Looking ahead to a ‘golden’ future

At Kellogg’s recent Pragati conference in New Delhi, business leaders and faculty discussed the strategies, challenges and innovations that will define India’s “Golden Decade” of growth.
Written by:
LeeAnn Shelton
6 minute read

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Medanta CEO Pankaj Sahni speaks at the Pragati conference in New Delhi. He wears a beige blazer and white shirt speaks into a microphone while gesturing with his hand during a panel discussion. wo other panelists, a woman and a man, are partially visible in the foreground, engaged in the conversation. The background features warm lighting and blurred decorative elements.
More than a dozen business leaders and faculty from across tech, family businesses and entrepreneurship presented at the Kellogg conference.

India is at an inflection point. With rapid technological advancements, a young and dynamic workforce and a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, the country is poised for a decade of extraordinary growth. Experts predict India’s GDP could double by 2035. 

Last month, Kellogg hosted “Pragati: India’s Golden Decade” in New Delhi, convening business leaders, policymakers and academics to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping India’s economic future. 

For decades, Kellogg has been deeply engaged in India’s business landscape, from playing a foundational role in establishing the Indian School of Business to educating generations of business leaders through its MBA and executive programs. Pragati reaffirmed this commitment, sparking dialogue on leadership, innovation and India’s role in the global economy. 

Leadership, growth and social impact 

Dean Francesca Cornelli set the tone for the day with opening remarks that underscored Kellogg’s dedication to fostering meaningful connections in India’s evolving business landscape. 

In a fireside chat, she and Roshni Nadar Malhotra ’03, ’08 MBA, Chairperson of leading technology firm HCLTech, shared insights on digital transformation, leadership and social impact. 

“It’s not just about raising the bar, but it’s about raising the floor,” said Nadar Malhotra. “What excites me about India the most is the young country that we are and the incredible growth and development we’re having.”

Roshni Nadar Malhotra ’03, ’08 MBA, Chairperson, HCLTech speaks with Dean Francesca Cornelli a the Pragati conference. She wears a pink shirt and glasses and sits on a white leather chair, speaking and gesturing with her hands during a panel discussion. The background features a blue-lit stage, creating a professional and dynamic setting. A bottle of water sits on a nearby table.
Nadar Malhotra speaks with Dean Francesca Cornelli at the Pragati conference.

That young energy — the average age of India’s 1.4 billion people is just 29 — has inspired her to pursue philanthropic and social impact initiatives focused on education and skills training. 

The morning continued with a keynote session featuring Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, India’s policy think tank, who highlighted the nation’s economic trajectory and growing influence on the global stage. 

Sustaining a legacy: The future of India’s family enterprises 

Family enterprises remain a cornerstone of India’s economy, evolving in scale and complexity as they transition from locally focused businesses to national and global enterprises. 

Professor Harry Kraemer ’79 MBA led a thought-provoking session on values-based leadership, followed by a panel discussion on how multigenerational businesses are adapting to changing market dynamics while preserving core values.

Professor Harry Kraemer presents at the Pragati conference. He wears a dark suit with a red patterned tie stands on stage gesturing with both hands while speaking. The stage has wooden paneled walls with purple lighting effects visible in the background.
Professor Kraemer presented on values-based leadership and led a panel on family businesses.

“The Kellogg Pragati Conference in New Delhi was fantastic,” said Kraemer. “The combination of CEO’s, academic professors, Kellogg alumni and invited guests created a wonderful atmosphere of learning, fun and the ability to form new relationships.” 

“One piece of insight that I found very interesting today was listening to understand people,” said Anant Goenka ’07 MBA, vice chairman of RPG Enterprises and a former student of Professor Kraemer. “Very often, how you make people feel can be more important than the logical exchange of ideas.” 

Scaling startups and innovation  

India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving, fueled by digital adoption, shifting consumer behaviors and access to capital. 

Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance JIO, engaged in a fireside chat with Professor Mohan Sawhney, discussing how infrastructure and technology are driving India’s innovation landscape. Parent company Reliance is the country’s largest private-sector company, while telecom firm JIO is the country’s largest mobile network operator. 

A fireside chat at the Pragati conference. On stage, Professor Mohan Sawhney wears a turban and dark suit and sits at a wooden table with water bottles, gesturing while speaking. Next to him is an empty cream-colored chair. A large screen displays a video feed of Reliance JIO chairman Akash Ambani joining remotely.
Professor Sawhney, leading a virtual keynote with telecom executive Akash Ambani.

Sawhney then led a discussion on scaling businesses in India, followed by a panel featuring entrepreneurs within the country’s startup ecosystem. The conversation centered on leveraging India’s unique market conditions to build globally competitive enterprises. 

“For me, the theme of this conference was ‘hopeful,’” said panelist Saumya ’17 MBA, co-founder and chief program officer of agricultural startup Kheyti. She highlighted how the gathering enabled Kellogg alumni to exchange ideas and explore collaborations. 

“I am hopeful about this next golden decade and that we will leapfrog in a lot of sectors,” she said. “Seeing the last ten years, if that’s any data point, I’m sure we’ll go forward with all the momentum that we’ve already built.” 

The human-AI partnership 

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are reshaping industries worldwide — and India is no exception. 

Professor Sawhney presented on designing optimal human-AI partnerships for business success. His session explored how businesses can integrate AI in ways that enhance decision-making, efficiency and innovation. 

Attendees at the Pragati conference, seated at tables covered with white tablecloths. In the foreground, a smiling man in a blue suit with a name badge is prominently featured. To his right is a woman in a red outfit who is also smiling. Behind them are several other attendees in business attire, some wearing name badges. On the tables are water bottles, coffee cups, and what appear to be conference materials or gift bags.
Anant Goenka (foreground) and many other alumni gathered for the conference.

“Agentic AI has tremendous potential to unlock value, but agents in most cases should not operate with full autonomy,” said Professor Sawhney. “The optimal human-AI pairing should be decided by weighing the value of automation against the cost and risk of being wrong.” 

Professor Brian Uzzi then led a session on talent development in an AI-driven economy, followed by a panel discussion with experts in human capital and the future of work. The conversation focused on how organizations can harness AI to upskill the workforce and prepare for the next wave of technological change. 

“The Pragati conference was a powerful mix of some of India’s most powerful business minds and a swell of Kellogg’s Rock Star alumni,” Uzzi said. “I was proud to be there and wowed by what I learned.  The conference showed that in preparing for the next decade of golden growth, India isn’t just adapting, it is defining the future.” 

Former Dean Dipak Jain closed the day with reflections on the ideas discussed during the conference and the opportunities ahead for business leaders. 

Strengthening Kellogg’s global impact in India 

As India enters this exciting decade of growth, Kellogg remains committed to fostering thought leadership, executive education and alumni engagement in the country. Pragati served as a catalyst for continued collaboration, reinforcing Kellogg’s vision to be an indispensable partner in India’s success story. 

A group of people engaged in conversation at Pragati. On the left, a man in a light beige suit with a name badge is smiling while listening. In the center, a man wearing glasses and a brown sweater with a collared shirt underneath is smiling broadly. On the right, a woman with long dark hair partially pulled back is speaking animatedly with her hand raised in conversation.
More than 225 attendees enjoyed the day’s presentation and networking opportunities.

“What Kellogg has allowed many of us to do is take that time for a couple of years in business school and meet an incredible set of like-minded people from all over the world,” said Rahul Khanna ’00 MBA, founder and managing partner of Trifecta Capital and a pioneer in India’s venture capital ecosystem. 

“We have an incredible alumni base in India and I think it’s only getting stronger.” As Kellogg alumni, faculty and students continue to contribute to India’s growth story, the conversations sparked at Pragati will help shape the next chapter of business leadership in the region. 

Read next:  Kellogg Chronicles: Experiencing India’s Tech Evolution