New Delhi:

The road to success is often paved with failure. At least that’s how things turned out for entrepreneur and investor Kunal Bahl. He didn’t get into IIT (something his parents were hoping for) but that didn’t stop him from achieving massive success in life.

“Many things that I wanted didn’t go as per plan at that point in time but it set me on a path that was better for me. I didn’t get into IIT but I got into a good US college that opened my mind and really helped me blossom,” Mr Bahl said at the NDTV World Summit 2024.

“So, at that point in time, it feels like you have failed, that’s how society will make you feel. Like I said earlier come out of the bottom of that abyss, find that little bit of courage to continue. I remember the day I didn’t get into IIT, everyone was upset in my family. I went and played three hours of cricket and picked up from where I left off,” he added.

The Snapdeal and Titan Capital co-founder also said that his H-1B visa application was rejected but that led to the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

“I was working at Microsoft in the US and they applied for my H-1B visa. I thought I would live in the US for a few years. But one day I was sitting in my office and I got a one-line email that my H1b visa had been rejected and that’s how I came back and started my journey as an entrepreneur. If you keep working with hardwork and sincerity, eventually success will follow,” he said.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

After returning to India, Kunal Bahl co-founded Snapdeal – a major e-commerce platform and Titan Capital, a venture capital firm that supports early-stage startups.

At the summit, he also explained why India should celebrate ‘Indicorns’. “The term unicorn has emerged from the US, suited more to the American context, and India needs to celebrate ‘Indicorns’ with its own benchmarks of success and business goals tailored to the Indian context.”

New Delhi:

The road to success is often paved with failure. At least that’s how things turned out for entrepreneur and investor Kunal Bahl. He didn’t get into IIT (something his parents were hoping for) but that didn’t stop him from achieving massive success in life.

“Many things that I wanted didn’t go as per plan at that point in time but it set me on a path that was better for me. I didn’t get into IIT but I got into a good US college that opened my mind and really helped me blossom,” Mr Bahl said at the NDTV World Summit 2024.

“So, at that point in time, it feels like you have failed, that’s how society will make you feel. Like I said earlier come out of the bottom of that abyss, find that little bit of courage to continue. I remember the day I didn’t get into IIT, everyone was upset in my family. I went and played three hours of cricket and picked up from where I left off,” he added.

The Snapdeal and Titan Capital co-founder also said that his H-1B visa application was rejected but that led to the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

“I was working at Microsoft in the US and they applied for my H-1B visa. I thought I would live in the US for a few years. But one day I was sitting in my office and I got a one-line email that my H1b visa had been rejected and that’s how I came back and started my journey as an entrepreneur. If you keep working with hardwork and sincerity, eventually success will follow,” he said.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

After returning to India, Kunal Bahl co-founded Snapdeal – a major e-commerce platform and Titan Capital, a venture capital firm that supports early-stage startups.

At the summit, he also explained why India should celebrate ‘Indicorns’. “The term unicorn has emerged from the US, suited more to the American context, and India needs to celebrate ‘Indicorns’ with its own benchmarks of success and business goals tailored to the Indian context.”

New Delhi:

Like monthly electricity bills and a monthly budget for shopping, people should also earmark funds on a regular basis for social work, Nidarshana Gowani, founder of Ankhibai Ghamandiram Gowani Trust, advised.

Ms Gowani detailed the work her organisation does for tribals, transgenders, sex workers and for making the HPV vaccine reach maximum benefactors. “Transgenders have their woes. They are getting educated, they are often back dancers in music videos. But they complain about not getting their rights, or access to schemes or employment equitably,” she said at the NDTV World Summit 2024.

Sex workers also live far from their home and work to care for their parents and educate their children, she said. “We do fixed deposits for them from the post office, which mature in three years. Those funds can be used by the sex workers to start businesses,” Ms Gowani said.

Ms Gowani said technology plays an important role in making philanthropic initiatives reach the people, while also making the youth aware about the sufferings of people and how we need to give back to the society. She added that charity begins at home and imparting values of giving to children at home imprints on their personality. “The social work you do will be carried on as legacy by your kids,” she said.

