The Future of India

The ‘Future of India’ is larger than the headlines. Larger than our government. Larger than the bureaucracy; larger than the titans of industry; the billboard-heads of local politics; the chaos of daily life; the difficulty of doing business; larger than our social challenges; our mosaic of states; larger than our inconsistent enforcement of the law; larger than capital controls; larger than bank re-KYCs; larger than trading strategies and stock tips masquerading as business news.

The real driver of growth and source of optimism for India’s future is India’s entrepreneurs and their teams. India’s strength is reflected through these heroes. Toiling day in and day out, building India brick by brick.

The ‘Future of India’ resides in the Bangalore-based founder who built a hugely profitable trade execution platform and asset management company from scratch, without raising any outside capital. It is in the founder of a Jhunjhunwala-backed healthcare services company employing 15,000 people, on its way to 50,000. It is in the second-generation operator of an industrial company who turned around the family business by cleaning up the balance sheet and restoring profitability. While these are visible examples, there are countless other founders, operators and teams all across the country who are putting their shoulders to the wheel.

Even though the market capitalisation of large and medium listed companies is 330 lakh crore rupees, it is the smaller listed and unlisted companies that provide a bulk of the revenue and employment in the country. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) employ 11.1 crore people versus roughly 1-2 crore in listed companies, and MSMEs contribute more to India’s GDP than large and mid-cap listed companies combined.

This is the promise – the Future of India – lakhs of companies, entrepreneurs and teams driving India’s economic engine with more power than any other single force.