Digital
Agoda reveals new horizons list for India’s travel landscape
Mumbai: As the new year kicks off, digital travel platform Agoda, has revealed the top five emerging destinations in India in its “New Horizons List”. The year-on-year search data has highlighted the destinations that have marked growth in traveller interest.
Ahmedabad led the way, followed by Kodaikanal, Mahabaleshwar, Ooty, and Kochi. These cities reflect a growing interest among Indians to experience local culture and heritage and are increasingly inclined towards picturesque locales.
| INDIA | |
| Destination | per cent increase in searches |
| Ahmedabad | 44 per cent |
| Kodaikanal | 35 per cent |
| Mahabaleshwar | 22 per cent |
| Ooty | 21 per cent |
| Kochi | 19 per cent |
Ahmedabad, the financial capital of Gujarat, has claimed the top spot with a notable 44 per cent increase in searches year-on-year. It is home to the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue and also boasts of a rich cultural and culinary heritage. Ahmedabad has grown in popularity among Indian travellers, and this year it further grew owing to the city being the host of a major sports event, the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Picturesque nature destinations dominate the New Horizons list, with Kodaikanal experiencing a 35 per cent increase and hill stations Mahabaleshwar and Ooty, rising by 22 per cent and 21 per cent respectively. Kodaikanal’s unspoiled natural beauty and serene ambience has experienced a notable uptick in interest and Mahabaleshwar and Ooty are also capturing attention for their distinct attractions, ranging from Mahabaleshwar’s sweeping hill vistas to Ooty’s captivating colonial-era ambiance and tea plantations.
At number five on the New Horizons List is Kochi, a vibrant port city in Kerala, which witnessed a 19 per cent increase in searches. The state has been a hotspot for Indians, and Kochi is where history and modernity seamlessly converge. It remains a favourite among travellers for its remarkable Dutch and Portuguese architecture, food and spice markets, and traditional cultural experiences.
Country director India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives Agoda Krishna Rathi, shared, “2023 has proven to be a great year for travel in India. Agoda’s Year-on-Year search data highlighted growth across domestic, inbound, and outbound travel. The New Horizons list features quite a few hill stations and some bustling cities with a mix of food, culture, and interesting activities. As the new year begins, we are excited to see the trends that will shape the preferences of Indian travellers.”
Agoda’s platform, which offers over 3.9 million holiday properties, along with flights and activities, provides travellers with the convenience of planning and booking a comprehensive adventure. These emerging destinations present an exciting opportunity for travellers to discover new facets of India.
Disclaimer – The data is based on year-on-year comparisons of searches made on Agoda in November 2022 and 2023.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
