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India at 100: self-reliance must power the next leap, says Vineet Jain
Times Group MD calls for strategic depth across AI, energy, defence and data as India eyes developed status by 2047
NEW DELHI: India’s next act will not be written by growth alone but by grit, capacity and hard-edged self-reliance, Vineet Jain said, setting the tone at the Times Now Summit as the network marked 20 years and turned its gaze to the republic at 100.
Opening the summit, Jain framed the moment as a rare convergence of economic momentum, demographic heft, digital muscle and geopolitical weight. The question, he argued, is no longer what India has become—but what it must still build to meet its 2047 ambition.
The answer, he said, lies in a broader, sharper doctrine of Aatmanirbhar Bharat—one that rejects isolation but demands strength in the sectors that define sovereignty and competitiveness. Self-reliance must stretch well beyond factories into the commanding heights of the century: artificial intelligence, data governance, education, defence, energy, critical minerals, frontier technologies and digital platforms.
Control over data will shape the architecture of the future, Jain noted, while AI will drive productivity, security and knowledge. Energy dependence, he warned, leaves economies hostage to volatile supply chains; access to critical minerals will decide the winners of the green and tech transitions.
India must also stop “importing capability” and invest deeply in human capital, he said, arguing that strategic autonomy is credible only when backed by indigenous strength across defence and technology.
For decades, India was tagged as a nation of promise. That era must give way to execution—reform, institution-building and sustained national focus. The window is finite. “We must grow rich before we grow old,” Jain said, calling it a civilisational urgency as the country seeks to convert its demographic dividend into jobs, skills and productivity gains.
Hitting developed-nation status by 2047 will demand second-generation reforms, more competitive institutions, faster urbanisation and heavier bets on research and innovation, alongside a public discourse that rewards long-term thinking over short-term reaction.
Jain cast the summit as a platform not just to question power but to elevate national purpose—moving from commentary to solutions in what he described as a shared project spanning government, industry and citizens.
The message was blunt and forward-leaning: anniversaries don’t transform nations—ambition and execution do. India’s century mark is in sight; the harder task is building the muscle to meet it.
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Times Now Summit 2026 to convene top leaders as network marks 20 years
Policymakers, global voices and industry leaders gather to shape India’s roadmap to 2047
NEW DELHI: Times Network is turning 20 and using the moment to set the agenda for India’s next 25 years. The broadcaster will host the Times Now Summit 2026 on March 26 and 27 in New Delhi, bringing together a heavyweight lineup of policymakers, global leaders and industry voices under the theme “Celebrating Times Now @ 20, Shaping India @ 100.”
The two-day summit aims to move beyond rhetoric to results, with keynote addresses, panel discussions and debates focused on India’s growth story, its challenges and the road ahead. Designed as a platform for high-impact dialogue, the event will evaluate promises versus performance while spotlighting actionable solutions to accelerate the country’s trajectory.
The speaker roster reads like a power list. Amit Shah, minister of home affairs and minister of cooperation; Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of railways, minister of information and broadcasting, and minister of electronics and information technology; Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of petroleum and natural gas; and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, minister of civil aviation will headline discussions.
They will be joined by political leaders and public figures including Akhilesh Yadav, national president of Samajwadi Party and member of parliament; Manish Sisodia, former deputy chief minister of Delhi; Harmanpreet Kaur, captain of the Indian women’s cricket team; and Kriti Sanon, actor and entrepreneur, among others.
Global perspectives will come from Lindy Cameron, British high commissioner to India, and Juan Antonio March Pujol, ambassador of Spain, alongside other international voices.
Day one will also double up as a branding pivot for the network, with the unveiling of a new identity that positions Times Network not merely as a broadcaster but as a bridge connecting India to the world and the world to India in a continuous exchange.
The summit underscores Times Network’s ambition to remain at the centre of national conversations, curating dialogue that shapes policy, business and culture.
As India marches towards its centenary as an independent nation, the message from Times Now Summit 2026 is clear: the next chapter will be written not just in studios or boardrooms, but on platforms that bring power, policy and people into the same room — and force the future into focus.
