A New Era Is Upon Us

The world is undergoing a great transformational change, and so is India. But India is ready for it.

- Manoj Ladwa

THIS WAS THE STUFF of science fiction when I was growing up in the 1970s and 80s. The event: the inauguration of the eighth edition of the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) in Hyderabad this week. A five-foot tall robot painted in white — I wonder why innovators, otherwise brimming with dashing new ideas, cannot think of a colour other than white for their robots — walked up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and daughter and adviser to the US President, Ivanka Trump, and pressed their palms against the Indian and the US flags on a screen on Mitra, the robot, to declare the summit open.

This year’s GES, the first to be held in South Asia, has a theme: “Women first, prosperity for all”, which fits in very well with a key thrust area of the Modi government that has paid special attention to women — gas connections to below poverty line families come immediately to mind.

About 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries — more than 50 per cent of whom were women — participated in the three-day summit. The contingent of US participants, at about 350, was the second largest — after, of course, the Indians.

In his opening speech PM Modi invoked ‘Shakti’, the divine power, which emanates from the all-powerful Goddess of power. He further elaborated that modern India celebrates many women super achievers, including Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), some of Gujarat’s best known milk cooperatives, and Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, which are examples of successful and globally acclaimed women-led cooperative movements.

PM Modi also pointed out that women chief justices are heading three of the four oldest high courts in the country.