India stands atop in IT, digital tech: Chandrababu

Hyderabad, Dec 16: No country can beat India on digital and information technology because the country has the largest number of youth, said the former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and national president of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) here on Friday.

Addressing the valedictory function of the 20th anniversary of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Chandrababu said "India is going to become number one in the global economy. Things are happening across the globe only because of the Indians, particularly the youth. Indians are wealth creators globally and things are happening positively in the world only because of Indians and because of the youth," Chandrababu said and stated that of the total number of Indians who migrated to various countries for either employment or as entrepreneurs, 30 percent of them are Telugus.

The elite gathering for the meeting was drawn from across the globe, all the alumni of the ISB and the faculty both in service and retired. The meeting was chaired by the founder dean of the ISB, Dr Pramanth Raj Sinha, while Chandrababu was the chief guest. The first passed-out batch of the ISB who are now either employed in India or abroad while some turned into entrepreneurs, too were present at the meeting.

In close interaction with Dr Pramanth Raj Sinha, Chandrababu shared his memories as to how he turned Gachibowli into a technological hub and how the Financial District was formed. Stating that Hyderabad initially did not figure in the list of cities where the ISB was to be set up, he recalled how he made the prestigious institute to be established here. "I convinced them to come to Hyderabad and I know pretty well that once they come to the city they can not say not to set up the institute here," Chandrababu said.

He said that even at the recent G-20 preparatory meeting, he stressed the need to encourage technology. "My vision for 2047 is that Indians will be wealth creators globally and Indians are going to dominate the global economy and ISB is going to play a major role in this," Chandrababu said.

Nothing is impossible if you have a proper vision, the TDP supremo said and predicted that when India is going to celebrate its 10th year of Independence, ISB too will have its share in that. Maintaining that the youth is a great asset for India, he called upon the entrepreneurs to bring the gap between the haves and have-nots. "You have to work on this. Otherwise, the wealth will be in the hands of a few people which is not good for society." 

Indians are doing extremely well in all sectors, Chandrababu said, and wished for the ISB to be on top in the world in business schools. He wanted the ISB graduates not to be employees but "be employers and provide jobs to others," Chandrababu said to a standing ovation by the elite gathering.

Earlier, Chandrababu visited the tree that he planted in 2011 on the ISB campus. He even recalled how planted the sapling that has now grown into a tree and wished that the ISB and its graduates too should grow similarly.