Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Outlook Business

Changemaker might be a cliched word in a world that is ruled by social media, where influencers are made and unmade every day. In this haze of stories, reels and posts, we sometimes forget to pause and look around to spot those people who work tirelessly to bring perceptible social change. This change might not be epoch-shifting, but in the deeply troubled world that we live in, positive deviations from contemporary practices should be celebrated. So, we continue with the Outlook Business tradition of the annual listing of changemakers. In this edition, we celebrate 23 changemakers of 2023. While defining change, we paid careful attention to highlighting people and entities whose actions play out in overcoming institutional limitations. Some have created records that are nothing short of historic, while the…

The image of a lanky young boy with vibhuti (sacred ash) on his forehead and an intent look in the eyes, focusing on his next move over a board of black and white squares, has become representative of India's bright prospects in the world of chess. Chennai-based Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has achieved a lot at the international level, breaking several records year after year. Now his eyes are trained on the biggest victory of all: the world chess championship. A win at the FIDE Candidates Tournament in April next year will take the 18-year-old grandmaster closer to his dream—he will get to challenge current world champion Ding Liren. Praggnanandhaa's journey in the world of chess commenced more than 14 years ago, when he picked up the pieces under the guidance of…

Abhishek Sinha, founder of GoodDot, a plant-based meat products start-up, still remembers his virtual interaction with Nithin Kamath, co-founder of online stock trading platform Zerodha. He found him grounded and eager to help companies better manage their sustainability initiatives through his Rainmatter Foundation. What struck Sinha the most was Nithin's belief that “the next big wealth globally will be created by someone who will solve any of the critical problems related to climate.” Sinha considers them the apt role models for India's youngistan. They have successfully built a newage brokerage firm and taken it to the status of a unicorn, and, more significantly, achieved this feat while remaining bootstrapped. But more than this financial accomplishment, Sinha finds their aspiration for self-actualisation even more heartening. The brothers are known not just…

APPLE In the discussions around India's long-term growth trajectory, the country's digitalisation push is often touted as a key driver. Its smartphone market, which is the second largest in the world, is expected to triple from its current levels to $90 billion by 2032, according to global financial services provider Morgan Stanley. For believers in the India growth story, like Apple CEO Tim Cook, this is great news. In 2017, during a quarterly earnings call, the Apple chief had said that he was “very, very bullish and very, very optimistic about India”. In the subsequent years, it seems that the Cupertino-based company's India bet is paying off. For FY23, Apple's India operations reported a 48% annual revenue growth, almost touching $6 billion. More importantly, the company's market share is estimated…

In November, chief justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud delivered a speech at his alma mater Harvard Law School. During the event, a member of the audience raised a query regarding the recent selection of lawyer Victoria Gowri as an additional judge of the Madras High Court by the Supreme Court collegium. The question was about the allegation that she had engaged in hate speech and was perceived to be close to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Chandrachud's response, perceived by many as evasive, involved explaining the functioning of the Indian collegium system to a Western audience. He argued that a lawyer's personal biases or actions before becoming a judge should not weigh heavily on the collegium, emphasising that India's judicial system mandates and expects non-partisanship and adherence to constitutional values once…

DEDICATED TO SHAPING the nation's future, School Toppers transcends the traditional education paradigm, becoming a powerhouse committed to providing not just academic success but a foundation for a brighter future. Going beyond conventional teaching, the institute, led by visionary educator Akhil Tewari and a team of IITians, fosters a holistic understanding of subjects. With a mission rooted in guiding and shaping future leaders, School Toppers offers meticulously curated courses, including JEE Advanced, NEET, MHT-CET, JEE Mains, and JEE & NEET FOUNDATION. The institute's commitment to excellence is evident in its focus on imparting knowledge that extends beyond textbooks, ensuring students are equipped with the skills necessary for real-world success. In essence, School Toppers stands as a beacon, embodying a transformative approach to education, nurturing talent, and preparing students for a…

