Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal participated in a tree plantation drive at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, Mumbai, on Saturday, 6 June 2026, under the #EkPedMaaKeNaam campaign, also engaging with youth and children at the venue.

Context

Posting in Hindi on X, Goyal wrote: 'माँ का प्रेम जीवन को संवारता है, और वृक्ष धरती को जीवन देते हैं' ['A mother's love shapes life, and trees give life to the earth']. He described the visit as an opportunity for both plantation and direct dialogue with young participants.

The minister called on citizens to plant a tree in honour of their mothers and to commit to the regular care and nurturing of saplings already planted. 'Environmental protection is the responsibility of all of us,' he said, urging collective resolve toward a 'green, clean and prosperous India.'

Policy Backdrop

The #EkPedMaaKeNaam campaign — translating to 'One Tree in the Name of Mother' — is a public afforestation initiative that links tree plantation to cultural sentiment around motherhood, aiming to boost voluntary citizen participation in expanding India's green cover.

India's tradition of organised tree plantation drives dates to Van Mahotsav, launched in 1950, which established a framework for annual public participation in afforestation. The current campaign extends that lineage by embedding ecological goals within a culturally resonant message, a pattern seen across multiple ministerial portfolios in recent years.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, spread across Borivali in northern Mumbai, is one of the largest urban protected forests in the world and a frequent venue for environmental awareness events targeting city residents.

Stakeholders and Impact

Urban youth and Mumbai residents were the primary audience at Saturday's event. Goyal's direct interaction with children and young people signals an effort to embed environmental responsibility early, consistent with the campaign's broader outreach strategy across Indian cities.

Indian ministers from multiple portfolios have regularly joined afforestation events in recent years to reinforce a whole-of-government posture on climate and sustainability commitments. Blending ecological targets with cultural messaging has been a recurring approach to sustaining momentum in such drives beyond formal policy announcements.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to follow-up monitoring of sapling survival rates at Sanjay Gandhi National Park and whether the #EkPedMaaKeNaam drive is extended to additional urban parks or taken up at the state level across Maharashtra and other states. Sustained aftercare of planted saplings — which Goyal specifically highlighted — remains a critical metric for measuring the campaign's real ecological impact beyond the plantation event itself.