Rajiv Malhotra
- The Intellectual Kshatriya
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivmalhotra2007
https://www.infinityfoundation.com
Rajiv Malhotra is a prominent author, thinker, entrepreneur and leading voice in the Indian diaspora community. He is known for his compelling and thought-provoking ideas on Indian spirituality, culture, and philosophy and their interaction with technology. His work has deeply influenced a generation of Indians and people of Indian descent worldwide.
Malhotra was born in Delhi, India, in 1950. He studied engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After completing his education, Malhotra worked in the technology industry in the United States for several years. At the peak of his career, he owned 20 tech companies in several countries, Rajiv Malhotra took early retirement at age 44 to pursue philanthropy, research, and public service.
In the late 1990s, Malhotra emerged as a fearless and dynamic commentator on the state of Indian culture and civilization. He used his expertise in information technology and his deep knowledge of Indian classical texts to launch a series of provocative critiques of western scholarship on India. He established Infinity Foundation for this purpose in 1994. Rajiv Malhotra has conducted original research in a variety of fields and has influenced many other thinkers in India and the West.
One of Malhotra’s major contributions has been to challenge the hegemonic discourse on Indian culture and religion propagated by western scholars. He has exposed the biases and distortions in western interpretations of Indian history, philosophy, and spirituality. He has also argued for the need for India to reclaim its own intellectual traditions and develop a distinctively Indian approach to solving contemporary problems.
Malhotra’s most famous book, “Breaking India: Western Interventions in Dravidian and Dalit Faultlines,” co-authored with Aravindan Neelakandan, is a scathing critique of the role of western powers in the fragmentation of India. The authors argue that forces from outside India are using various means to exacerbate caste and regional fault lines, and that this is a deliberate strategy to undermine India’s unity and progress. The book has been both praised and criticized, but it has undoubtedly sparked a much-needed debate on the issue of foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.
He has also authored
1.Being Different: An Indian Challenge to Western Universalism
2.Indra’s Net: Defending Hinduism’s Philosophical Unity
3.The Battle for Sanskrit: Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive or Liberating, Dead or Alive?
4.Academic Hinduphobia: A Critique of Wendy Doniger’s Erotic School of Indology
5.Sanskrit Non-Translatables: The Importance of Sanskritizing English
6. Artificial intelligence and Future of Power
7.Snakes in the Ganga – Breaking India 2.0
In addition to his writings, Malhotra is a sought-after speaker and commentator. He has addressed audiences at prestigious academic institutions, government agencies, and religious organizations around the world. He has called for a renewed respect for traditional Indian spirituality and philosophy and has urged Indians to take an active role in shaping the future of the country and the world.
Overall, Rajiv Malhotra stands out as one of the most influential and impactful voices in the Indian diaspora community. Through his writings and speeches, he has challenged deep-seated assumptions about India and its place in the world. He has offered a fresh and inspiring vision for India’s future, one that is rooted in its rich intellectual traditions and seeks to overcome the challenges it faces today.