AMITABH KANT The former Indian Administrative Service officer has been at the helm of important assignments of the government for long. However, during India's G20 presidency, his role as India's sherpa in building consensus among disagreeing nations amid geopolitical volatility has been a gamechanger The role of the president of the Group of Twenty (G20) is significant in that it is responsible for “bringing together the G20 agenda in consultation with other members and in response to developments in the global economy”, according to the outline given on the group's website. However, when India took over the presidency of G20 last December, the biggest apprehension was about building consensus on key global issues, especially in a tense geopolitical climate due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This tension threatened to derail the…

Meet Sandeep, a dedicated private-school teacher with a deep-seated wanderlust. For a long time, retirement was a distant concept, and Sandeep paid little attention to it. However, a pivotal moment arrived when he realised that his dream of exploring the world during his golden years was gradually slipping out of reach. Fueled by determination, he embarked on a transformative journey of retirement planning, transforming his dream into a tangible reality. Retirement is a phase that fills most people with eager anticipation. It's the moment when you can finally ease back, savour the fruits of your hard work, and relish the finer things in life. Yet, the secret to truly savouring your golden years lies in one word: planning. Understanding Retirement Planning Retirement planning isn't merely a financial exercise; it's a…

The traditionally held image of India as an infrastructure-deficient country has undergone a transformation over the past one decade, thanks largely to one person: Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for road transport and highways. “Without roads, water and power, we cannot have industry and capital, and, without that, there is no employment potential. No employment potential means that you cannot encourage growth,” Gadkari had said in an interview to Outlook Business in September this year. Having taken charge of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) in 2014, Gadkari has overseen a rapid transformation of India's roadways. Road transport is responsible for about 60% of total freight movement and 87% of total passenger traffic in India. In 2013–14, the country had an overall network of 48.85 lakh kilometres, of…

Having left the pursuit of medical studies to be an agriculturist, M.S. Swaminathan is credited with the success of the Green Revolution in India that dealt with the country's food scarcity, turning it from a ‘begging bowl’ into a ‘bread basket' The success of his works is not restricted to their academic excellence; it lies in the impact they have had outside the laboratories, in the farms and the fields. His work narrowed the gap between scientific knowledge and its practical application. He consistently advocated for sustainable agriculture, emphasising the delicate balance between human advancement and ecological sustainability.” —Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his tribute to M.S. Swaminathan From being once seen as a country surviving “ship to mouth”—a reference to its dependence on imported foodgrain—to becoming the second largest…

SHAH RUKH KHAN As Pathaan opened to packed theatres, the scene where Salman Khan makes a surprise cameo appearance was the one that got the maximum claps, whistles and cheers in theatres. Shah Rukh Khan, playing a RAW agent, asks Salman, “Main bhi kabhi kabhi sochta hoon, 30 saal ho gaye hai. Ab humein chhod dena chahiye. (‘Sometimes I feel it has been 30 years, now we should retire').” “Par humari jagah lega kaun? (‘But who will take our place?'),” replies Salman, to which they sagely conclude, “Humein hi karna padega. Baccho pe nahi chhod sakte (‘We will have to do it. We cannot leave it on these kids').” While Salman's other outings before Tiger 3 were duds at the box office, Pathaan's dialogue succinctly sums up why King Khan makes…

MY FAVOURITE ROSHINI SANAH JAISWAL FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, JUST HUMAN FAVOURITE MOVIE My preferred film genre is biopics, where historical actors are vividly brought to life, blending entertainment with learning. I find the combination most enjoyable. Classics like Schindler's List and, more recently, the brilliant series Rocket Boys exemplify this captivating fusion of education and entertainment. FAVOURITE BOOK My choice of a favourite book has undergone a transformation. During my 20s, The Secret History by Donna Tartt captivated me. Its intricate narrative intertwines seamlessly with my fascination for mythology. In more recent years, my literary preference has shifted to the world of data interpretation. Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner is an enduring favourite as is Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell. I love the way these…

