New Delhi: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said that India is on the right path to becoming a trusted economy, a reliable partner in the global value chain and a stable anchor in a volatile world.
Addressing the CII-ITC sustainability awards function here, the Vice-President said, “The world at the moment is in turmoil and turbulence. Global configurations show no signs of abating. Supply chain disruption is taking place. In this disturbed scenario, Bharat is a prominent voice.”
Underlining the sustainable development credentials of India, Dhnakhar said, “Bharat is home to one-sixth of humanity. We are the world’s largest economy at number four, and we are the torchbearers of a development paradigm that seeks to harmonise the economy, the ecological and the ethical… the global 2030 agenda for sustainable development cannot succeed on the planet without India’s participation. India has embraced this responsibility both with clarity and conviction.”
He exhorted Indian industry to become the torchbearer of this green revolution by investing in renewable energy, green hydrogen, circular economy models, and carbon markets.
“Let us not treat sustainability as a compliance, but as a source of competitive advantage. The moment we take it in the compliance groove, the battle is lost,” Dhankar remarked.
“The Government of India has moved beyond a government-centric approach to a whole-of-society framework. Sub-national and local governments, civil society, private sector players and communities, all are vital cogs in this engine of progress. But, this engine has to fire on all cylinders if we have to achieve tangible success,” he added.
Dhankhar also said that the industry must take the lead in research and development and invest in indigenous design.
Highlighting India’s need for skilling the country’s youth, he pointed out that nearly two-thirds of India’s population is below the age of 35.
“With the median age at 28, we our 10 years younger than China and USA… the duty of the corporates in particular is that this demographic dividend, our biggest asset, has to be channelised in the right direction and therefore focus on skilling youth is fundamental,” he observed.
Dhankar said the government is doing its bit by a number of innovative steps, but a major part for effective transformation has to be done by the industry. He urged industry to work very closely with academia, training institutes, and the government to design future-ready curricula.
The Vice President exhorted India Inc. to expand its global presence — not just in markets, but in ideas, standards, and solutions. “Let us build ‘Brand India’ on four pillars — quality, trust, innovation, and ancient wisdom reimagined for modern relevance,” he remarked.
He also urged industry leaders to fund projects in the health and education sectors through their CSR initiatives.
“There was a time when the health and education sectors were a means to give back to society by businesses. Now, there is a trend that health and education are turning out to be lucrative businesses. Commercialisation and commodification of these vital segments that are essentially passages only to serve the society at large, to give back to society, is an aspect on which corporate India will have to reflect,” Dhankar added.
(IANS)
