for Dharma Studies will be present) RSVP here.
- International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Dharmic Ethics : Navigating the Future with Ancient Wisdom. 13 & 14 December, 2025 RSVP here
- Silver Somaiyans Celebration – “25 Years, Always A Somaiyan, Endless Memories” : 10 January, 2026, Mumbai. RSVP here.
- Somaiya All Alumni Meet (SAAM) 2026 – “Somaiya Forever, Come Together” : 10 January, 2026, Mumbai. RSVP here.
To learn more about the Somaiya Foundation USA’s mission, initiatives and to explore ways for US Alumni to stay involved, volunteer, donate and stay connected.
Please visit: https://somaiyafoundation.org/en
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