India Ideas Conclave 2024

Event Report

Day 1, 22^nd November, 2024

The Eighth edition of the India Ideas Conclave was held in Bengaluru from 22^nd November to 24^th November, 2024. It was organised by the India Foundation, New Delhi.It was attended by distinguished guests, eminent speakers, and around 400 delegates from diverse fields across the country.

The discussions of the three-day event revolved around building Brand Bharat and imagining India’s decade. The event oversaw participation from Smt Nirmala Sitaraman (Minister of Finance and Corporate Affair, Government of India), Dr S Jaishankar (Minister of External Affairs, Government of India), Suman Bery (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog), Aravind Panagariya (Chairman, Finance Commission of India), Suresh Prabhu (Chancellor, Rishihood University) among other eminent personalities and delegates participating in the three-day event.”

There were two parallel sessions on 22^nd Novemberwhich focused on the topic “Future Tech and Gaming: Can Bharat Afford to Miss the Fourth Wave of Tech-Dominance?” with speakers Anuraag Saxena (CEO, E-Gaming Federation), Bhavin Pandya (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Games24x7), and Sudhir Kamath (COO, Nazara). The sessionwas moderated by Raghav Pandey (Assistant Professor, National Law University, Delhi). The discussants discussed the future of gaming industry and the aspects of technology considering India’s growing youth population which presents as a unique customer as well as talent base.

This thematic session focused on “Bharatiya AI Should Become One of India’s Signature Brands” with speakers M. Vidyasagar (National Science Chair, IIT Hyderabad), Abhishek Puri (Associate Consultant, Radiation Oncology), and Sharad Sharma (Co-Founder, iSPIRT Foundation). The session was moderated by Rajeev Srinivasan (Columnist, Professor, Strategic Marketer). With Artificial Intelligence rapidly transforming industries and geopolitics, it is also becoming a critical tool for economic growth, innovation, and national security. Considering India’s unique position, it is important to develop and work on the aspects of Artificial Intelligence which understands India culturally, and its challenges. The development of an ecosystem investments in research and development, supportive regulations, and strategic public-private partnerships are the key to the growth of the brand – which includes a whole-nation approach to harness the potential of AI.

On 22^nd November, the inaugural session featured addresses by Shri Piyush Goyal (Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India) and Smt Nirmala Sitharaman (Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India). The session was chaired by Shri Suresh Prabhu (Former Minister of Civil Aviation & Chancellor, Rishihood University). They discussed about the idea of Bharat and the economic aspects of it.

The Special Address by Shri David Frawley, Author, Padma Bhushan spoke about the India’s legacy as a civilisational and knowledge hub is unparalleled and rooted in its profound contributions to philosophy, science, and mathematics, among others. He highlighted the unique position India comes from and being a beacon of universal values, where diversity thrives within cultural framework.

The Conference keynote session on “Building Brand Bharat” featured Neelakanth Mishra (Chief Economist, Axis Bank & Head of Global Research, Axis Capital) and Manish Sabhrawal (Vice Chairman, TeamLease Services Ltd). The session was chaired by Suman Bery (Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog). They discussed opportunities in various sectors to create a distinctive global brand Bharat such as technology, pharmaceutical, renewable energy, digital infrastructure among others. The discussants discussed about the scaling exports and making India as a preferred investment destination to strengthen resilient supply chains in critical industries.

As part of the Late Night Conversations by the Panel on the topic “US Elections and the Rise of Conservative Politics in the World” with Swapan Dasgupta (Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation), Walter R. Mead (Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute & Columnist, The Wall Street Journal), Bill Drexel (Fellow for Technology and National Security Program, Center for a New American Security), James Diddams (Managing Editor, Providence), and Come Carpentier (Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation). The session was chaired by Ram Madhav (President, India Foundation). They discussed the implications of Trump 2.0 administration on bilateral relations with India and South Asia.

Day 2, 23^rd November, 2024

The presentation session on the “10 Trillion Economy” featured Rakesh Pandey (CMD, Bravo Group),Sandeep Tandon (CEO, Quant Money Managers Limited), and Srini Raju (Founder, iLabs Group & SriCity Pvt Ltd). The session was moderated by Rami Desai (Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation). In this session, they discussed India’s aspiration to become a $10 trillion economy through multifaceted approaches. They talked about strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative and positioning India as a global economic powerhouse.

The standalone keynote session featured Arvind Panagariya (Chairman, Finance Commission of India) and was chaired by Chandra Wadhwa (Member, Board of Trustees, India Foundation.Arvind spoke about the confidence the world has on India considering continued efforts for the next decade, navigating challengesand learning from the mistakes made in the past.

This plenary session focused on “Strategic Opportunities for Bharat in a New Global Order” with Mukesh Aghi (President & CEO, US-India Strategic Partnership Forum), Ridham Desai (Managing Director, Morgan Stanley India), and Ashishkumar Chauhan (CEO & MD, National Stock Exchange). The session was chaired by Shamika Ravi (Member, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, GOI). They discussed on the aspects of Viksit Bharat from the welfare point of view, with special focus on the labour market, welfare and population.

The session on “Communicating the India Story” featured Shekhar Gupta (Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Print), S. Prasannarajan (Editor, Open Magazine), Amish Tripathi (Author), and Ashwin Sanghi (Writer). It was chaired by Swapan Dasgupta (Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation). They discuss the role and importance of carefully crafted narratives of India’s role through various initiatives such as G20, International Yoga Day, among the others. They talked about how India can shape perceptions, inspire confidence, and be part of the emerging global order as a key player.

