From Me to We: Indian PM Modi Leads Yoga Day 2025 Celebrations in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam became the global focal point for this year’s International Yoga Day as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the flagship Yogandhra 2025 celebrations in the coastal city. Joining him were Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, underscoring Andhra Pradesh's growing role in India's soft power diplomacy.

Image Source: Stringer for IndianRepublic.in

Thousands gathered to participate in the national-level celebration. The enthusiasm highlighted yoga’s worldwide appeal as a unifying discipline of health, wellness, and inner peace. 

International Yoga Day, observed annually on June 21, was first proposed by India and adopted by the United Nations in 2014, rapidly gaining acceptance across the world.

Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi reflected on yoga’s journey from ancient practice to global movement. “Yoga takes us from Me to We. It is not just a personal discipline, but a collective path toward balance and unity with the world,” he said. 

The Prime Minister urged the world to embrace Yoga for Humanity 2.0, envisioning inner peace as a global policy in an increasingly tense world. “Be it at the Sydney Opera House, the Everest summit, or across oceans, Yoga has crossed boundaries of geography, background, age, and ability,” he noted.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu credited Modi’s leadership for transforming yoga into a worldwide wellness movement, embraced by over 175 countries. He highlighted that Yoga Day 2025 was being celebrated at more than 12 lakh locations with participation from over 10 crore people globally.

Yoga isn't just an exercise. It is a way of life. Wonderful to join this year's Yoga Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam. https://t.co/ReTJ0Ju2sN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2025

The Prime Minister later joined volunteers in performing yoga, symbolizing India’s leadership in promoting the ancient practice as a cornerstone of its cultural diplomacy. Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu echoed the sentiment, calling Vizag’s role in hosting the event "inspiring" and reflective of India’s expanding global influence through yoga.

Yoga sessions were held across continents, from ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, and numerous locations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond — reaffirming yoga’s universal appeal and India’s enduring civilizational message of harmony.