Aaditya Sengupta Dhar

Today, in the world of venture capital, private equity, or indeed, in the corridors of the corporate world, we hear the word ‘wealth creation’. For a lot of people, that simply means the literal accumulation of wealth. However, at a time when there are growing concerns about rising inequality, is wealth creation an end in itself? What are the ethics that could govern it? How can this pursuit of innovation and competitiveness go hand in hand with creating a more equitable world?

Today, one would be tempted to think of leadership as being about power, ambition and achievement if one were to go by business media and tabloids that sometimes celebrate excess and success at any cost. But is it true that to succeed and to leave a legacy of success, one has to put one’s individual success first? Some of the most inspiring leaders have been the ones who lead with humility, empathy and service. Leaders such as Ratan Tata and Verghese Kurien.

One India is the ‘world’s fastest-growing major economy’, with its GDP projected to rise by 6.6 per cent in 2024, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). India’s Ministry of Finance has forecast that the country will become “the third-largest economy in the world” within three years. Fuelling this optimism is India’s demographic dividend, driven by a vast young workforce, with 600 million Indians between the ages of 18 and 35.