Amitabh Kant - The Path Ahead: Transformative Ideas for India

Published by

Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd 2018

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Anthology and Introduction Copyright Amitabh Kant 2018

Copyright for individual pieces vests with the respective authors.

The views and opinions expressed in this book are the authors own and the facts are as reported by him which have been verified to the extent possible, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.

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ISBN: 978-93-5304-150-2

First impression 2018

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Contents

SECTION 1
Human Capital Development

Nachiket Mor and Amrita Agarwal

Pramath Raj Sinha

R.A. Mashelkar

Shobana Kamineni

Urvashi Prasad, Devashish Dhar and Vaibhav Kapoor

Dhiraj Rajaram

Ashish Dhawan

SECTION 2
Transforming Rural India

Adi Godrej

Chanda Kochhar

Tushaar Shah

Shubhashis Gangopadhyay

SECTION 3
Towards Inclusive Growth and Prosperity

Adhil Shetty

Chandra Shekhar Ghosh

N.K. Singh and Prachi Mishra

Naina Lal Kidwai

Rashesh Shah

Mahesh Babu

Rana Kapoor

SECTION 4
Building Brand India

Gautam Kumra and Anu Madgavkar

Tarun Khanna

Nivruti Rai

Rana Hasan and Sabyasachi Mitra

G.V. Sanjay Reddy

Sanjeev Sanyal

Sumant Sinha

Vivek Dehejia and Pravin Krishna

Shekhar Shah

Foreword

It is interesting to look at India before 1947. For thousands of years, the country had been invaded again and again. This is probably because of how fertile the peninsula has always been, and the fact that it is naturally protected on all sidesby the Himalayas in the North and by a large coastline on the other sides. Its more important than ever to remember Indias history today, especially as the country reaches the milestone of being an independent state for more than 70 years. In these seven decades, the progress made by India has been immense. The country has grown to become the sixth largest economy on the global stage, millions of people have been brought out of poverty, and businesses that once had no option outside of serving local populations are expanding internationally and scaling rapidly. The level of ambition around the current reform process is an inspiration to countries all around the world.

I believe that even with this level of progress, India has not even scratched the surface of its potential. As the Chairman of the U.S.India Strategic Partnership Forum, a non-profit organization that is committed to creating the most powerful strategic partnership between the U.S. and India, I am betting big on the countrys future. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is one of the top world leaders I have ever met, India truly has no limits. In fact, I am predicting that the country will be among the top three economic powers in the world within the next 1015 years. India will be the example for the rest of the world, not as an emerging country but as a developed country that constantly reinvents itselfand thats why I am personally invested in the future of India. I recently launched JC2 Ventures, a purpose-driven venture capital firm, where I will work with start-ups to change the world through digital transformation. India is a key market for us at JC2. We already have one India-based start-up in our portfolio and expect there to be many more in the years to come.

I think others should bet big on India as well. One of the many reasons I think Prime Minster Modi is one of the top leaders in the world is because he is a visionary who is willing to take risks through the implementation of toughbut necessarystructural and societal reforms. Just consider the digital transformation India is undergoing and supporting with programmes like Digital India, which Prime Minister Modi launched in 2015, that has the potential to unlock the opportunity for India to grow into a trillion-dollar economy. Further, Prime Minister Modi understands better than anyone that a holistic approach to change is needed. For example, he has supported Digital India with a number of other initiatives ranging from Skill India to Startup India and Make in India. Even his work to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetize some of Indias currency have helped support his vision of making India a leading global economy in the years to come. Other countries and global leaders from around the world can learn from how bold Prime Minister Modi is in everything he does.

A book like this one could not come at a more opportune time. Indias journey is inspiring the political, industrial and academic elite around the world. Multiple economic and human capital reforms are laying a strong foundation for the India of tomorrow. However, even with the exciting times that undoubtedly lie ahead for India, there are many unique challenges that a country of this size, complexity and diversity faces. There is an immediate need for these challenges to be identified in the short term, and for sustainable solutions to be developed and implemented with a long-term strategy in mind. Further, the livelihood of Indias citizens needs to be at the core of these strategies because people are vital in pushing the entire country forward in terms of economic growth, job creation, innovation, and much more. To be successful, this process must be a collaborative effort between government policymakers, business leaders, industrialists, and academics, among others.

I was truly honoured when I was invited to write the Foreword for a book that brings together innovative ideas to help India realize and capitalize upon its potential. This book brings the views of top industrialists, academics and young leaders to the forefront, all of whom are relevant stakeholders in the future of Indias most critical sectors, from health to education to electric mobility and civil services. These stakeholders have achieved immense success in their fields because they are always ahead of the curve and predicting what will happen next before anyone else is even thinking about it. To use one of my favourite phrases, they are market predictors. Having access to the views of more than 25 visionaries on the future of India in one book is rare, to say the least.

The time is ripe for India to innovate and cement its position as one of the leading economies of the twenty-first centuryand beyond. I believe this book rises to the occasion. It will not only be a ready reference for todays policymakers, academics, and industry professionals and leaders, it will also serve as an inspiration for Indias youth and leaders of tomorrow. Lets all bet big on the future of India!