Thirty years ago, the Indian economy famously liberalised itself and sailed into the rough seas of a fast-integrating global economy. It was a revolutionary move that transformed India into a serious business destination. Soon after, another revolution happened – the advent of Business Today, a magazine that has led the charts in business content delivery for three decades, by the chronicling and sharp analysis of the ebb and flow of India’s economic and corporate life. From the listing of Infosys on Nasdaq, to the split between the Ambani brothers, to the multi-billion dollar overseas acquisitions by Tata and Aditya Birla groups, to the more recent game-changing policy and taxation reforms such as GST, RERA and bankruptcy code, Business Today has presented sharp analyses of India Inc.’s strategic moves and the government’s policy shifts.
But you probably know all that already. So, let’s tell you something new. For an economy to flourish, it is important to look ahead to try and see what’s coming, and to prepare national economic agendas as well as corporate visions and strategy. So, at 30, Business Today decided to zoom into The Next India Opportunity. In this special anniversary issue — the first of two planned for a year-long celebration — the best minds in the government and corporate India have written on what they expect to happen and what should happen for continued economic and societal growth.
As you flip the pages, you will see why Manish Sabharwal, Executive Vice Chairman, TeamLease Services, thinks that the World of Work will be very different in the future because we now finally agree that our problem is not jobs but productivity. Or why K.V. Kamath, who recently completed his tenure at the New Development Bank, is betting big on the digital super cycle. Or why Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager and Vice President (Sales and Operations) of Google India, says our first priority should be to understand the challenges of Bharat.
You will also see why HDFC Vice-Chairman & CEO Keki Mistry feels that affordable housing will be the driving force in the coming decade, and why Zerodha’s Co-founder, Nikhil Kamath, who has made equity investing free, stresses that India must pay heed to its entrepreneurs who undertake an incredible amount of risk to solve problems. Find out why Sunil Mathur, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens, argues that skilled resources in digital transformation are key to ensuring substantial and measurable success. And why Dilip Shanghvi, Managing Director, Sun Pharma, says achieving equitable and sustainable healthcare is of utmost importance for a developing country like India.
You will find all these answers in this issue, and much more, but we don’t want to be a killjoy. Go on, flip the page, and see for yourself.