VIRAT KOHLI I love watching a good cricket match, but I am not a die-hard fan. I do not care much about numbers and milestones. I have my favourites in world cricket, but I never worshipped any of them. There are a few cricketers I will admire forever, and Virat is certainly a part of this list. I do not like the idea of comparing cricketers to one another. To me, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are legends by their own rights. The other day, I saw a reel on Instagram from a party hosted by Mukesh Ambani in 2012 to celebrate Sachin Tendulkar hitting his 100th century in international cricket. Actor Salman Khan asks Tendulkar if his record will ever be broken and goes on to say,…

OUTLOOK BUSINESS INITIATIVE In the dynamic pharmaceutical landscape, Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited (“Akums”) aims to be a beacon of excellence, setting standards for quality and innovation. Akums’ journey is a witness to its dedication to quality and innovation. This journey not only reflects the company's resolute commitment to producing high-quality pharmaceuticals but also its relentless drive to innovate and adapt to the ever-changing demands of the industry. The vision and expertise propels the company to new heights, ensuring that Akums becomes a trailblazer in pharmaceuticals, delivering cutting-edge solutions and pioneering advancements that benefit global healthcare. As we delve deeper into Akums’ story, we uncover a legacy built on unwavering dedication to quality, innovation, and a bright future led by leaders. Akums’ Commitment to Quality: Rooted in a commitment to…

After the untimely death of V.G. Siddhartha, the founder of Coffee Day Enterprises Limited (CDEL), which runs the Café Coffee Day (CCD) chain of coffee outlets, in July 2019, most people had written the company off. After all, Siddhartha had left behind a huge debt of around Rs 7,000 crore. Amid questions on who would take over CDEL, Siddhartha's wife Malavika Hegde stepped forward. Having studied engineering, she did not have a formal degree in business, but she had been associated with the company since her marriage. The debt was enough to burn CDEL to the ground, but Hegde took upon herself the daunting challenge to free the company from it. She took charge of CDEL as the chief executive officer in December 2020 and from thereon never took a…

IN CENTRAL INDIA, THE LNCT Group, led by Shri Jai Narayan Chouksey, is a transformative force in Engineering, Medical, Management, and Professional Education. With a strong presence in Bhopal, Indore, Bilaspur, and Jabalpur, the group has created a network of top-notch educational institutions, epitomizing excellence, discipline and academic prowess. Established in 1993, the LNCT Group has transformed into a leading educational entity. It began with the inception of the first self-financed private technical institution, Lakshmi Narain College of Technology (LNCT), in Madhya Pradesh. The group's footprint expanded to include institutions like Lakshmi Narain College of Technology & Science, Lakshmi Narain College of Pharmacy, Jai Narain College of Technology, and Lakshmi Narain College of Technology Excellence, all located in Bhopal. The LNCT Group further extended its influence with LNCT Vidhyapeeth University, LNCT…

With the dynamism in the arena of digital marketing, content is the king, and Mr. Abdul Sattar, the visionary President and Founder of BrandingExperts.com, sits in command, steering the course towards success. In an exclusive interview, Sattar sheds light on content marketing, differentiates it from public relations, and unveils the unique strategies that set his agency apart. Content Marketing Unveiled Content marketing, according to Sattar, is a strategic solution of creating and disseminating valuable and relevant content to captivate a target audience. Its goal is not just promotion but the cultivation of trust, brand awareness, and, ultimately, driving customer action. It's about establishing a lasting relationship with the audience by providing information or entertainment rather than a direct promotion of your product. Content Marketing vs. PR Distinguishing his agency from…

The year 2023 has been an eventful period for the former Congress president. In many ways, Brand Rahul has turned a corner in the pre-election year. The year started with the conclusion of the most monumental of his efforts at reinventing himself and stamping his authority on the party that was facing a crisis of leadership and challenge from within and an assault from the outside by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). And, it had to be a padyatra, which harked back to the tradition of Mohandas Gandhi's walks during the freedom movement. It had the signature of Rahul Gandhi on it, as it reversed the popular phrase “Kashmir to Kanyakumari” into “Kanyakumari to Kashmir”. This is no secret that Rahul finds southern India more amenable to his idea of…