The thematic session “Education for the Indian Century: Filling the Talent Gap” featured Deepti Navaratna (TV Raman Pai Chair Professor, NIAS), Prof. K. Gopinath (Professor, Newton School, Rishihood University), and Neelakantha Bhanu Prakash (Founder, Bhanzu). The session was moderated by Sahil Aggarwal (Co-founder & CEO, Rishihood University). The discussants talked about the potential of India and its ability to leverage its demographic dividend which hinges on a robust education system that bridges the talent gap. It is important to align education with the demands of the 21^st Century and transforming India into a knowledge-driven economy. This would in turn address challenges which include preparing a work-force for Viksit Bharat@2047.

The thematic session “Cultural Entrepreneurship to Build Brand Bharat” featured Chandu Nair (Angel Investor, Chennai Angels), K. Yatish Rajawat (Founder & CEO, Center for Innovation in Public Policy), Payal Nath (CEO & Founder-Director, Kadam Haat), and Ravi Narayan (Global President, Startup Genome). The session was moderated by Sanjay Anandaram (Co-Founder, NICEorg). They discussed the role of Culture in creating India which celebrates its diversity, tradition while embracing the future.

The thematic session on “Global Capability Centres (GCC)” featured Lalit Ahuja (Founder & CEO, ANSR Source Inc.), Nirupa Shankar (Joint Managing Director, Brigade Group). The session was moderated by Abhishek Goenka (Founder, Aeka Advisors).

The standalone keynote session featured Nilesh Shah (PM-EAC, MD & CEO, Kotak Asset Management Co.)He spoke on the transformation of India and the development of talent in relation to the economy.

The plenary session on “Industry and Society” featured Komal Hiranandani (Founder & CEO, Dolce Vee), Ashish Dhawan (Co-Founder, The Convergence Foundation), Mudit Kapoor (Associate Professor, Economics, ISI), and Sriram Balasubramanian (Economist & Author of Dharmanomics). The session was chaired by Lakshminarayana K R (Chief Endowment Officer, Azim Premji Foundation). They discussed on the aspect of industry and society’s role in shaping modern economies and communities. They focused on the how as industries evolve, they drive social change, economic development, and innovation in societies.

The special keynote session featured Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister, Government of India). The session was moderated by Shri Ram Madhav (President, India Foundation). He reiterated that Brand Bharat reflects our civilisational character as it is a statement of authenticity, representation, articulation and beliefs.

The plenary session “Bharat and the New Global Order” featured Ofir Haivry (Vice President, Herzl Institute), Walter R. Mead (Distinguished Fellow, Hudson Institute & Columnist, The Wall Street Journal), Milinda Moragoda (Former High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India), and Tariq Mansoor (Member, Legislative Council, Uttar Pradesh). The session was chaired by M. J. Akbar (Former Minister of State for External Affairs).

Day 3, 24^th November, 2024

The plenary session “New Age News Consumption” featured Anushka Pandey (Co-Founder & Managing Editor, The Tatva), Andrew Wilson (Research Associate, Centre for the Future of Liberal Society), Aditi Paswan (Assistant Professor, Delhi University), and Deep Haldar (Contributing Editor, The Print). The session was chaired by Swadesh Singh (Assistant Professor, Satyavati College, DU). With the advent of technology, they discussed on the aspects of how people consume news, marking a shift from newspaper-based media to online media, which are more dynamic and user-centric platforms. They also discuss the aspect of accessibility, challenges from misinformation, and the reliability of information.

The plenary session “The Cosmopolitan Bharat” featured Anil Antony (National Secretary & Spokesperson, BJP), Anand Prasad (Senior Partner, AP & Partners), Shefali Vaidya (Author & Speaker), and Apurv Kumar Mishra (Consultant, EAC to PM, GOI). The session was chaired by Rupa Vasudevan (Founder & Chancellor, BEST Innovation University).The panellists discussed how nations confidently navigate their role in an interconnected world especially India which is diverse culturally, and inclusive in its ways. The India of today, embodies the best of local and global identities, serving as a model of harmonious co-existence in the 21^st

The presentation session “Conquering Culture Wars” featured standalone speeches by C. R. Mukunda (Saha Sarakaryavah, RSS), Suresh Prabhu (Chancellor, Rishihood University), and Yoram Hazony (President, Herzl Institute). The session was chaired by Dr. A. Surya Prakash (Former Chairman, Prasar Bharati). The panellists discussed the issues of identity, values, and social norms of the societies which become diverse and often polarizes societies. They even discussed the aspects of wokeism, cancel culture, and suppression of dissent, which can undermine constructive dialogues in democratic societies.

The plenary session “Challenges to Brand India” featured Lt. Gen. Raj Shukla (Member, UPSC), P. S. Raghavan (Chairman, NSAB), and A. B. Mathur (Member, NSAB). The session was chaired by Maj. Gen. Dhruv C. Katoch (Director, India Foundation).The discussion in the session revolved around the aspect of unresolved geopolitical tensions which discourages partnership among nations. For India to safeguard and strengthen its Brand Bharat, there is a need for holistic approach that includes addressing internal and external threats while promoting resilience in administration.