When India gained the status of an independent nation 73 years ago, the country found itself as a technology infant immersed in poverty. The journey of India evolving from an impoverished third world country to an emerging global superpower has not been a smooth one. Even today, as the country stands on the brink of entering a new revolutionary era, issues like widespread poverty, inadequate infrastructure, slow rate of capital formation and job creation for a population of 1.3 billion people are still holding back what otherwise is, one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Unless India frees itself from this vicious cycle it is in, emerging victorious in the upcoming era will be difficult. This raises the following questions: How should it manage its economy in a global environment of unstable and turbulent economies? How will it facilitate organizations to cross the chasm from being just businesses to harnessing the true potential of an innovative corporate structure, strong governance and varied culture? How should it leverage technology to reach and maintain an advantageous position over other countries?

With Government initiatives like Skill India, Make in India and Startup India acting as catalysts, India has become the third largest startup base in the world with over 4,750 technology start-ups. The way Indian startups have revamped the sphere of retail, transport, logistics, financial services, the next decade will be about a metamorphosis in the agriculture, healthcare, real estate, automotive and energy sectors which have already started to explode. This has resulted in changing culture, breaking of traditional hierarchies and amalgamation of verticals across all companies, old or new, to make the businesses agile, flexible and adaptive to change. How can nimble startups collaborate and co-exist with established conglomerates in the VUCA world? How would this relationship between the old traditional structures and the new innovations transform and improve the overall corporate environment of India?

India has created the world’s largest democracy, evolving from being just another third world country to emerging as an eminent global superpower. However, even with the recent re-election of the previous government, the country’s economy is in a deceleration mode with GDP growth clocking 5.8 per cent in Q4 2018-19 and 6.8 per cent for the year as a whole. Can we reverse this trend? Why is there a growing trend of nationalism and shift towards de-globalization and what are its resulting impacts? What changes are being implemented or are required to be implemented to make India a $5 trillion economy?

All around the world, technology and analytics are helping businesses test their limits and unlock their true potential. India has been embracing technology for many years, be it the industrialization and mass production or accepting computerization and automation. Advancement in technology brings tremendous opportunities for India allowing it to leapfrog many stages of development, hastening its journey towards becoming a global superpower. Artificial intelligence, machine learning and neural networks are playing larger roles in almost every field and function of business, fueling ideas for new products and services in the transnational flow of trade and capital. This cross-border flow of digital information involving searches, transactions and communications has increased five-fold since 1990.With more and more sophisticated technology entering the market, how should India ensure that technology does not become its crutch, but remains a tool to enhance its competencies? How should India leverage data and analytics to strengthen its position as a superpower in the global scenario?