THE INDIA MOMENT

From economy to geopolitics to entertainment to sports, the country is making its presence felt in every field

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WELCOME ADDRESS

AROON PURIE Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group

Nineteen years ago, in the presence of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, we had kicked off a two-day conclave at which the theme was 'Building an Indian Century'. We knew the idea was aspirational but worth testing. Surprisingly, the galaxy of speakers not only endorsed the idea but also suggested pathways to building an Indian century. That included Prime Minister Vajpayee, Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi, Mukesh Ambani, Raghuram Rajan and Colin Powell-among others.

The following year, the theme was 'India: Global Giant or Pygmy'. The gala night speaker was President Bill Clinton. He exhorted us by saying, and I quote, "The world cannot afford for India to be a pygmy. You have to be a giant and the right kind of giant." With over a fifth of the 21st century gone, The Giant has arrived.

It is India's Moment.

From economy to geopolitics to entertainment to sports. India's graph is on the rise. Let's look at some significant developments to see how India has shaped up in this century so far.

In 2000, India's economy was less than 5 per cent of the US economy in dollar terms. Today, it is 14 per cent. Last year, India became the fifth-largest economy in the world. We are also the fastest-growing large economy in the world. We have recently become the most populous country on the planet with 1.4 billion people, out of which 1 billion are below the age of 35, while many other countries have ageing populations. This means we are an aspirational nation, and that signifies we are an amazing market for anybody.