BY: Harjiv Singh, Founder & CEO, Salwan Media Ventures, and Convener, One Globe Forum

Kalidasa, one of the greatest poets the world has ever known, wrote in his Sanskrit epic Raghuvansh that knowledge yields the desired result only when it is imparted to a fit recipient: Kriya hi vastupahita praseedati. A millennium and a half later, his words not only remain relevant as India and South Asia – home to a quarter of the world’s population – seek to build a 21st-century knowledge economy, but they also embody the spirit of the One Globe Forum.

The eminent experts who spoke at the sixth One Globe Forum in New Delhi in February 2017 highlighted the range of challenges that India faces, including infrastructure development, urban planning, innovation, health, education, social empowerment, and sports training.

If Kalidasa were to comment on our world today, perhaps he might say that smart technologies would be more effective in the hands of educated citizens. India has the world’s largest youth population, and can realize its demographic dividend only if it equips young people with relevant skills and enables women’sparticipation in the economy.

Around 1 million Indians enter the job market each month. However, only 15% of India’s workforce is formally skilled, compared with 47% in Chinaand 96% in South Korea. As His Excellency Mr. Daniel Carmon, Israel’s ambassador to India, said in his keynote speech, “Science and technology are the ingredients, but the determining factor is the skill to use them.”

To nurture science and innovation, India must reform its education system, and invest in technical skill training. To develop its sports potential, it must update its sports training programs and infrastructure. The rise of artificial intelligence in every sphere of life means that skills must also evolve. And, as participants in the principals’ breakfast roundtable noted, our children cannot become innovators unless schools teach them that failure has value.

Industry and academia need to work more closely. With a focus on intellectual property rights and design thinking, Indian manufacturing can climb the value chain. With policies that nurture our startup ecosystem, we can leverage our entrepreneurial potential to develop innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions.

Besides global thought leaders and delegates, the One Globe Forum also engages with future leaders – high-school students – through an essay competition, study abroad information sessions, and the regional finale of the Knowledge@Wharton High School (KWHS) investment competition. KWHS, a part of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, seeks to equip high-school students and educators around the world with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in the global marketplace.

The second edition of the One Globe Awards this year honored seven individuals and organizations for their contributions in building a 21st century knowledge economy through initiatives in digital economy, R&D, smart cities, entrepreneurship, mobile innovation and social empowerment. The 2017 Awards were presented by Minister of State for Law & Justice and Electronics & Information Technology, Mr. P.P. Choudhary, to ISRO for Excellence in Research and Development, the state of Maharashtra for enabling a Smart State, Nagpur Municipal Corporation for enabling a Smart City, Tech Mahindra for enabling a Digital Economy, the Power Finance Corporation for Mobile Innovation, Chicago-based Indian American industrialist and philanthropist Mr. Shalabh Kumar for Excellence in Entrepreneurship, and the Uttar Pradesh Police Mahila Samman Prakoshth for Social Empowerment. Their accomplishments have helped shape the future of not just India or even South Asia, but also shown the world new ways to steer disruption.

This year’s One Globe Forum saw greater participation than ever, not only in terms of the number of panels but also in terms of participation by delegates, educators, and students – a clear indicator of the growing need for such a platform. In this report (click here to download), you will find recommendations and highlights of the sixth One Globe Forum.

I look forward to welcoming you to our future events.