HT Leadership Summit LIVE: India's GDP can cross $10 trn by 2030, Reliance's DNA is 'we are very focused': Mukesh Ambani

Mukesh Ambani meeting political leaders, businesspersons after addressing event

I can treat my children as my friends, says Mukesh Ambani

An interesting question from R Sukumar: What did you learn from your father and what did you learn from your children?

Amabni says: “One thing i couldn’t dare tell my father was, Dad you didnt get it. But I get to hear that from my children,” he said.

“I can treat my children as my friend.”

People turn up in huge numbers to hear Obama, Ambani

India’s GDP can cross $10 trillion by 2030: Mukesh Ambani 

Explaining how Reliance Industries makes entry into new business areas, Ambani said, “India in terms of data infrastructure will be ahead of US by 2019.”

“We will look at what we can do in each of the areas like agriculture and education,” he said.

Why doesn’t RIL get into agriculture?

“We genuineley think that things are coming together. This is a difficult problem to tackle. Agriculture, health care and education are on roadmap,” he said.
headline: Agriculture, education, healthcare on our roadmap, says Mukesh Ambani

India is the biggest investment opportunity in the world: Ambani

“India is the biggest investment opportunity in the world,” Ambani said. “In 30 years, we can and must aspire to grow from $2.5 trillion economy to the most prosperous country in the world,” he added.

“As the internet becomes accessible to more people, I believe we will become leaders in the internet of everything,” Ambani said.

Data is not just the new oil. It is the new soil: Mukesh Ambani

“There is a need and opportunity to create a digital green revolution,” said Ambani. He talked about how digitally enabled fertilisers, digitally enabled seeds, digitally enabled water management, etc were some of the things needed for this revolution.

“Data is not just the new oil. It is the new soil,” he said.

Amnbani also talked about education. “We need digital tools and innovation to break geographical, social and economic barriers,” he said. “Artificial intelligence-based technologies can bring education to many children,” he added.

“Healthcare is a basic right for every Indian. India can overcome constraints by adopting digital tools,” he said.

India leader in mobile broadband today: Ambani

“India became the fourth country to reach Mars and we did that in our first attempt. Just a couple of years ago, India was ranked 150th in the world in mobile broadband. Today, it is number one in the world after the launch of Jio,” Reliance Industries Ltd chairman said.

“In the coming years, we will see many such success stories from India,” he said.

Super-intelligence can be for India what manufacturing was for China: Mukesh Ambani

“In the coming years, machine intelligence will augment and multiply our biological intelligence multi-fold,” Ambani said. “We are in the age of super-intelligence,” he added.

“Super-intelligence can be for India what manufacturing was for China,” Ambani said. “Technology is a great leveler..It is my conviction that India can not only participate in the fourth revolution but can be a leader in it,” he said.

“India is a very young nation and our youth adopt to technology very easily,” Ambani said. “India’s historical lack of infrastructure is actually a boon in disguise. We don’t have to retrain and we can skip multiple levels of technology,” he added.

“We have the political vision to make India a technological leader,” he added, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had contributed a lot to this issue.

Fourth revolution is upon us: Mukesh Ambani

“India starting catching up in the third computer-driven revolution. The foundation of the 4th revolution is data collection, connectivity and artificial intelligence. I believe human civilisation will achieve more in the next 30 years than what it has achieved in the last 300 years,” Ambani said.

“The world is going from linear to exponential,” he further said. “Exponential technologies start slowly but bring about dramatic changes,” he added.

“Another characteristic is that the world goes from scarcity to abundance,” Ambani said. “Combined with the rapid strides we are making in renwable energy, we are looking at the future possibilities of abundance,” he said.

India’s rise will be higher than China’s by the middle of 21st century: Mukesh Ambani

“India and China were the most prosperous countries once. The centre of gravity of the world economy is now shifting back to China and India,” Mukesh Ambani said.

“By the middle of the 21st century, India’s rise will be higher than China’s,” Ambani said. “India will provide a superior and different development model of equitable and inclusive growth,” he also said.

“Energy and technology have been the key drivers of human progress,” he said.

Yes, we can: Mukesh Ambani

“Today, this Summit is about India emerging as a global leader,” Reliance Industries Ltd chairman Mukesh Ambani said.

“Today, India’s GDP is about $2.5 trillion and ranks Number 6 in the world,” he said. “Can we cross the $10 trillion mark by 2030 and close the gap between India and China? Yes, we can,” Ambani said.

America is still for more kindness and equality: Obama

“The thing I love about America and I suspect the thing you love about India is that it is just this cacaphony of life. It throws up all kinds of variety. There are political trends in America that I don’t agree with but which I recognise,” Barack Obama said.

