Day 1 of ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025 sparks transformative conversations on Humanity's Next Frontier
The inaugural day of the ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025 commenced with resounding grandeur, centred on the compelling theme, 'Humanity's Next Frontier.' The summit witnessed an overwhelming response, solidifying its position as a premier platform for intellectual discourse and visionary thinking. This landmark event brought together luminaries from diverse fields to deliberate on India's pivotal role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and the transformative impact of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Positioned at the intersection of India's rich cultural heritage and its ascent as a global demographic and economic powerhouse, the summit served as a dynamic forum for thought leaders, policymakers, and innovators.
In the much anticipated opening session, ‘The Earth Flame Searching for Inner Peace’, celebrated Indian author, journalist, and travel writer, Pico Iyer, recounted his life in a catholic hermitage after a fire incident burned down his family home in California, “The very night I lost everything when my house burned down, I realised I still had the most important things. I also realised I don’t need 90% of things I accumulated; I can live more minimally. Humanity’s last frontier is really humanity’s first frontier which is what kind of invisible clarity and calm can we find to make our peace with AI and the other accelerating technologies.”
“India is not a poor country anymore, and we must take bold steps in developing our foundational AI models,” said Dr. Manish Gupta, Senior Director at Google DeepMind, who leads AI research teams across India and Japan. Speaking on the topic ‘Transforming India with AI: Why We Need More Data’, he said, “Some assume that building foundational AI models requires hundreds of millions of dollars, but we must have the courage to take on challenges that have never been attempted before. AI is an old discipline, almost as old as computing itself. The reason ChatGPT and similar models took off is the innovation of transformer architecture, which has been key to foundational AI models."
In the session, “The Frontiers of Science: Knowing the Unknown”, Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director, NIMHANS, said, "One in ten people suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.” Dr. Shubha Tole, Neuroscientist and Professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, talked about the importance of research, saying, "Research opens minds. It’s the art of asking questions, and through this process, we uncover profound insights. Who better to solve a problem than a mind trained in research?” Dr. Jahnavi Phalkey, Founding Director of Science Gallery, Bangalore, talked about the state of research funding in our country, “Our funding system is skewed and laced with bureaucratic hurdles. The funding landscape is poorly developed and needs to be strengthened. We also need to rethink the direction of research.”
In the session titled ‘The Next Generation: Making Business Better’, Shashwat Goenka expressed how his organisation identified the potential of makhana early, stating, "We discovered the market value of makhana before people even adopted it. Healthy snacking was an untapped space, and we saw the opportunity before it became mainstream."
Speaking in the session, ‘Wah Ustads: Magic at Their Fingertips’, Taufiq Qureshi said, “During our childhood, we were given honest feedback and guidance from gurus at home. “In my house, we had already covered A to Z of percussions, A for Alla Rakha and Z for Zakir Hussain. I didn’t feel any pressure growing up. I feel fortunate that I was born in a family which has such rich musical legacy. So, very early in my career, I tried to create my own identity and music and succeeded.”
“With legacy comes responsibility, which can be overwhelming but you gradually find your voice,” said Bickram Ghosh. “I performed my first concert at the age of 9, and I was immensely praised. But when I returned home, I was debarred from performing for next 10 years so that I don’t get used to attention. In one of my early performances, I was told by someone in live audience that I didn’t perform as well as my father. My father advised that I have to create my own sound instead of following him.”
At ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025, Geetanjali Vikram Kirloskar, Chairperson & MD, Kirloskar Systems Pvt. Ltd. shared a powerful narrative of resilience, leadership and legacy. Speaking in the session titled ‘Transformative Leadership — Adapting to Change,’ she reflected on her journey of steering Kirloskar Systems through adversity while upholding its vision and values. Geetanjali said, "Success comes with an enabling environment. When we brought Toyota to India, I joined my husband in that journey, supporting him in two joint ventures. After his passing, I remained committed to Kirloskar, doing everything I could for the company."
In a session, Conscious Development – Making Governance Ecologically Sensitive, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant, said, "There should be no VIP culture at the Kumbh Mela. Safety and amenities should be available for everyone, and they are already in place at the Kumbh." Speaking about rumours that tourism in Goa has declined, he said, "This is not accurate. Certain influencers are attempting to shift perceptions away from Goa as a premier tourism destination. This is not the appropriate platform to discuss which influencer is responsible, but we are conducting an investigation. Goa remains a safe and clean destination, attracting visitors who come to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea. Additionally, people now visit Goa to see its temples, although previously, the main attractions were its beaches and churches. We are expanding and developing our airports and ports to accommodate both domestic and international tourists. Regarding sustainable development goals, we currently hold the fourth position and aim to reach the top by 2030."
