When India@60 was being commemorated in 2007, late management guru C.K. Prahalad presented his last public lecture - a vision for an inclusive India with a robust economic resilience, technological vitality and vibrant moral leadership: India @ 75. That vision is manifesting itself in action on ground, with newfound vigour, more than a year after the visionary who articulated it passed away.

Speaking to Business Line on the sidelines of the LeapVault Chief Learning Officers' Summit in Mumbai, Ms Deepa Prahalad, daughter of the management guru; and author, business strategist and management consultant herself, recalled the origins of India @ 75.

She said, “When he was called to present his vision for India@75 (by 2022), he told us, ‘This isn't a speech. We're being asked to set the agenda for a billion people. If this is a movement, I need to find out whether what I am saying resonates with what people feel.' That was the way he operated - inclusively.”

CII, Young Indians and Boston Consulting Group went out to definitively shape the vision, reaching out to Indians across the country. But it has taken some time for it to translate into action on ground.

Ms Prahalad added, “CII has always been in touch, and the family is very much involved in the movement. We see a lot of action on India@75 on ground now, especially the last three months, with new hires and collaborative efforts.”

Ms Gayathri Prahalad, wife of the former management guru, is on board a new apex council formed to implement India@75. In March, CII appointed Ms Bhairavi Jani, immediate past President of Young Indians, as Executive Director of India@75.

Vision 2022 In Action

Ms Jani notes that several initiatives in line with the outlined vision have been rolled out, the most recent being a Facebook page to garner views on key elements of ‘India@75.'

“We're working on behalf of the Planning Commission to generate reports based on user feedback through social media,” noted Ms Jani. A report on ‘grass root governance' has been submitted, while a second on urbanisation is being collated.

Starting next month, India@75 will initiate a campaign to achieve the goal of food security. Alongside Give India Foundation, it will allow people to pledge (sponsor) meals online, while creating a mass level of awareness of hunger. Use of technology will be accompanied by connecting with some of India's ‘hunger belts'.

In the next six months, India@75 will also attempt to create a platform for people to volunteer, exercising individual social responsibility.

In partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), India@75 has embarked on a business plan competition across colleges, inviting students to provide entrepreneurial solutions for skill development. Another joint initiative with the NSDC saw the birth of Skillpedia, an online tool for skill development. NSDC will take it to the public in September, explains Ms Jani.

An autonomous platform to cater to urban planning needs, City Connect, was kick started in Bangalore, bringing together civil society and business organisations.

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