Industrialist Harsh Goenka openly admitted his hesitancy in public speaking despite being deeply comfortable with Hindi. The chairman of RPG Group was recently honored with an award.
In an interview with X, Harsh Goenka wrote, “I am fluent in Hindi. I think in it. I feel in it. But when it comes to public speaking, I hesitate.” The 68-year-old businessman, who shared a two-minute video of his acceptance speech in Hindi, added: “My poor attempt at an award opportunity.”
The store manager shared his experience of moving to Mumbai at the age of 24. Recalling his early days in the “City of Dreams”, he said, “When I visited Mumbai at the age of 24, my dreams were in my pocket and my mind was full of energy. Even today my dreams are as big as they were, but the power of my glasses has increased.”
With Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by his side, Harsh Goenka acknowledged the charismatic character of the city. In a heartfelt speech, he said, “Mumbai the city offers two things — transportation and inspiration. The only difference is that one gets caught in traffic and inspiration motivates one to move forward. The main strength of this city is its passion, because this is the place where people learn to train again after a few failures,… this is what we call the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’.”
Reaction on social networks
The post has garnered over 1.28k views, 2000 likes and several comments. One user wrote: “Someone once told me I’m not good at public speaking. I have two of his videos and this third one says it all.” Another user noted, “Great leaders are often humble and sometimes hesitant, but their clarity and focus is extraordinary and inspiring.”
A third comment read: “What you spoke is more valuable than how you spoke!” A fourth user said, “Fluent in thought, hesitation on stage, his humility Harsh ji and your honest Hindi could touch millions of people. True leaders speak from the heart, not just the tongue.” A fifth user said, “You rocked it in Hindi. I had a similar experience and was so hesitant at the time, but if you speak fluently, it will flow.”
A sixth user wrote: “Break attempt”? Not at all! Your speech was heartfelt, confident and truly impressive.”
