Rajan Navani is a respected business leader, the Co-Chair of the India@100 Foundation and the Chairman of the CII National Council on India@100. This gives him the opportunity to work with multiple stakeholders, including government, industry, and civil society, in shaping a road map for a developed India by 2047. In this piece, he writes of India’s immediate priorities and strategies to address them.
As India stands at the cusp of transformative growth, India@100 Foundation has unveiled the National Vision Document, charting a path for a developed and equitable nation by 2047. This ambitious roadmap aims to place India as a pivotal player in the evolving global order, while addressing the multifaceted domestic challenges. With a focus on thematic issues ranging from education to healthcare, sustainability, and livelihoods, the document outlines immediate, short, medium, and long-term objectives that will act as a guiding framework for action.
While India is on track to becoming the world’s third-largest economy, a significant segment of the population remains underserved. Many lack access to fundamental needs such as quality education, affordable healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods. To realize the vision of India@100, the immediate priority is to identify these underserved communities and regions to drive targeted grassroots interventions that foster inclusive development.
Key Immediate Steps on the Roadmap to 2047:
Building a Collective of Resources and Human Capital
One of the cornerstone strategies of the India@100 Foundation is to create a collective of corporates, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals to pool financial and human resources. This convergence will not only streamline efforts but also optimize the allocation of resources, ensuring maximum impact with minimal redundancy. Collaboration among stakeholders will further economize efforts and create synergies to address critical challenges effectively and efficiently.
Forging Collaborative Partnerships
Collaborative partnerships will play a pivotal role in accelerating India’s progress:
Government Collaboration: Partnering with Central and State Governments to align initiatives with existing policies and schemes will create a holistic and synchronized approach in addressing developmental challenges
NGOs and Multilateral Organizations: Working with civil society and global organizations can amplify outreach and introduce best practices
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Leveraging PPPs will be crucial for scaling initiatives in key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, and technology
Leveraging Technology and Volunteerism for Scale
The Foundation recognizes the power of technology and volunteerism as critical drivers for achieving scale, outreach and efficiency:
Technology Deployment: Digital tools and platforms will be utilized to enable virtual volunteerism, streamline communication, and enhance the efficiency of ground-level operations
Replication of Best Practices: Proven models of success will be replicated and enhanced to reduce the time needed for implementation while ensuring measurable outcomes
Data-Driven Insights: Impact metrics and analytics will be central to tracking progress, enabling mid-course corrections and ensuring accountability
Advocacy and Sensitization
Beyond direct interventions, advocacy will be a critical focus area:
Influencing Policymakers: Engaging with policymakers to drive legislative and regulatory support for the vision’s objectives
Stakeholder Engagement: Sensitizing corporates, social organizations and people about their role in the collective vision of India@100
Fostering Innovation for Grassroots Development
Innovation will be a cornerstone of India@100’s strategy to address grassroots challenges:
Tech-Enabled Solutions: Bridging gaps in education, healthcare, and livelihoods through technological innovations that deliver scalable solutions
Sustainability Initiatives: Promoting sustainable practices in agriculture, renewable energy, and waste management to ensure long-term growth
Clear Timelines and Measurable Deliverables
For the roadmap to be effective, it must be guided by clear deliverables and measurable outcomes:
Defined Timelines: Every initiative will have a specific timeline to ensure accountability and track progress
Impact Assessment: Regular monitoring and evaluation will ensure initiatives remain aligned with overarching goals, allowing for course corrections when necessary
The India@100 vision
The India@100 Foundation’s vision builds upon the experiential learnings of the India@75 Foundation that concluded with the Amrit Mahotsav Celebrations. These insights highlight the importance of a focused, data-driven, and collaborative approach to achieve ambitious goals. By adopting a surgical and objective strategy, the Foundation aims to maximize the impact of its initiatives while addressing the complexities of a diverse and dynamic nation.
The Call to Action
India@100 is not merely a vision; it is a call to action for every stakeholder—from Government and corporates to communities and individuals. It emphasizes the need for collective responsibility, bold innovation, and relentless focus to achieve an inclusive, equitable, and globally competitive India by 2047. With the right measures in place, this roadmap has the potential to transform aspirations into reality, ensuring that India’s growth story is shared by all.
Together, we can build a future where every Indian has the opportunity to thrive, and India cements its position as a leader in the global order.
With the continuous change in global leadership and the uncertainty that it creates for India being an integrated world, the focus for India over next 25 plus years as we reach India@100 in 2047 can be described as below:
We will agree that the most significant efforts will require active participation from citizens, involvement of capable agencies and individuals to drive this forward.
Industry-led Volunteerism: corporate responsibility or business imperative?
India@100 Foundation organises the National Volunteering Week (NVW) from 18–24 January every year. This year, like every other, the NVW illustrated the power of collective action and community spirit. It also strengthened the case for industry leading by example in catalysing change.
The role of businesses today has moved beyond generating employment and delivering economic growth. In this age of ethical consumerism, successful businesses are emerging as ones that consumers perceive as growing with the community and not at the cost of it.
So what are the ways in which the industry can engage deeply with the community and give back both in letter and in spirit? Imbibing volunteering as a corporate culture is rapidly emerging as a win-win situation for both businesses and the community. To understand volunteerism, corporate social responsibility, and the changing role of businesses better, Rajan Navani, Co-Chair of the India@100 Foundation, spoke to T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Steel, on “Volunteerism: A Force Multiplier for a developed India”.
You can listen to their conversation here.