“What I take heart from is the trendlines of America, similar to the trendlines of the world, are for more kindness, more inclusion, more health, more education, more equality,” said the former US president.

I have more Twitter followers than other people who use it more often: Barack Obama

“It’s hard to have a dialogue with someone who says climate change is a hoax,” Obama said. “If you’re saying it’s a hoax, there is no way for us to bridge our differences in a constructive way,” he added.

“I have more Twitter followers than other people who use it more often,” Obama said, again taking a dig on Donald Trump.

Anyone in US watching Fox News wouldn’t vote for me: Obama

“Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp are all very powerful tools. We’re just beginning to understand what some of the inherent challenges exist within these new technologies. It leads to a lot of snap judgements,” Obama said, as he talked about technology.

“In the US, those who watch Fox News and those who read The New York Times live in completely different worlds. Anyone watching Fox News wouldn’t vote for me,” he said.

I like him: Obama on Modi

“I like him (Narendra Modi),” said Obama. “I think he has a vision for the country that he is implementing .”

“What I found with both leaders who were Indian prime ministers during my time that both of them thought that strong US-India ties were crucial,” he said.

“Prime Minister Modi was primary in unlocking the Paris accord,” he added.

Pakistan govt didn’t know Osama bin Laden was present there: Obama

“We had no evidence that the Pakistani government was aware of Osama bin Laden’s presence there,” said the former US president.

Terrorism of any sort directed at any country has a way of metastasizing: Obama

“That’s not how we viewed it. When the tragedy in Mumbai took place, we were as obsessed to dismantle that network as India was,” Barack Obama said, when asked if US dealt with terror groups from Pakistan differently.

“Terrorism of any sort directed at any country has a way of metastasizing,” he said.

Obama on the nuclear issue

“My goal with respect to the nuclear issue was to give companies in the US more opportunities,” Obama said, when asked about the nuclear deal.

“The goal for me was to ensure that after realising that India had a significant nuclear structure, we recognise reality and encourage international safeguards and measures,” said the former US president.

“We worked very hard to try to get India into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. There were some who concerned that India was shor-circuiting some of the norms,” he said.

Politicians tend to be mirrors in the society: Barack Obama

“My goal here is not to disclose every private conversation that I have with other leaders. I think his impulse was to recognise the importance of Indian unity,” Obama said, when asked how Modi responded when he talked to him in private about unity and tolerance.

“The most important office in a democracy is the office of a citizen,” he said. “One thing I will say about politicians as a general rule: Rarely do elected officials get out too far ahead of public opinion. If you see a politician doing things that are questionable, you should ask yourself: Am I supporting the values I am hearing from this politician?”

“Politicians tend to be mirrors in the society,” Obama said.

Counter-narrative taking place in the world: Obama

“There is a counter-narrative taking place where the old tribal impulses assert themselves. There are leaders who try to push back against those impulses. I want to make sure that we are encouraging those voices who say that we work together better when we recognise our common humanity,” Obama said.

“In India, there is such a vibrant Muslim population which thinks of itself as Indian,” said the former US president.

“I think all far-sighted Indian leaders recognise that but it is important to continue it,” he added.

Obama talks about gender equality

“If you look at what is happening on the international stage, people are apprehensive of the changes taking place in the world. People see much more vividly the differences between the people,” Barack Obama said.

“There is something in humans because of which they love making distinctions. They are always based on gender. That is universal, within all camps,” he said.

Barack Obama talks about his cooking skills

The former US president, on a light note, said that he could cook dal and chicken very well. When he was asked whether he could make chapatis, Obama said, “No, my chapatis are no good.”

Obama on his popularity

“I think it is important to transmit this information to my daughters,” Obama said lightly, as he was asked what he thought about how he has hundreds of fans throughout India.

Democracies cannot function without accepting all opinions: Obama

“We have to recognise how technology is changing the way our children consume information,” Obama said. “It is easy to only absorb facts which just suit our opinions,” he said.

He said that democracies cannot function if we cannot accept different opinions.

“We’re already moving in the right direction but we’re not perfect. Democracy is hard. Progress does not move in a straight line,” he said.

“The trend lines, I believe, are in the direction of justice. I deeply believe in the liberal, international order based on principles like rule of law and human rights,” he said.

Obama takes a dig at Donald Trump over Paris climate deal

“We have to make sure that fragile states don’t collapse,” said Barack Obama.

“I was appreciative of the key role Prime Minister Modi and India played in forging the Paris climate accord,” he said.

“Although, we have a bit of a pause with the current US leadership,” he said, clearly taking a dig at current US president Donald Trump.