In the session ‘Adventures in Space – Our Place in the Universe,’ Dr. Goutam Chattopadhyay, Senior Scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Visiting Professor at Caltech, said, “There is no conspiracy theory here. NASA is not keeping Sunita Williams in space. Sunita Williams’ return was delayed due to a technical glitch, but on March 19, they will be safely back home. In fact, we are using this opportunity to explore space further.”
In the session ‘50 years on – Art, Activism, and Acting,’ acclaimed veteran theatre artist and actor Amol Palekar remarked, “Actors have more social responsibility because people look up to them. There was a trend that movie only meant for entertainment. But art or movies cannot be mindless entertainment. If you see on any channel, 90% of topics covered by media is political news, as if there’s nothing else in our lives. We are stuck in a maze of who said what. Media should take responsibility to cover other aspects of our lives which can help us to become better human beings.”
Spotlighting the need for sustainable urbanisation and development, Mayank Agrawal, CEO of Gallant Group of Industries, highlighted the role of technology in reshaping infrastructure. Sharing his insights in the session "Building Sustainably – Cities of the Future," Mayank Agrawal stated, “India's growing population and rising demand for housing require smarter solutions. AI is already playing a significant role in construction by predicting future equipment needs based on past data. Given that construction is labour-intensive, technology can drive cost-effectiveness and improve efficiency.”
Celebrated Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu inspired the audience with her views in the session ‘Fearless and Feisty – Telling Powerful Stories’. Taapsee remarked on the popularity of social media stating, “Don't judge talent by their social media following. Cast actors in films because of their craft, talent, and ideology; not just because they have a huge follower count. I spend more time nurturing my talent than staying on social media. Trolling doesn’t affect me much.”
In the session titled ‘Diving into the Deep – A Decade in the Spotlight’ celebrated actress and climate change warrior Bhumi Pednekar opened up on several facets to her life. Bhumi said, “The way I look at the characters I have played is that they are women in their entirety. They are different shades of women a modern day Indian girl is. The common thing of all my characters is that they have agency. Something I really miss growing up was seeing women who didn’t fit into the bracket of conventional beauty standards are. I am genuinely fortunate and proud that my first movie was Dum Laga Ke Haisha. Usually women are defined by the rules that society expects them to be. But you don’t really have to. Women should make their own rules. I gained about 40 kilos for Dum Laga Ke Haisha but people around never judged me. So, I played the character with that confidence. Dum Laga Ke Haisha changed my life. I won’t ever want any other movie to debut.”
Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar, said, “Coming from a small city like Lucknow has been a significant advantage for me. In such an environment, the need to prove oneself becomes second nature. Additionally, hailing from a city renowned for its rich culinary heritage has had a positive impact on me.” He was speaking in the session themed ‘What We Eat Is Who We Are: The Palate on a Plate’.
Celebrated singer and composer Papon captivated audiences during the session "Rhythm Divine: Growing Up with Music for the Soul." He reflected on his musical journey stating, “I was fortunate to be born into a family where music was a way of life. It was always like a mehfil at home. Delhi taught me a lot - the language, the nuances and the depth of music."
Leading expert in foreign and national security policy, Ambassador Kurt Volker, Former US Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, and President & Founder of Alliance Strategic Advisors, LLC, shed light on ‘The New World Order - View from America’.
Discussing the developments in United States since Donald Trump assumed office, he said, “There’s a feeling of disenfranchisement that Donald Trump has capitalised on to try and bring order back to people who are feeling dislocated.” He further commented on the developing geopolitics in Asia, stating, “China is a rising power which comes across as a direct adversary for United States; but India is a rising power that comes across a friendly state with shared values. President Trump personally likes Prime Minister Narendra Modi but that doesn’t stop his transnationalism.”
Towards the end of the eventful day, Ricky Kej shares his incredible journey of winning the Grammy three times, reflecting on the emotions, and his memorable meeting with PM Modi. He went on to win hearts of the audience with a captivating performance with his team.
The ABP Network’s Ideas of India 2025, centred on the theme ‘Humanity’s Next Frontier’, will convene thought leaders and innovators to explore the challenges and opportunities in India’s ascendance in a rapidly changing world. In the face of climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and technological advancements like AI, the summit delved into India’s role as both an ancient civilisation and a demographic powerhouse in shaping the future. The two-day summit brings together a confluence of ideas from global thought leaders, intellectuals, and change-makers, covering transformative possibilities in science, medicine, social contracts, and global leadership, with experts from diverse fields offering bold visions of a better, more sustainable world for all.
About ABP Network
An innovative media and content creation company, ABP Network is a credible voice in the broadcast and digital spheres, with a multi-language portfolio of news channels reaching 535 million individuals in India across YouTube, websites, apps, and social media platforms. ABP Studios, which comes under the purview of ABP Creations – the content innovation arm of the network – creates, produces, and licences original, groundbreaking content outside of news. ABP Network is a group entity of ABP, established almost 100 years ago, and continues to dominate as a leading media company.
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