Mumbai / New Delhi, 20th February 2023: On the concluding day of the seventh edition of the prestigious GBS Global Summit 2023, conceptualized and executed by ET Edge at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, the focus was on ‘Bricks & Clicks’ approach by Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT- Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, collaborative yet distributed and intelligent workplaces, and the game-changing spin-offs from India-UAE CEPA, among other issues.
Like all editions of the Global Business Summit, the seventh edition also has several global speakers, and day two saw a premier gathering of policy and business leaders speaking on diverse themes such as sustainable growth, electric mobility, geo-political dynamics, and the future in digital. They included Anita Williams Woolley, Associate Dean, Tepper School of Business, H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy, Jacek Olczak, CEO, Philip Morris International, Carl Pei, CEO & Co-founder, Nothing, Alexander MacDonald, Chief Economist, NASA, Dr. Linda Yueh CBE, London School of Business, among others.
In the session titled “Bricks & Clicks’, Hon’ble Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw enthused the audience with a glimpse of the work the Indian Railways is doing currently and the shape of things to come soon, Shri Vaishnaw said – “With a vision of 50 years, ‘Bricks and Clicks’ approach is about fast-paced development, revamping of physical infrastructure with minimal disruption to current operations and marrying the same to technological innovation. This combination will ensure inclusivity and scale with benefits reaching all sections of the society.” Indian Railways is on course to supersede current global standards in passenger experience.
Highlighting the significance of roads in the prosperity of the country Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways said “The vision of our PM is to make world-class infrastructure in order to drive down costs and propel the country towards economic growth. Our aim is to bring the industry logistics cost to 9%. We also have an opportunity to reduce carbonization by promoting alternative fuels based upon agriculture. This shall add another dimension to our ‘Kisans – Annadata and Urjadata’ and also increase the contribution of agriculture from current levels.”
Addressing the session on ‘India’s Techade’ Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & Information Technology said “Today Geo-Politics, Economy, Trade and Security are intersecting and technology is at the center of that intersection. In the next decade, India will be among the pack of nations that shall drive technology globally.” Addressing the subject of the industry-academic skill gap, he mentioned “A Degree gives knowledge and Skills give employability.”
Automation is an integral part of technology and speaking on the same Ben Driggs, President & CEO, Global High Growth Regions, Honeywell said “We are trying to address both sides of the equation of energy conservation and energy transition. Today, most businesses estimate their emissions using a variety of assumptions. However, there is no real scoreboard that actually enables us to manage improvements.“
Online gaming is another area where technological prowess is showcased. Quentin Staes-Polet, Managing Director, Unreal Engine, International Operations, Epic Games said– “A game may improve things, transform individuals, and reshape society. India now is the leading market for mobile game downloads in India.”
Shedding light on the scope of economic benefits which India-UAE CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) would bring, H.E. Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Cabinet Member & UAE Minister of Economy said “From having the world’s largest sea-port, to airport, UAE now aspires to become the biggest brain port and trade capital of the world. India has one of the most thriving economies and we want to assist it to accomplish its $5 trillion goal for 2030. This CEPA was the first for a GCC country and we are now looking forward to approx. USD 100 billion trade over the next five years with India.”