On the second and final day of India Global Forum UAE 2021, the focus was on skills, the digital revolution and closer India-UAE collaborations in these sectors and beyond. Building on the momentum generated by the high-powered sessions from Day One, ministers and policymakers once again got together with entrepreneurs and business chiefs to delve deep into subject areas across innovation, skill development, financial services, boardrooms of the future and more.
Dr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, took to the stage for a wide-ranging session entitled “License to Skill”, during which he highlighted India’s role as a “technology partner to the world".
The minister said: "The rate at which the world is digitising and embracing digital technologies, India has a significant opportunity to be a technology partner to the world, governments, citizens and businesses. India now has two unicorns a month coming out in the middle of the pandemic as a result of the hard work and complete re-architecturing of the economic landscape by the Government.
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“The $1 trillion digital economy is a statement to India’s entrepreneurs and global players who are looking at India as a reliable partner for technology products and services.”
Day Two opened with an address by Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, on “Boosting Innovation Opportunities”.
Highlighting the importance of India and UAE relationship, Kant stated: “India-UAE trade collaboration is the outcome of a long-standing partnership between the two countries. Recently, UAE with its boost to technology and AI is poised to be the Silicon Valley of the region.
“There is a great potential for collaborations. A mutually beneficial and comprehensive economic partnership appears to be the next logical step that will boost bilateral trade in goods and services for wider socio-economic opportunities in the India-UAE partnership.”
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Vikram Chopra, Co-Founder, Cars24 spoke at the event’s Global Disruptors Series to discuss the reasons behind his company's recent expansion into the UAE and Australia. Speaking about the company’s success in India, he said: “Pre-owned cars make a lot of sense in the Indian market. We are allowing a lot of first- time buyers in India to actually buy a pre-owned car without worrying. I believe that what happened with mobile phones is exactly the same thing that's going to happen with cars.
“There will be a gradual shift to electric cars, but at the same time, the churn will continue to happen as people upgrade with new features.”
Addressing the Forum on Globalisation, Digitisation and ESG for a New Generation, Karan Adani, CEO - Adani Ports and SEZ, Adani Group, said: “Climate change is a big disruptor and in my view it is going to be a big opportunity as well.
“Our renewable platforms started in 2014 and today I am happy to say it is larger than our thermal portfolio."
*Info: India Global Forum
