Two Engineers, Two Paths: One Received Padma Shri, The Other Became ‘IIT Baba’

Last Updated:May 28, 2025, 20:57 is

Jonas Masetti’s evolution reflects a structured path rooted in rigorous study and humility while Abhay Singh’s digital-first strategy seems spontaneous and unstructured.

In an age where education and spirituality increasingly intertwine with digital culture, two engineers set out on spiritual paths shaped by old traditions. Yet, their journeys, while starting from similar foundations, led them to dramatically different ends. While one was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri, the other became a social media fame.

Jonas Masetti from Brazil, now revered as Vedantacharya Vishwanath, was once a mechanical engineer trained at the Military Institute of Engineering in Rio de Janeiro and a former strategist in the stock market. Masetti’s early life seemed to promise financial and professional success. But in 2003, drawn by a gnawing sense of spiritual emptiness, he turned toward Vedanta, an ancient philosophy rooted in introspection and inner discipline.

Under the guidance of Gloria Arieira and later Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Masetti immersed himself in the guru-shishya tradition, spending four years at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore. What began as personal transformation soon became a mission.

In 2014, Masetti returned to Brazil and founded the Vishwa Vidya Gurukulam in Petropolis, where he began teaching the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, Sanskrit, and spiritual practices to an ever-growing audience. Today, more than 1,50,000 students have been part of his vision.

In 2025, he was awarded with the Padma Shri for his contributions to globalising Indian knowledge systems. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in one of his Mann ki baat addresses, highlighted Masetti as a living testament to the transformative power of Indian culture.

Clad in cotton attire, rudraksha beads, and bare feet – and profound in thought – Masetti exudes humility and conviction when he says, “Vedanta is not a religion; it’s an art of living.”

But in sharp contrast stands Abhay Singh, better known online as ‘IIT Baba’. An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Singh’s spiritual expression took an unconventional route after he went viral on the internet during the Maha Kumbh in 2025.

Clad in saffron robes with a smartphone in hand, Singh was seen making social media reels at the Kumbh Mela, posing for selfies, and offering knowledge with flair more suited to influencers than saints.

His style made him a darling of meme pages and reels, especially among the youth. But with that fame came mockery – his sincerity often dismissed, his attire and the moniker ‘IIT Baba’ drawing more ridicule than reverence.

What separates Singh’s journey from Masetti’s is perception – the way society gauges depth, presentation, and commitment.

This juxtaposition raises a deeper question: What defines true spiritual recognition in today’s world? Is it the depth of one’s practice, or the way it’s presented? Jonas Masetti’s evolution reflects a structured path rooted in rigorous study and humility. His approach channels the ancient Vedic traditions through modern means, resonating deeply with both Eastern and Western audiences. In contrast, Abhay Singh’s digital-first strategy seems spontaneous and unstructured, often blurring the line between spirituality and performance art.

In the end, both figures symbolise different facets of India’s cultural outreach. Masetti, the Brazilian Vedantin, reminds the world of the timeless relevance of wisdom. Singh, the viral ‘baba’, reflects a generation caught between authenticity and attention.

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