New Delhi:

Sudhakar Adapa, founder and CEO of BIA Brands, explained the difference between e-commerce and quick commerce and how quick commerce will have to be ‘not so quick’ to become sustainable. “E-commerce is thriving these days while quick commerce or q commerce is probably the new version of e-commerce. The fundamentals of business are going to be the same, it’s just about how we are going to deliver, that is going to change,” Mr Adapa said at the NDTV World Summit 2024.

He also said the definition of quick will have to change for the model to be sustainable.

“Is quick commerce going to be a sustainable thing? I would say yes and no. Yes, because it will be another kind of commerce which will survive but I think the definition of quick will change. Right now the consumer wants everything to be delivered in under 10 minutes and if you say 20 minutes, the consumer will say I can’t wait for 10 more minutes. India has a huge population density which is why it is one of the few countries where quick commerce worked. But, I think the definition of quick will change from 10 minutes to 60 minutes because not everything can be delivered in 10 minutes time. If this model has to be sustainable it will become not-so-quick commerce,” he said.

Mr Adapa said that in today’s day and age social media has become a potent weapon for brands: “The use of social media is across all the sectors. As brands, if we have to survive then social media has become a potent weapon and the advantage of private labels is such that it is actually giving space to smaller brands to compete with Unilever and P&Gs of the world. For example, if I had to launch a cosmetics brand 10 years ago, you need to own a brand, you need to formulate yourself, you need to have a manufacturing plant, a quality control department, you need to control R&D, the whole ecosystem has huge costs and it’s not feasible for a small entrepreneur to launch a company. Now today if you want to launch a beauty brand, all you need to do is maybe go to a contract manufacturer, make some sampling, get some 1,000 pieces up, put it up online and boom you have a brand. It has become so easy these days.”

He, however, also stressed that “everything has its own advantages and disadvantages”.

“The advantage is that you could pull your company with no capital, if you have a great product, you could build a company with almost next to nothing. The flip side is the kind of competition is there in the market. Differentiation has become really difficult for us. But the good thing is that the customers are spoilt for choice. they have great products and great prices there. Customers are making merry at the time, enjoying the great discounts,” Mr Adapa said.

New Delhi:

At the NDTV World Summit, the conversation on women’s inclusion in India’s energy, logistics, and entrepreneurial sectors took centre stage with a sharp focus on the “3As” – Access, Ambition, and Attainment – as key drivers for advancing women in leadership roles.

Preeti Bajaj, CEO & MD of Luminous Power Technologies, talked about the tangible impact of increasing women’s representation at the leadership level. “At Luminous Power Technologies, the senior leadership team constitutes 33 per cent women, really making a difference, all day, every day,” she said, before detailing the “3As” framework. 

Besides Preeti Bajaj, business leaders and entrepreneurs, including Kami Viswanathan (President, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa at FedEx), and Padmaja Ruparel (Co-founder, IAN Group), discussed how women are not only breaking barriers but also setting new standards in leadership, innovation, and inclusivity.

Despite India’s entrepreneurial boom, the growth of women entrepreneurs remains alarmingly low. Speaking on the subject, Padmaja Ruparel said, “In 2022, only 14.7 per cent of the funding went to women. In 2023, it dropped to a mere 9.7 per cent.” 

Ms Ruparel called for stronger financial backing of women-led ventures, stating, “We need to create the BlackRock of India led by a woman. That, to me, is what will drive entrepreneurship.”

Kami Viswanathan of FedEx said that 36 per cent of the company’s board and 26 per cent of management globally are women. 

“We recently added the opportunity to DEI to rededicate ourselves to inclusive hiring, promotions, and supporting career paths,” she said.
 

New Delhi:

At the NDTV World Summit, the conversation on women’s inclusion in India’s energy, logistics, and entrepreneurial sectors took centre stage with a sharp focus on the “3As” – Access, Ambition, and Attainment – as key drivers for advancing women in leadership roles.

