Harvard India Conference panel at Kennedy School with Kenneth I Juster Former Ambassador to India / Avantika Panda

A gathering of intellectual minds from around the world came together on Feb. 17 to kick off the India Conference 2024, which was organized by students at Harvard University.

The India Conference at Harvard is an annual student-led initiative held in partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School that offers an international platform for expert policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, and activists to hold discussions and share their work with the global Indian diaspora. It is considered to be one of the largest student-run events in the U.S.

Themed "India Rising," this year's conference aimed to delve into the rich heritage of India and explore its trajectory toward becoming a dominant force in the global economy. The conference featured over 50 distinguished speakers, including prominent figures such as Indermit Gill, chief economist at the World Bank; Aroon Purie, editor-in-chief of India Today; and Indian athlete Deepa Malik.

The panels on day one of the event covered a wide range of topics, including policy, economy, climate, and social change, with titles such as Crossroads and Opportunities: India's Economic Trajectory, Evolving Role of Media in India, Building Bridges: Gender, Allyship, and Social Change, among others. 

The comprehensive agenda highlighted the multifaceted nature of India's growth and development, establishing the event as a critical forum for understanding and shaping the country's future trajectory on a global scale.
 

Indermit Gill, World Bank, Chief Economist with Asim Khwaja, Harvard Kennedy School, Director, Center for International Development during a panel discussion / Avantika Panda

Many panels focused on the Indian economy's projected growth in an era of rapidly expanding digital technology, which is aimed at strengthening its economic and geopolitical role in the future.

World Bank chief economist Indermit Gill, who spoke at the Crossroads and Opportunities: India's Economic Trajectory panel, said that the theme "India Rising" is appropriate because there is a lot of interest in India and the rising GDP growth rate is a great accomplishment. 

However, he stressed that while there has been rapid growth in India’s GDP, from an economic standpoint focusing on the per-capita income rate is essential for projecting growth opportunities. According to Gill, incentives need to be made to achieve projected growth rates but also to exceed the projected rates with due actions to sustain economic growth in the long term.

While the rest of the globe is concerned with India's GDP, Gill remarked that Indians place a higher value on a country's per capita income, which in turn affects their quality of life.

Among the thousands of attendees were numerous students of Indian descent. Postdoctoral research scholar Shreya Sangam from Harvard Medical School was a first-time attendee of the conference. Sangam expressed her interest in attending such events to learn more about forging connections and expanding her knowledge on India’s growth journey.

“India has done a lot for me, and my mindset is always what can I do for India. Through these events, I get to explore my interests in investing, entrepreneurship, and policy-making in India. As an immigrant myself, I’ll soon be part of a contributing factor to the economy and I want to learn the dynamics of India in the global economy and how I can educate myself and contribute to the nation,” Sangam told New India Abroad.

Panels focused on encouraging women's participation in entrepreneurship, education, and higher-level positions as an important factor in economic growth. They highlighted that as India's population grows, low female employment rates pose a challenge to the country's economic prospects.

Many well-known speakers participated in the panels on gender issues in India, including Swati Maliwal, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women. Maliwal said there is a need for open dialogue to create educated conversations on gender in society, which in turn can pave the way for more opportunities for women.

Maliwal brought attention to the misconception that feminism is an issue that affects only women. The importance of having conversations about gender was something she emphasized, saying that it was a question of fundamental human rights. There has to be a change in emphasis from primarily speaking to women to also involving men as advocates for women. "An allyship from men to women is essential,” said Maliwal.

Aroon Purie, founder and editor-in-chief of India Today, and Girish Agarwal, director of Dainik Bhaskar, were part of a panel discussing the new age of media coverage with new digital technology like AI and how to responsibly employ them in the media. The audience also showed great interest in the panels discussing long-term strategies to address food insecurity and problems faced by farmers.

The first day of the conference concluded with a diverse group of panelists discussing a variety of topics. The second day of events will continue on Feb.18 at Harvard Business School with a new set of speakers discussing digital tech, entrepreneurship, films, and more.