Mumbai: CNBC-TV18 celebrated 25 years of journalistic excellence with the inaugural Global Leadership Summit, a landmark event that illuminated India’s growing influence in the global business and economic landscape. Held at the iconic Jio World Centre, the summit was a grand convergence of industry visionaries, policymakers, and thought leaders, all focused on discussing global challenges, emerging opportunities, and India’s ascent on the world stage.
The summit began with an inspiring address from Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18. She highlighted India’s crucial role in the global economic narrative, stating, “As CNBC-TV18 marks 25 years of excellence, the Global Leadership Summit brought together the most influential thinkers to chart out the roadmap for what India needs to focus on over the next quarter century to achieve high performance. From the policy priorities to the role of the private sector, from manufacturing to services, from infrastructure to Artificial Intelligence, the Global Leadership Summit was the stage for insightful and transformative discussions. As we look ahead, we hope this summit will continue to reflect our commitment to providing thought leadership and an execution strategy to deliver on India’s promise and potential.”
Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, Piyush Goyal, set the tone for the event with a fireside chat that focused on India’s competitive edge in the global market. Reflecting on the success of an automobile company that recently went public, Goyal said, “I was reviewing the numbers of a major automobile company that recently went public. It’s remarkable to note that an initial investment of $200 million made 25 years ago has yielded dividends and royalties exceeding $12 to $13 billion in just the last decade. Even with such extraordinary returns, the company’s current market capitalization remains at approximately $15 billion. This highlights the significant competitive edge that companies manufacturing in India possess. As they continue to offer better pricing and greater value, I’m confident they are poised for even greater growth. Ultimately, companies must decide whether to maintain high margins in a softening market or to become more aggressive, capture a larger market share, and drive growth through competitive pricing. The answer lies in how they leverage their strengths in this evolving landscape.”
The summit featured a host of insightful sessions, including a keynote from RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. Speaking on “Sailing Through Turbulence: India’s Tryst with Financial Stability,” Das delved into the challenges of balancing growth and inflation amid global volatility. He commented, “Central banks worldwide are navigating an increasingly complex financial environment, and the Reserve Bank of India is no exception. The trade-off between supporting growth and controlling inflation remains challenging, especially in a time of high global volatility. We have witnessed the repercussions of moving ‘too early’ or ‘too late,’ particularly in the banking sector issues that emerged in advanced economies earlier this year. At the Reserve Bank, our response has been measured and timely, maintaining the flexibility to act in sync with evolving conditions. By balancing growth and inflation priorities, we aim to build resilience into India’s financial system. As we shift towards a neutral stance, we remain focused on achieving a durable alignment of inflation within target while supporting growth, underscoring our commitment to a stable and thriving economy.”
The summit also featured a special tribute to three icons of India’s economic stability—Dr. C Rangarajan, Dr. Bimal Jalan, and Dr. Y. V. Reddy, former Governors of the Reserve Bank of India. This was followed by the unveiling of “5/25 Transformative Ideas for the Next Quarter Century,” where Uday Kotak, Founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank, shared his visionary roadmap for India’s future.
Prominent global leaders also graced the summit, including Esi Eggleston Bracey, Global Chief Growth & Marketing Officer of Unilever, who spoke on “Boost Brands, Boost Business,” and offered valuable insights into driving brand growth in competitive markets. The panel discussion “Investing in India’s Today & Tomorrow” explored India’s economic potential and sustainable growth strategies with leading investors such as Ramesh Damani, Ramesh Damani Finance Pvt Ltd., Manish Chokhani, Enam Holdings, Raamdeo Agrawal, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, and Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, NSE.
The afternoon saw a lively debate in the session ‘Managing Markets: Is it Time to be Bullish or Bearish?’ where experts including Ridham Desai, Managing Director, Morgan Stanley India, and V. Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO, IDFC First Bank, discussed market trends and investment strategies. A subsequent session, ‘India: The Outlier,’ analyzed India’s role amid global economic shifts, featuring insights from Auguste Tano Kouame, Country Director, World Bank, and Krishna Srinivasan, Director, Asia & Pacific Department, IMF.
