INDIA'S LEAP YEAR
THE WEEK India|January 14, 2024
From artificial intelligence to trade agreements, these events in 2024 will determine how much India leaps ahead
K. SUNIL THOMAS
INDIA'S LEAP YEAR

Swag. It was not a traditional Indian attitude. But from Salman Khan's Tiger who sang 'Swag se karenge (Will do it with confidence)" to the alpha male heroes of the recent movies, swag has very much been appropriated by Bharat. Even as the world braces itself for a round of uncertainty about the wars, the narrative on desi streets-high, low and Dalal-couldn't be more different. Indians are flush with swag and swagger leaping into 2024.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the zeitgeist on New Year's Eve. "India is brimming with self-confidence," he said. "We have to maintain the same spirit and momentum in 2024 as well."

While political India's eyes will be pinned on the Lok Sabha elections in the summer, the mood of the nation will be determined not just by the incoming government's policies, but by some major, far-reaching developments on the economy side of affairs, some of which are already under way.

The most talked-about, of course, is the hyperbole of how India is all set to become a $5-trillion economy in 2024-2025, if not the calendar year itself. While that has more milestone value than anything else, many significant developments across the technology, finance and commerce spaces could upend the world around us as we know it.

I, Robot

The good news? We've only scraped the surface of what artificial intelligence can do. The bad news? We've only scraped the surface of what artificial intelligence can do.

While we were mighty impressed by what generative AI programmes like ChatGPT could churn out, 2024 could unfold the true extent of what AI is capable of. Tata Sons chair N. Chandrasekaran told his employees to "proactively pursue the benefits of AI-economically, operationally and socially". As the year progresses, we will see increasing adoption of AI across India Inc, stretching right up to factory floors.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView all
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
THE WEEK India

What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
THE WEEK India

Trump and the crisis of liberalism

Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Men eye the woman's purse
THE WEEK India

Men eye the woman's purse

A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
When trees hold hands
THE WEEK India

When trees hold hands

A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Ms Gee & Gen Z
THE WEEK India

Ms Gee & Gen Z

The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing

time-read
5 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
THE WEEK India

Vikram Seth-a suitable man

Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Superman bites the dust
THE WEEK India

Superman bites the dust

When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
THE WEEK India

OLD MAN AND THE SEA

Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port

time-read
4 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE WEEK India

Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets

THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.

time-read
3 mins  |
December 08, 2024
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
THE WEEK India

Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay

AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 08, 2024