A sneak peek into some interesting conversations at the 2022 edition of the Mindmine Summit

Mindmine Institute’s annual flagship event Mindmine Summit took place on September 13 and 14, 2022 at Hyatt Regency in the capital city of Delhi. This edition of the Mindmine Summit focused on repurposing India post-pandemic. The two-day think fest organised by Mindmine Institute, an independent think tank set up by the Hero Enterprise witnessed national and international minds decipher and deliberate on various themes.

Among the many speakers present were celebrated business leaders, thinkers, economists, policymakers, analysts and other stakeholders who gathered to throw light on the future of the remarkable growth story of India.

Let us look at some of the themes that were discussed this year.

Repurposing Geopolitics: Should Nations Mend Bridges Or Build Stronger Fences With Their Neighbours?

Speaking about restoring multilateralism in wake of evolving geopolitics, Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa said that amidst the conflict between major powers such as Russia - Ukraine, China - Taiwan, etc. there have been a lot of disruptions and challenges faced by the world, especially the global supply chains are severely disrupted and global debt is at an all-time high. Looking at these pressing issues, there is a need to accelerate the pace of growth for the world.

G20 (comprising some of the richest countries and emerging markets of the world) has a strategic role to play as it can bring consensus to the world. G20 accounts for about 85 per cent of the global GDP, 75 per cent of the global trade, 90 per cent of global patents and two third of the global population. G20 has the potential to drive equitable and inclusive growth globally.

British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis further added that there are increasing bilateral tensions amidst global problems and geopolitical shifts.

UAE Ambassador to India, Dr. Ahmad Abdulrahman AlBanna said, it was time to extend our hands for friendship, soft powers, soft diplomacy and open new channels because building fences has never worked.

Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon joined the discussion by highlighting the fact that global leaderships that put people’s interests first go a long way in repurposing geopolitics for mutually shared interests.

Touching Souls and Conquering Minds: Learning from Authors, Actors and Lyricists

Kabir Bedi, Manoj Muntashir, and Rumy Jafry shared their views on how their efforts are touching souls and conquering the minds of the masses.

When asked about the one change that could be implemented in India's education system, Manoj Muntashir stated that India should stop celebrating its invaders, who have made insignificant contributions to India's growth story. On the other hand, we need to identify and celebrate the true heroes of our country and tell the whole world their unsung stories.

Sustaining Entrepreneurship: As Tailwinds Become Headwinds, How Should Startups Manage Expectations? 

India is home to over 100 unicorns and a similar number is waiting to join the club. Today, venture capitalists, angel investors, and private equity players have shifted their focus from valuations to generating strong cashflows and strong fundamentals.

Sharing their perspectives on the subject, Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Founder of Info Edge, Ritesh Agarwal, Founder of OYO, and Kanwaljit Singh, Founder and Managing Partner, Fireside Ventures stated that startups should always prioritise generating revenue from customers over obtaining investor funding, because it is a well-known fact that if you get customer money, investor money will always follow. Second, in uncertain times, business resilience is critical. Finally, startups should serve diverse markets in India, including rural markets, in order to gain a larger customer base.

Future-Proofing India: Educating Gen Next for Fuzzy Careers 

In the next session, Dr. Pramath Raj Sinha, Founder and Chairman, Harappa Education, Shaheen Mistri, Founder and CEO, Teach For India, and Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Save the Children shared their views on the education system in India.

Every child is entitled to a good education, but we have failed to provide it. This fundamental issue must be addressed, and we must realise education's limitless potential. To address the underlying issues in the education system, we require the right talent. Improving the capacity and quality of primary teachers is another key focus area.

India’s Push for Bilateral Trade Agreements

Anand Sharma, Former Minister of Commerce and Industry said that India has a good number of economic partnership agreements and trade agreements with other countries. Multilateralism will not be shaken by bilateral or plurilateral agreements as long as counties are mindful of their strengths and economic interests.

The Wrap

The Mindmine Summit 2022 was full of insightful conversations, debates and innovative ideas on India’s future growth story. Click below to watch the live event.

Moneycontrol journalists were not involved in the creation of the article.