In a compelling discussion titled ‘Legacy, Longevity, Leadership: The Playbook for the Future,’ Rishad Premji, Executive Chairman of Wipro, and Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto, shared their perspectives on sustaining leadership in rapidly evolving industries.
Further discussions explored India’s future as a global superpower. Hitendra Dave, CEO of HSBC India, spoke on “The Next Superpower: India’s Growth Blueprint,” stating, “India’s optimism for the next 25 years is rooted in its young demographics and unmatched digital infrastructure. With 1.4 billion people, most under 28, the potential for transformation is staggering. Strategic investments in digital payments and unified lending systems can redefine credit access, unleashing growth across sectors. By harnessing this opportunity, India can pave its way to becoming a developed economy with a per capita income of $13,000–$15,000—a bold but achievable vision.”
The summit also saw spirited conversations on entrepreneurship and innovation, with sessions like “Startup Dreams to Wealth Creation” featuring industry stalwarts such as Rajan Anandan, MD, Peak XV, and Kunal Shah, Founder, CRED. The “Phygital India: From Bricks to Broadband” panel explored the integration of digital and physical spaces, featuring insights from Ari Sarker, President, Asia Pacific, Mastercard, and Jitu Virwani, Chairman, Embassy Group.
The evening session, “India’s Manufacturing Moment: Breakout Ready?” led by Sajjan Jindal, Chairman & MD, JSW Group, discussed India’s potential as a global manufacturing powerhouse. The event also saw the felicitation of Deepak Parekh, former Chairman of HDFC, who delivered an insightful TED Talk on ‘Transforming the Financial Sector for a New Generation.’
The summit concluded with a special segment titled “From The Foreign Investor’s Lens,” featuring Prem Watsa, Chairman & CEO, Fairfax Financial Holdings, and John Chambers, Chairman of USISPF, who shared their thoughts on India’s growing global stature. This was followed by “India’s Right to Win,” which focused on India’s competitive edge in the global market, featuring Dr. Anish Shah, Group CEO & MD, Mahindra Group, and Falguni Nayar, Founder & CEO, Nykaa.
In one of the most anticipated discussions, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, and filmmaker Karan Johar delved into the evolution of India’s entertainment industry in “Cinema: Magic to Monetisation.” The event also featured a fireside chat with Sriharsha Majety, Co-founder and Group CEO, Swiggy, on their IPO journey in “Let’s Swiggy With It.”
The summit further honored N.R. Narayana Murthy, Co-founder of Infosys, as an ‘Icon of The Indian Economy,’ followed by a fireside chat where he shared his perspective on India’s future. He stated, “Over the last 30 years, India has made remarkable progress. A new wave of confidence and energy is driving growth, visible in everything from local businesses and street vendors to fitness centres. Yet, while urban middle-class incomes are rising, a vast segment of the population remains untouched by globalization. The challenge ahead is creating jobs, especially for those who cannot access high-skill industries like software. The solution lies in exports, countries like China and Vietnam have shown how global demand can drive large-scale job creation. To succeed, India must move faster in decision-making, adopt global best practices, and raise its standards of excellence.”
The event concluded with a dynamic discussion between Leo Varadkar, former Taoiseach of Ireland, and Navtej Sarna, former Ambassador of India to the US, on “Finding Leadership in a Fractured World.” The closing performance by Ajay Bijli, Managing Director, PVR INOX Limited, left the audience inspired for the future.
This 25th Anniversary celebration was more than just a reflection of CNBC-TV18’s legacy; it was a testament to India’s boundless potential, charting the course for the nation’s economic and social transformation. The success of the CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit was made possible through the unwavering support of its partners and sponsors, including HSBC India, Embassy REIT, Saudi Tourism Authority, ITC, AWS, NSE, Reliance Industries, and others.
The summit’s outreach campaign was a massive success, encompassing TV, digital, print, and social media platforms, amplifying its message across the nation. The event’s hashtag trended #1 on X (formerly Twitter), solidifying its place as a major milestone in India’s business and economic narrative.
