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8.5 per cent GDP growth needed over several years for India’s transformation: Speakers at Swadesh Conclave 2025

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3 months ago

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Retired JNU Economics Professor Arun Kumar on Wednesday said India needs high rates of growth over the next few years at 8.5 per cent to become a developed nation by 2047.

Speaking at Swadesh Conclave 2025’s Transforming Bharat through Commerce, Industry & Technology in New Delhi, Kumar said the income per capita should be $14000, it is around $2700 in India now. “We need high rates of growth at 8.5 per cent to grow demand and jobs and all of this has to be equitable.”

Speaking on the economic structure, he said employment is a big issue. Women also face unemployment. Only 6 per cent people work in organised sector, the rest in unorganised sector, and it is not contributing to demand. This is why the disparity.

If demand from unorganised sector goes up, even organised sector will grow fast. Currently, growth is dependent on 10 per cent of organised sector.

Decades ago, China focused on the rural areas and unorganised sector so that demand can be constant and drive growth. It has invested heavily in R&D and has reaped great growth. We need to do that also. For this, we need a good education, Kumar said.

US President Donald Trump is showing the raw, tough face of capitalism. The West won intellectual property rights through the WTO but the soft face of capitalism is gone. Now, the tough face will face a market crash like they did in the late 1920s.

Transformation through technology is being hastened by AI. It has changed blue-collar jobs in technology such as car factories and will threaten white-collar jobs now, such as journalists, doctors and more.

Physicist & JNU Professor of Econophysics Anirban Chakrabarti said an interdisciplinary approach is needed to combat challenges, including climate change which is causing cloudbursts and droughts at the same time. This will need experts from various sciences to come together.

He said there has been a boom in AI with students taking admission in courses to study it. It is important to understand all aspects of the entire system.

Explaining how AI can help, he said one can record data and use machine learning to see trends. “If we can predict price volatility via ML tools, it will help small farmers to decide what crops to sow. I can tell how market is moving and the volatility the farmers can face, help them make well-informed choices.”

He said many regulatory bodies including RBI, SEBI using AI-ML to predict trends etc so that India can be transformed into a developed nation by 2047.  

OTBL Chairperson (retd) Sushma Rawat thanked the organisers for holding the Conclave in an effort to bridge the gap between people over the transformation technology and AI can bring about.

She said she joined ONGC in 1989 as a geologist, was in ONGC to explore oil reserves and other group companies. Recalling the story of oil in India, she said oil was first in Assam’s Digboi in 1889 when they found sticky substance on elephants’ legs. It was a held belief in the West and among people that oil was only in Assam, India. After Independence, we struck oil off Gujarat in 1959 under the ONGC, she said.

Rawat called upon the dignitaries and attendees at the gathering to have belief in oneself and one’s nation. Recalling the transformation in technology across the ages, she said, “I had a 386 computer in 1990, then Sun Microsystems, now all talk is of AI, IoT, data analytics. The changes have been gradual and not sudden. For instance, the mobile phone is a guru and can answer almost all our queries. It will grow further exponentially.”

She told the youngsters at the event to remain curious and keep on learning.

Differing with Prof Arun Kumar’s AI predictions, Supreme Court Senior Advocate Shri Pradeep Rai said AI will not take away all the core functions of doctors, lawyers and journalists. AI will be of help but cannot investigate, for instance, like journalists can, he said.

Blinkit, Google Pay etc were things which could not be imagined in earlier times, all innovations brought through by technology, said Rai.

The virtual hearings in courts during the pandemic were done because of the availability of technology. It has become commonplace now, making distances a remote thing of the past, Rai noted.

The Senior Advocate said the monopoly of US companies will be a problem. He cited an instance where Google refused to share data with Apple until the court forced them to. Without data, there is no AI, he added.

Kerala State Financial Enterprises Ltd (KSFE) Managing Director SK Sanil said micro-finance institutions are needed for the welfare of the poor. Bangladesh’s Mohammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank have been a success in that country. The innovation which made a great impact won him the Nobel Prize. Micro financing can help the poor and the needy in the drive to transform the country.

In her address, Balaji Foundation Chairperson Smt. Rajshri Rai introduced the Swadesh Conclave, saying it is a platform for collective dialogue. She said this year is the sixth edition of Swadesh Conclave. Swadesh is the platform to talk about national interests. This year’s theme is Transforming India. She quoted Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s Bol, saying everybody is entitled to airing their opinion and welcomed them to the Conclave.

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12 Maoists killed, 3 security personnel lose lives in major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh

A major anti-Naxal operation in Chhattisgarh’s West Bastar region resulted in the killing of 12 Maoists, while three DRG personnel lost their lives amid intense gunfire.

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13 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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Security forces have intensified their combing operations in the dense West Bastar forests after a fierce encounter left 12 Maoists dead and claimed the lives of three DRG personnel.

A coordinated offensive involving teams of DRG Bijapur-Dantewada, STF, CRPF and CoBRA unfolded deep inside Maoist-dominated terrain early Wednesday. According to Bijapur SP Dr Jitendra Yadav, the forces came under sustained Naxal gunfire around 9 am, triggering a prolonged encounter.

