Inspiring Journeys

Humans are never content. I suppose that if you have been through hardships then you have a tendency to be content.

My house of knowledge is built on sand because the foundation is so shaky even though I have three graduate degrees from America, even though I have a PhD, my foundation is shaky because we missed 10 years of secondary education.

The hardest thing was not having enough to eat and we worked there for two meals a day in return for hard labour.

Speaker:
Weijian Shan, Chairman and CEO of private equity firm PAG Group and the author of Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America

Session highlights:
Mobility is an important theme for human progress in general. Think of the first industrial revolution. The way we trade as citizens and as nations depends on mobility. It impacts our lives and not just about getting from Point A to Point B.

Current pandemic is on top of everyone’s minds. Need of the hour is for people to stay safe and for the pandemic to be resolved. But pandemic makes mobility even more relevant. Safe mobility is important even in normalcy.

The transformation of industries across the world has been accelerated because of this pandemic. The world is actually a welcoming place to Indian businesses. Our value system is being appreciated and respected. We can create globally leading consumer brands driven by tech.

Speakers:
Bhavish Aggarwal Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, OLA
Shradha Sharma – Founder and CEO of YourStory Media

Session highlights:

– I would describe myself as saying I started a long business career, was involved in philanthropic activities and giving back to society. I was working on the world’s largest health fund to promote health in India.

– Solitary confinement does not matter as long as you are intact within yourself. Can you be the same person in great joy, or sorrow. You have to stay on an even keel in the best and worst of times.

– There are certain skills and capabilities which I have picked up over 40 years and I would like to bring that to bear in a few issues. If I can bring my management way of thinking into rural development – to improve the quality of life in a rural setting.

– US is fortunate because the $ is the global currency. To that extent the economy there has been helped. The inequality in the US is also a major problem. Just like in India. In the end somebody has to pay for poor responses and short-term focus in the US.

Speakers: Rajat Gupta, former CEO, McKinsey & Company
Barkha Dutt, Founder-Editor Mojo & We The Women

Session highlights:

Any culture in the modern world that refuses to innovate and adapt will fail.

The new generation has an 8 sec attention time span which had given rise to an elevator speech creativity, but the coronavirus created space and allowed a rebirth of nuance. We are now listening more.

Coronavirus has led to a rise in spirituality and spiritual storytelling.

Cinema is not limited to Mumbai. Bollywood is not the only cinema in India. The pandemic will usher in a surge in the interest in regional cinema and this impact storytelling in India.

Speakers:
Paul Brett, Executive Producer, Flying Tiger & The Studio Group
Prasoon Joshi – Poet, Songwriter and Communication Professional
Amish Tripathi Director, The Nehru Centre
Shekhar Kapur Filmmaker, India