Who Controls the Future of Work?

AI is rewriting the global economy. By 2030, it will add USD 15.7 trillion to the world economy – more than the current output of India and China combined. But AI is also erasing traditional jobs and transforming the way work happens at an unprecedented pace. 300 million jobs worldwide could be affected by AI-driven automation with the World Economic Forum highlighting that 39% of current job skills are expected to be outdated by 2030.

Will India lead AI Innovation or will its workforce be left behind?

The Cost of Inaction

In 2023, the world recorded the highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters, with over 399 reported disasters causing economic losses exceeding USD 202 billion. Rising seal levels, heatwaves and extreme weather threaten to displace 45 million Indians by 2050.

The world cannot meet its climate targets without the leadership of countries like India. No one is more invested in building a better future than young people will inherit it. 

Will young people drive the next decades of climate action or will they be forced to live on a dead planet?

Cities Reach a Breaking Point

By 2050, 68% of the global population will live in cities. Asia and Africa will see the sharpest rise and shift from rural to urban dwelling. But can our cities withstand this shift?

Consider the Indian case: 6 of the 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India with urban inequality pushing millions of people into urban slums and a looming water crisis.

Can Delhi really afford to ignore its air problem as its people choke in 1591 AQI? Can Bangalore escape its water crisis with short-term stop gap measures? Will Mumbai survive rising sea levels? Redefining how we plan our cities will define how we live, and the very fabric of our homes.

Ageing World, Young India

While much of the world is aging, India remains a young country with over 50% of its population under 30. This demographic trend is a unique advantage, but only if India invests in young people through public services, education, jobs, and care infrastructure.

The risk: Without redefining education and caregiving we cannot unlock the full potential of India’s workforce.

Will Indians power the global economy, or will they struggle to make ends meet?

A World in Flux

The world’s geopolitical architecture is shifting with the rise of the Global South, new economic alliances, and shifting power dynamics. India, as a G20 leader and the largest democracy in the world, sits at the center of this shift

But what role will young people play in shaping foreign policy, the global economy, or multilateral reform?