By afternoon, the bodies of 12 Maoist cadres had been recovered, while weapons seized from the area included SLR rifles, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles and other ammunition. Bastar Range IG Sundarraj P confirmed that identification of the deceased Maoists is still underway.

Three DRG personnel killed, two injured

The operation came at a grave cost, with three DRG personnel — Head Constable Monu Waddi, Constable Dukaru Gonde and Jawan Ramesh Sodi — losing their lives. Two others sustained injuries but are reported to be out of danger after receiving medical care.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai paid tribute to the fallen personnel and lauded the forces, stating that the action reflects a clear weakening of Maoist networks in the region. He said arrangements for treatment of the injured have been ensured and reiterated the government’s commitment to ending Maoist violence.

Forces strengthen search and area sealed

SP Yadav said additional reinforcements have arrived and the encounter zone has been fully cordoned off for intensified operations. Continuous combing is underway to locate remaining Maoist cadres.

Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma noted that forces have been consistently making gains in anti-Naxal missions, calling the latest action a significant strike against Maoist groups.

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IndiGo flight cancellations cross 200 as crew shortage and new duty norms hit operations

IndiGo’s operations witnessed major disruption for the second day, with over 200 cancellations and severe delays triggered by crew shortage under new duty norms.

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13 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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India’s largest airline, IndiGo, is grappling with widespread disruption across major airports as flight delays and cancellations continue for the second consecutive day. With operations strained and punctuality plunging sharply, thousands of passengers have been left inconvenienced across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

IndiGo’s on-time performance dips sharply

Government data showed the airline’s on-time performance had dropped to 35%, a rare slump for the carrier known for punctuality. IndiGo, which operates more than 2,200 flights daily, saw over 1,400 flights delayed on Tuesday, followed by around 200 cancellations by Wednesday afternoon.

Mumbai Airport issued an advisory alerting passengers to check their flight status, citing airline-related operational issues impacting departures and arrivals.

New duty norms trigger severe crew shortage

A major factor behind the disruptions is the implementation of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules last month. The updated norms mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters for pilots and cabin crew. Sources indicated many flights were grounded over the past 48 hours as crew availability dipped sharply.

IndiGo acknowledged a “multitude of unforeseen operational challenges” including technology glitches, winter schedule adjustments, weather-related issues and the new rostering norms. The airline said it has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours to restore normalcy.

FDTL rules cap crew flying to eight hours a day and mandate a minimum rest period of 10 hours within a 24-hour window, with rest time amounting to twice the flight duration.

Airports across India see cancellations

The ripple effect of IndiGo’s disruptions has been felt nationwide:

  • Hyderabad’s RGIA reported 33 cancellations, leading to long queues and disrupted travel plans.
  • Bengaluru Airport saw 42 cancellations, including 22 arrivals and 20 departures, impacting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and Kolkata.
  • Delhi Airport also saw congestion as a slowdown in the Amadeus system, used for check-ins and reservations, added to delays.

Passengers vent frustration

Several passengers took to social media to share their ordeal.
One traveller stranded in Hyderabad since early morning said they missed an important meeting due to continuous delays. Another flyer complained their Udaipur-bound flight was repeatedly delayed, calling the experience “a joke”.

IndiGo issues apology, offers rebooking

IndiGo said it is offering alternate travel options or refunds to affected travellers and urged passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. The airline reiterated its commitment to stabilising operations “as quickly as possible”.

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Centre withdraws order on mandatory Sanchar Saathi pre-installation after protests

The government has withdrawn its order making the Sanchar Saathi app mandatory on smartphones, following two days of intense criticism from opposition leaders and civil rights groups over privacy concerns.

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18 hours ago

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December 3, 2025

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sanchar sathi app logo

The Centre has reversed its directive that required all smartphone manufacturers to pre-install the Sanchar Saathi cybersecurity app, following backlash from opposition leaders, civil rights groups and users who raised concerns over privacy and potential misuse.

Government cites rising downloads, public feedback

According to the government, the order was rolled back as user downloads had surged — with over six lakh installations within 24 hours and 1.4 crore total users. Officials said the mandate was originally intended to push wider adoption, but public feedback prompted a re-evaluation.

The official statement reiterated Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s earlier assurance in Parliament that the app is deletable and does not enable snooping. The minister emphasised that in a democracy, every user has the right to remove applications they do not wish to use.

Opposition slams move, flags privacy concerns

Several opposition leaders criticised the initial directive, claiming it risked turning the app into a surveillance tool, echoing earlier privacy controversies. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the decision “ridiculous”, while Karti Chidambaram compared the mandate to practices in authoritarian countries. Leaders from other parties also raised objections, describing it as a move that could compromise personal data.

What the Sanchar Saathi app offers

Sanchar Saathi, developed by the Department of Telecommunications, is designed to help users secure their digital identities, report suspicious activity and access cyber safety awareness material. It is available both as a mobile app and a web portal. The government maintains the app has no function beyond safeguarding users from cyber threats.

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