By RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is expected to travel to the United States and Canada later this year as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s ongoing centenary outreach programme. The proposed visit is aimed at engaging with the Indian diaspora and interacting with socio-cultural organisations, educational institutions and community groups as the Sangh continues its celebrations marking 100 years since its founding.
According to sources familiar with the preparations, Bhagwat is likely to address a series of public events during the tour, although the final schedule is still being worked out. Invitations have reportedly come from several organisations across North America, and discussions are underway to finalise the itinerary.
The RSS, founded in Nagpur on September 27, 1925, completed its centenary last year. However, the organisation has continued its commemorative programmes through 2026 with outreach activities both in India and abroad. The upcoming North American visit is being viewed as part of that broader effort to strengthen engagement with overseas Indian communities.
Earlier this year, during an interactive lecture programme in Mumbai, Bhagwat had confirmed that he planned to visit the United States as part of the centenary celebrations. The proposed tour is expected to include interactions not only with members of the Indian diaspora but also with representatives of academic institutions, community organisations and other social groups.
Senior RSS functionaries indicated that while some invitations have come from individuals, several programmes are being coordinated by socio-cultural organisations and educational institutions. Sources also said that the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), a cultural organisation inspired by the RSS and active among Hindu communities outside India, is expected to organise a number of events during Bhagwat’s visit.
The RSS chief has undertaken similar international visits in the past. In 2016, he travelled to the United Kingdom to participate in programmes commemorating 50 years of organisational work there. Two years later, he visited Chicago to address more than 2,500 delegates at the World Hindu Congress, highlighting issues related to global Hindu communities. In 2023, he delivered the inaugural address at the World Hindu Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Sangh has also stepped up its international outreach through its senior leadership in recent months. Earlier this year, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale visited the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, where he participated in discussions with policy experts, community organisations and think tanks, including an interaction at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C.
Bhagwat’s upcoming visit is expected to build on those engagements, with the focus on strengthening dialogue with overseas Indians and expanding the Sangh’s centenary outreach beyond India’s borders.