“We have to work to lower our carbon emissions but we cannot do that alone,” he said.

We have to make sure the economy works for everyone: Obama

“Our efforts together at their best speak to a common set of values: Pluralism, tolerance, rule of law, freedom of speech and religion and assembly,” Obama said.

“We have to promote these values everyday because there is a competing narrative,” said the former US president.

“We should feel confident about these values but shouldn’t be complacent,” he said. “All of the key challenges will be easier to achieve if India plays a more key role in the world.”

“We have to make sure the high-tech economy works for everyone, not just a few,” Obama said. “The unprecedented pace of automation has weakened the livelihoods of many workers,” he added.

It’s important to push back against ‘us vs them’ politics: Obama

“The internet has the potential to impart knowledge but also to empower terrorists,” Obama said. He also said that negativity on television also drives people to thinking that they need to control their lives, leading to terrorism.

“During moments of uncertainty, what is important to push back against the politics of ‘Us versus them’,” Obama said. “Just look at how our two countries have succeeded. After defeating colonialism, we have Constitutions that begin with ‘We, the people’.”

World less violent than it was before: Barack Obama

“There many people who bring US and India closer,” said former US president Barack Obama.

“Your constitution begins with a pledge to uphold the dignity of individuals…Generations of Americans have strived to also uphold our Constitution, which also values equality,” he said.

“The US-India partnership is a defining partnership in the 21st century,” Obama said.

“The world is more prosperous but we have also seen a rise in inequality and wage stagnation that leaves too many workers fearful of diminish prospects,” Obama said.

“The world now is less violent than it has been in the past,” he added.

Heavy security at venue where Obama will address event

SPG and a small unit of Barack Obama’s security have taken over the security of the venue. The security personnel are currently sanitising the hall where Obama will address the event. This is why there is a delay in allowing entry to guests.

However, compared to 2015, this time, the security pressure is less. 
Obama had visited Delhi in January 2015. During the Modi-Obama CEOs Forum business meet and a joint presser at Hyderabad House, there was a very high order of security arrangement — a much tighter one.

A Delhi resident wants Obama to wear a mask during his Delhi visit

A Delhi resident has urged former US president Barack Obama to wear a face mask during his scheduled town hall meeting in the city on Friday.

Data scientist Amrit Sharma, who made the request in an open letter to Obama, said doing so would help generate awareness and catalyse action on air pollution.

“You are one the most photographed people on earth, but none of your photos could potentially save millions of lives yet…I believe that if you wear a face mask while you are in Delhi and take a photo (of it), that alone could have such an impact,” Sharma wrote in the open letter to Obama.

Guests begin to arrive

Guests have started queuing up to make their way to the main hall for Obama’s session at 11 am. There is a sudden buzz at the venue as guests have started coming in large numbers.

Friday’s itinerary 

11:00 – 12:00
Special Address
BARACK OBAMA
President of the United States of America, 2009 – 2017
CHAIR: KARAN THAPAR,
President, Infotainment Television

12:10 – 12:50
Address
MUKESH AMBANI
Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Ltd.
CHAIR: R. SUKUMAR,
Editor-In-Chief, Hindustan Times

12:50 – 13:40
Resilience in the face of adversity
ROSE McGOWAN
Actress, Writer, Director, Music Artist and Activist
FARAH MOHAMED
CEO, Malala Fund
DR. ROLA HALLAM
CEO, CanDo
CHAIR: ANURADHA SENGUPTA
Consulting Editor, CNN-News 18

14:40 – 15:20
RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD
Hon. Union Minister of Law and Justice and Electronics and Information Technology
In conversation with BHUPENDRA CHAUBEY, Executive Editor, CNN-News 18

15:20 – 16:05
DR. RAMAN SINGH
Hon. Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh
In conversation with RAJESH MAHAPATRA, Editor at Large, Hindustan Times

16:20 – 17:00
YOGI ADITYANATH
Hon. Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh
In conversation with SHASHI SHEKHAR, Editor-In-Chief, Hindustan

17:00 – 17:40
NAOMI CAMPBELL
Supermodel, Actress & Social Activist
In conversation with MILIND SOMAN, Supermodel, Actor and Social Activist

Barack Obama’s speech less than an hour away

According to special security and hotel sources, Obama is expected to arrive the venue at 10.20 am. Accordingly, security measures outside and inside the hotel have been beefed up. 

The former POTUS’ much-awaited session will begin at 11 am.

Barack Obama set to address HT Leadership Summit today at 11 am

Former US president Barack Obama, who arrived in New Delhi on Thursday, will address the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Friday at 11 am. He is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made the inaugural address at the summit on Thursday.