Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group and renowned industrialist, has been honored with the famous Ramakrishna Bajaj Memorial Global Award. This award was to given to him for his remarkable contribution to the industry of India and for his contribution towards the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
It is indeed an honour to be chosen for the Ramakrishna Bajaj Memorial Global Award. I am to humbled as I consider the extraordinary names that have won this award.
I also see thread that binds several of the awardees to a common purpose – that of – building a greater India. This is what I want to talk about today.
The pandemic has been a wake-up call for every nation. It has permanently changed geopolitics. The integration of new – and the disintegration of existing global alliances – has far reaching implications.
As India emerges from its impact, we must recognize that the changing geo-politics means drawing from the principles of our own books like Kautilya’s Arthashastra – which this very Academy has published.
Pointing out the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the global geopolitical scenario. He urged the inclusion of India’s ancient wisdom in the school curriculum.
Global Award at Priyadarshni Academy’s 37th Anniversary, Gautam Adani
This is not a statement against globalization. The expansion, integration and deepening of trade and finance among nations is inevitable. But the world is not as flat as Thomas Friedman has made out to be.
There are bends to navigate. For instance, India had nothing to do with the virus but sustained some of the most drastic consequences and criticism on the global stage.
There was not a single major international voice of understanding. All this, while we as nation, had gravitas to not criticize any country as they fought their own battles to control virus.
The fact that we have fought back should in itself be a lesson for all of us that there can be no better defence than Atmanirbharta to mitigate future black swan events.
We should never find ourselves in such a position ever again. This requires muscle – to stand up to the pressures global organizations can bring to bear.
Over the next two decades, India will have the biggest and the youngest middle class that ever existed. We will be the market that every global company will target.
In this euphoria let us never forget that we were to largely left alone to fight the pandemic.