SWATI NAYAK In September this year, Swati Nayak, an agriculture scientist, became the third Indian to be named the recipient of the prestigious Norman E. Borlaug award for field research and application, by the World Food Prize Foundation, for her work in field application and bridging the gap between scientists and farmers. The award, which recognises those fighting to eliminate global hunger and poverty, bears testimony to her years of work in innovation in agriculture, driven by the passion to empower the community. Throughout her career, Nayak has single-mindedly sought to secure equity and enhance access of farmers to new and emerging varieties of seeds, thereby bridging the gap between the lab and the farm. She is fondly called Bihana Didi, an Odia term that translates as “seed sister”, by…

KAPIL SHARMA Last month, Kapil Sharma, the host of popular comedy series The Kapil Sharma Show, announced that he and his team were moving to a “new house”, referring to the shift from television to over-the-top streaming platform Netflix with a new comedy show. Sharma's eponymous show has played a pivotal role in giving him his popular identity as the king of comedy. On air since 2016, it has had a five-season run, with the last one wrapped up in June this year, winning several awards during the course. Sharma is an “actor who loves to make people laugh”, reads the description on his Instagram profile. As a student of fine arts at Hindu College, Amritsar, he directed plays for pocket money and worked in a cloth mill. He wanted…

NANDAN NILEKANI On a sweltering July day, 21-year-old Shishir Pandey, a computer science and engineering student, jostled for space at the IIT, Bombay, campus to catch a glimpse of one of the institute's famous alumni, Nandan Nilekani, at its 65th anniversary celebrations. The excitement around Nilekani's visit was more apparent because just a month earlier, the Infosys co-founder had announced his decision to donate Rs 315 crore to the institute to mark his 50-year association with it—Nilekani is from the 1973 batch of the institute. Considering his previous grants of Rs 85 crore, his is amongst the most charitable donations to the institution as an alumnus. The EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023, released on November 2, 2023, features Nilekani, the co-founder and chairman of Infosys Limited and founding chairman…

Mumbai's Isha Lodha calls Zepto a lifesaver. “I was so used to visiting my local fruit and vegetable vendor in Andheri's Lokhandwala market for daily supplies that the series of Covidinduced lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 came as a rude shock,” she recalls. That was when she learnt about the quick commerce app that promised delivery of grocery and other items within 10 minutes. Today, Zepto has become a way of life in her household. According to a market report by Bobble AI Data Intelligence Division, Zepto witnessed a 946% user growth between December 2021 and March 2022. On the other hand, bigger brands like Reliance-owned Dunzo and Tata Group's Big Basket clocked 94% and 58% growth, respectively. Starting Young Zepto was founded in 2021 by two 19-year-old Stanford dropouts…

ISRO The failure of the Chandrayaan 2 mission weighed heavily on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) when it was preparing for Chandrayaan 3. The touching down of the Vikram lander became a national event, with people from different corners of the country logging in to witness what they hoped would be a historic moment. ISRO did not disappoint. On August 23, Vikram made a soft landing on the lunar south pole, making India the first country to do so. “Mastering the technology of safe and soft landing is of paramount importance. It is not just the achievement of the scientific and technical community, but has become the country's achievement,” says P. Veeramuthuvel, project director of Chandrayaan 3. He says that it will give boost to the Indian space industry.…

Pride of Nation THERE ARE PROLIFIC Businessmen and visionary entrepreneurs in our country contributing wealth and development to the Industry sector. A certain kind of synergy is at work when it comes to Inspiring personalities who are making a successful impact both financially and socially like Dr Aneel Kashi Murarka, MD of Mirachem Industriies and Founder of Social Enterprise Ample Missiion. He has touched and improved lives of so many economically underprivileged fellow beings and marginal communities His company, Mirachem Industriies is a renowned name in the field of manufacturing specialty chemicals for Textile industry. For the past five decades, they are committed for sustainability and eco-friendly products with a shared vision for a responsible future. Dr Murarka says “More than all that we achieved, I firmly believe that the…