Preeti Bajaj, CEO & MD of Luminous Power Technologies, talked about the tangible impact of increasing women’s representation at the leadership level. “At Luminous Power Technologies, the senior leadership team constitutes 33 per cent women, really making a difference, all day, every day,” she said, before detailing the “3As” framework. 

Besides Preeti Bajaj, business leaders and entrepreneurs, including Kami Viswanathan (President, Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Africa at FedEx), and Padmaja Ruparel (Co-founder, IAN Group), discussed how women are not only breaking barriers but also setting new standards in leadership, innovation, and inclusivity.

Despite India’s entrepreneurial boom, the growth of women entrepreneurs remains alarmingly low. Speaking on the subject, Padmaja Ruparel said, “In 2022, only 14.7 per cent of the funding went to women. In 2023, it dropped to a mere 9.7 per cent.” 

Ms Ruparel called for stronger financial backing of women-led ventures, stating, “We need to create the BlackRock of India led by a woman. That, to me, is what will drive entrepreneurship.”

Kami Viswanathan of FedEx said that 36 per cent of the company’s board and 26 per cent of management globally are women. 

“We recently added the opportunity to DEI to rededicate ourselves to inclusive hiring, promotions, and supporting career paths,” she said.
 

New Delhi:

Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay shared deep personal insights into his connection with India during his speech at the ‘NDTV World Summit 2024: The India Century.’

He revealed that not only was he born in India, but his formative years in the country played a significant role in shaping his dedication to serving Bhutan, its people, and its king.

“I’ll tell you a secret, in fact, my Bhutanese colleagues here also don’t know; I was born in India. 1965, I was born in Kalimpong. My father was serving in Kalimpong, my parents were serving – I was born there, right?” Mr Tobgay said.

“What moulded me to serve my king, my country, and my people would have been not necessarily Pittsburgh and Harvard, but Dr Graham’s homes in Kalimpong in West Bengal. I studied 11 years in India, and you asked me how 4 years in America has moulded me!”

Mr Tobgay went on to emphasise the long-standing educational connections between Bhutan and India. He shared how many Bhutanese, himself included, were educated in Indian schools due to the lack of institutions in Bhutan at the time.

“From kindergarten school, from baby class till class 10, I studied in India, as indeed many other Bhutanese studied in India those days, because we did not have enough schools in Bhutan. But when we did establish schools, we did not have enough teachers, and those teachers came from India,” he added.

“I do believe they have taught us well, because we have been able to go back home and serve our King and country and our people.”

When asked about India’s growing global influence, particularly in the 21st century, Mr Tobgay was quick to praise the country’s economic strength and leadership on the world stage. “The world needs India, and I’m very happy that you identify this century as India’s century.

You asked me about Prime Minister Modi and his historic third term – why do you call it India’s century? For many reasons! India has the largest population in the world – 1.45 billion. It’s growing. It’s projected to reach 1.6 billion.”

Mr Tobgay also pointed out India’s economic prowess and consumer base, noting, “India has a booming economy – it’s crossed 3 trillion US Dollars. It should have crossed 5 trillion US Dollars had it not been for COVID. India has the biggest consumer base. India has almost 35 million successful people in the diaspora throughout the world, particularly in the advanced countries.”

“By every measure, yes, this is India’s century. But by one measure you stand out, and that is leadership. India’s leadership, and trust in that leadership,” he concluded.

The summit marked another milestone in reflecting on India’s role not only as a regional power but also as a global leader, poised for further growth in the decades to come.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the “NDTV World Summit 2024 – The India Century”, the day 2 of NDTV’s flagship event is here with India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron, and Former Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations TS Tirumurti, among a host of other dignitaries, to discuss global issues.

In his keynote address on Monday, PM Modi spoke about why the 21st Century is ‘The India Century’ and how the country is growing rapidly and how investors from around the world are excited about India being the fastest-growing major economy.

He also launched NDTV World, a new home for global news at the Summit, with the tagline: “The World From Where India Stands”. NDTV World aims to be a leading voice from Asia and India on the global stage.

