Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil

Prince Manvendra created shock waves when he declared himself gay in the media, becoming the first royalty in India to come out of the closet. Passionate about LGBT rights, Manvendra talks about the importance of diversity in the corporate world and how to be more tolerant and accepting, linking them to how he battled societal challenges.

Manvendra is the Chairperson and Co-founder of Lakshya Trust, which is the first organisation in Gujarat to focus on HIV prevention amongst Men having sex with Men (MSM) as well as transgenders. He has since been focusing on establishing a dignified status for homosexuals in the society.

With formal training on HIV/AIDS issues, Manvendra went on to become the Western India representative of Integrated Network for Sexual Minorities, the largest Indian network of NGOs working on HIV/AIDS for sexual minorities in India. He is also the Founder and Chairperson of Ekta Transglobal Foundation registered in USA, aiming at providing a platform for global advocacy on social issues. And an Ambassador Consultant (India) to AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the oldest organisation in USA working on HIV/AIDS.

Apart from his social involvement, Manvendra is also passionate about Indian Classical Music (Vocal) and has performed across various platforms in Indian and abroad. Besides music, Manvendra is also a trained yoga teacher.