Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the acclaimed actress, producer, and entrepreneur, delivered an emotional and inspiring keynote at Harvard Business School’s annual India Week on February 17, 2026, marking a significant moment not just for her but for the Indian diaspora in the United States. The event, themed "The India We Imagine," became a deeply personal journey for Chopra as she reflected on the power of representation, the progress of her community, and the dreams she carries for the next generation.
Taking the stage at Harvard in Boston—a city where she spent formative years as a teenager—Chopra was joined by her longtime friend and business partner, Anjula Acharia, who moderated the closing fireside keynote. But it wasn’t the grandeur of the venue or the occasion that moved Chopra most; it was the sight of the audience itself. The auditorium was packed with students, many dressed in sarees and kurtas, a vibrant celebration of Indian culture in one of the world’s most prestigious academic settings.
Chopra later shared her emotions on social media, writing, “So, this is how my day started. I was supposed to give a fireside keynote address with one of my closest friends and business partner Anjula Acharia, to conclude India Week at the prestigious Harvard Business School. The topic was ‘The India we imagine’… no big deal, I thought. You can do this, Priyanka.” Yet, as she looked out into the sea of faces, her nerves gave way to pride and hope. “But looking out into the audience, I only had one thought: You are the India I imagined,” she wrote. “To see an auditorium full of students, dressed in sarees and kurtas at the campus of Harvard in Boston, Massachusetts, where I grew up, to see so many people from my community at one of the best schools in the world, made my heart burst with pride. You are the future I dreamed to see.” (India Today, NDTV, Gulf News)
Chopra’s keynote was more than a speech—it was a heartfelt reflection on her own journey. She recounted arriving in the United States as a 12-year-old, attending high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and later Newton North High School in Massachusetts in the mid-1990s. “When my 12-year-old self landed in a high school in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and subsequently at Newton North High School in Massachusetts in the mid-’90s, there were not many who looked like me,” she recalled. “I would have never imagined in 30-something years that I would be speaking to you, the future of our culture, our world, on this stage, in this iconic chamber.” (India Today)
Her teenage years in America were marked by a sense of isolation and the struggle to find her identity. “Your life is a sum of choices and experiences. Me moving to America at that young age was a very defining experience. Your teen years, you kind of are influenced into the adult that you’re becoming. And I spent that time in the States. So it definitely defined me, made me independent,” Chopra shared with the audience. (Gulf News)
For Chopra, the sight of so many young Indians confidently embracing their heritage at Harvard was a stark contrast to her own experience. “It made me want to cry, because this is not what my teenage experience looked like. But I’m so happy that you get to have it. We all stand on the shoulders of the generations before us. I’m so excited that my daughter will have all of you to look up to,” she wrote. (India Today, NDTV)
The event was a star-studded celebration of Indian excellence, with other notable figures such as Congress MP and renowned orator Shashi Tharoor and badminton champion PV Sindhu also in attendance. Tharoor, who last met Chopra over a decade ago, expressed his admiration on social media: “Caught up with Priyanka Chopra after more than a decade in the wings at Harvard, just before her appearance as the closing keynote of the Harvard India Conference. Remarkable to see and hear how well she is doing. She has made India proud by conquering a stage on which Indians rarely get to appear. And of course she looks stunning, appears perfectly poised and sounds thoughtful and wise, what’s not to be proud of?” Chopra responded warmly, “It was so good to see you again Shashi Tharoor Sir. Have always had such admiration for the orator that you are. Thank you so much for staying for my panel and your wisdom.” (Gulf News)
Throughout the session, Chopra emphasized the importance of confidence and embracing one’s identity. “Your conviction in yourself and being proud of where you come from. I was walking into Harvard to see all these amazing ladies wearing sarees in here, and that made me cry,” she admitted during her speech. She encouraged students to pursue their ambitions fearlessly, echoing her own family’s values: “Shame is a word that does not exist in my home. For anything. I want you to stand on the shoulders of amazing artists and talent that came before me. Thank you all for being here.” (NDTV)
Anjula Acharia, serving as moderator, contributed her own words of encouragement: “So if anyone ever tells you that you can not do that because you do not have experience, think of all the founders who disrupted industries without any experience. Like that is what you guys should focus on and your instinct.” (NDTV)
Chopra concluded her keynote by expressing gratitude to her family, calling husband Nick Jonas and daughter Malti Marie her “forever Valentines.” She wrote, “Also, thank you to my husband (Nick Jonas) and daughter (Malti Marie Chopra Jonas), my forever Valentine’s, who understood how much being here today meant to me… I hope BSB and Frozen were fun. Love and peace.” (NDTV, India Today)
Her appearance at Harvard comes at a pivotal time in her career. Chopra is set to return to Indian cinema with SS Rajamouli’s much-anticipated Varanasi, co-starring Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran, slated for a 2027 release. She will also headline The Bluff, a high-octane drama produced by the Russo Brothers under AGBO Studios in collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios, set against the backdrop of the Cayman Islands and releasing on February 25, 2026. (Gulf News, NDTV)
For many in the audience, Chopra’s words and presence were more than just a keynote—they were a testament to the progress and promise of the Indian community abroad. As she looked out at the sea of sarees and kurtas in Harvard’s hallowed halls, Priyanka Chopra Jonas saw not only the India she had imagined, but the future she had always hoped to see.