Here are the live updates on NDTV World Summit 2024:

New Delhi:

Kartikey Hariyani, the founder and CEO of Electric vehicle (EV) charging network Charge Zone, while speaking at NDTV World Summit 2024, explained why switching to EV makes Sense.

“In India, the purpose of an EV or a car is for personal mobility. 80 percent of the mobility requirement of an Indian consumer is less than 51 k a day. So, with this stat, EV becomes a natural choice for adoption but it also (poses) a question whether the cost makes sense. Then as an individual consumer, you will say I don’t need an EV or the payback is not really attractive,” he said.

Mr Hariyani, however, insisted that “there is good news around”.

“Two developments have happened in the industry so far. In the last two quarters, the cost of the battery has come down by half. The second good news is some of the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have initiated battery as a service which means battery and charging will effectively becomes your fuelling system. So, what you are going to buy will be a car without the battery cost, it means (it would be) equivalent to the cost of a petrol car,” he said.

Mr Hariyani stressed that one has to think through carefully in terms of how the recharging networks will be planned.

“For each of the EV segments, the industry players have started investing into this. Six years ago, standards got built into this. Later on, local ecosystem played a big part. Localisation did happen in terms of semiconductors as well as power electronics. Today we are ready with the chargers, localised both for three wheelers and four wheelers,” he said.

He also said that even though fast-charging is a key for adoption of EVs but it’s not just about cars but also buses and trucks.

“For a charging company like us, when we started off in 2019, there were green sprouts around electric cars coming into the market, then electric buses started coming. And today we see the launch of electric trucks. As a priority, I will enable inter-city mobility. In other words, charging infra on highways is our priority number one. We have electrified 33,000 kms of highways in India. Fast-charging is a cornerstone. But, if I invest into fast-charging only for cars, I won’t be able to make money even in my whole life time. Inter-city buses and inter-city trucks are going to be the biggest enablers,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of clean energy for a better future, stating that “clean energy is the need of the hour”.

At COP26, India committed to reducing projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. These commitments necessitate a rapid transition to renewables.

New Delhi:

Kartikey Hariyani, the founder and CEO of Electric vehicle (EV) charging network Charge Zone, while speaking at NDTV World Summit 2024, explained why switching to EV makes Sense.

“In India, the purpose of an EV or a car is for personal mobility. 80 percent of the mobility requirement of an Indian consumer is less than 51 k a day. So, with this stat, EV becomes a natural choice for adoption but it also (poses) a question whether the cost makes sense. Then as an individual consumer, you will say I don’t need an EV or the payback is not really attractive,” he said.

Mr Hariyani, however, insisted that “there is good news around”.

“Two developments have happened in the industry so far. In the last two quarters, the cost of the battery has come down by half. The second good news is some of the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have initiated battery as a service which means battery and charging will effectively becomes your fuelling system. So, what you are going to buy will be a car without the battery cost, it means (it would be) equivalent to the cost of a petrol car,” he said.

Mr Hariyani stressed that one has to think through carefully in terms of how the recharging networks will be planned.

“For each of the EV segments, the industry players have started investing into this. Six years ago, standards got built into this. Later on, local ecosystem played a big part. Localisation did happen in terms of semiconductors as well as power electronics. Today we are ready with the chargers, localised both for three wheelers and four wheelers,” he said.

He also said that even though fast-charging is a key for adoption of EVs but it’s not just about cars but also buses and trucks.

“For a charging company like us, when we started off in 2019, there were green sprouts around electric cars coming into the market, then electric buses started coming. And today we see the launch of electric trucks. As a priority, I will enable inter-city mobility. In other words, charging infra on highways is our priority number one. We have electrified 33,000 kms of highways in India. Fast-charging is a cornerstone. But, if I invest into fast-charging only for cars, I won’t be able to make money even in my whole life time. Inter-city buses and inter-city trucks are going to be the biggest enablers,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of clean energy for a better future, stating that “clean energy is the need of the hour”.

At COP26, India committed to reducing projected carbon emissions by 1 billion tonnes by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. These commitments necessitate a rapid transition to renewables.