Why India's future depends on how its cities work

India has made its ambition clear: to become a developed nation by 2047. It is a monumental task, and the most important driver of that journey will not be capital or technology, but people.

- PARUL GUPTA & RAJEEV PARASHAR

For decades, our brightest minds have moved abroad in search of better opportunities, and many still continue to do so. If the nation is serious about achieving its development goal, that equation must change. India needs its best to stay, and would benefit from the return of those who have left. The world values Indian talent; the challenge now is to make India a place where that talent chooses to live and grow.

Several developed countries have prospered on the shoulders of universities and research centers. For decades, high-quality foreign institutes have attracted Indian students, who study, work and often settle in the host nations. But now, Indians no longer need to look abroad for education or opportunities. Prestigious foreign universities are setting up Indian campuses, while global corporations are expanding their research hubs in key cities such as Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Additionally, a new generation of private Indian universities continues to attract Indian origin faculty trained at the world's best institutions. The homecoming of these talented individuals marks the early signs of a knowledge renaissance driven by confidence in India's own potential.