Global Soul

A Citizen Of The World, Geopolitical strategist And Author Parag Khanna Has Many Reasons To Believe That Asia Holds The Key To The World’s Future.

- Karen Tee

Parag Khanna rarely goes on the tourist circuit. Yet there he was last summer – a globetrotting geopolitical strategist and author who has travelled to over 100 countries – waiting among throngs of travellers on Munich’s bustling Marienplatz square for its most famous attraction, the marionette puppet show in the Glockenspiel clock tower, to begin. It was during their family vacation and his daughter, Zara, and son, Zubin, eight and six respectively, wanted to watch the spectacle. As they whiled time away at a cafe snacking on bratwurst sausages, he noticed something curious. “There was an Indian waiter wearing lederhosen and serving me beer,” he says. “Now, that’s an update.”

The Singapore-based global intellectual – he has given multiple TED talks and has been an adviser on the US National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 programme – knew immediately this was significant. “This tells you that there is a nuance in European immigration policy. It’s not all, ‘We don’t want any immigrants.’ Because, if you’re willing to assimilate and wear lederhosen, you’re more than welcome,” says Khanna, the founder and managing partner of Futuremap, a data- and scenario-based strategic advisory firm.

Tall and strapping, the charismatic 41-year-old speaks clearly and with authority, peppering his points with personal observations. This trait has made him a popular political commentator on news channels such as CNN, BBC, CNBC and Al Jazeera.