SUMA, HAILING FROM Cuttack, Odisha, is a source of national pride, excelling in healthcare, business, and entrepreneurship. Holding a BTech in electrical engineering from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from Wharton, she exemplifies academic dedication and a global outlook. Suma's career spans diverse sectors, starting in finance at Lehman Brothers and Nomura, laying a robust foundation. Transitioning to consultancy, she contributed to Boston Consulting Group and the MGH and BWH Center for Clinical Data Science, where she served as an AI Product Manager. Suma's journey showcases expertise, excellence, and a commitment to making an impact across industries. Having amassed invaluable insights and skills from diverse industries globally, Suma made a poignant decision to return to her roots, bringing her wealth of experience back to Odisha. Leading the Ashwini Group of…

ASHWINI VAISHNAW I ndia's efforts to enter the global semiconductor chip manufacturing domain got a shot in the arm this year when US-based chipmaking giant Micron Technology began the construction of its $2.75 billion semiconductor plant in Sanand in Gujarat. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's followers hail him for his enthusiasm in trying to make India a global semiconductor manufacturing hub, the role of his trusted lieutenant, Union minister of electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, has not gone unnoticed. Vaishnaw is unlike most other Union ministers before him. When he took charge at the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in July 2021, he had been a parliamentarian for barely two years. Neither did he have any ministerial experience, nor did he have much sway within the Bharatiya…

GET, SET, START WHEN A CELEBRITY SHIFTS GEARS KRITI SANON Being an engineering student, what inspired you to enter Bollywood? How did you manage to succeed without having a famous mentor or surname? I think there are a lot of people who do not know what they really want to do in life, and they just make choices based on their feeling at that point. I did not know what an engineer would do but I chose that subject because I felt it was something that I might develop liking towards. I started modelling when I was in the second year of B.Tech, and I started doing some TV commercials. That is when I realised that I enjoyed the shooting process, and I could act. I was always into dance since…

SUKHVINDER S. SUKHU In a state that venerates strong leadership, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu faced a formidable challenge at the beginning of his tenure as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Months after he assumed office, a natural disaster wreaked havoc in the Himalayan region in July this year. “I was in my constituency when news of the floods in the Kullu region reached me. Around 75,000 tourists were stranded in various parts of the area,” recalls Sukhu. Raised by a father who worked as a bus driver in the state roadways, Sukhu understood the economic significance of tourists and the need for a secure evacuation process to maintain their trust in the state's administration. With only 15,000 government vehicles available for evacuating 75,000 tourists and dealing with damaged roads, the…

CANCER WARRIORS Ravi Prakash, a journalist, vividly recalls the day when doctors confirmed his advanced stage lung cancer. It was January 30, 2021. The news turned the 47-year-old's life upside down, but he soon gathered himself. “I realised that I would have to live with cancer for the rest of my life, so I chose to befriend it rather than surrender to it,” he says. Hailing from Ranchi in Jharkhand, Prakash is required to travel to Mumbai for treatment, He clicked vivid photographs of nature during these trips and later organised an exhibition in Ranchi, titled Cancer Wala Camera. Often, he combines these visits with family trips to other places. Prakash believes that longevity has nothing to do with a person's greatness. “Birsa Munda left this world at the age…

FUTURE SENSE BRING THE LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL TO DATA In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, the allure of the latest and most hyped solutions can be tempting for enterprises. However, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and large language model (LLM), should not be driven by trends but by the fundamental goal of solving business problems. Consider a manufacturing company which aims to reduce machinery failure rates and enhance production efficiency. The information critical to achieving this objective might be scattered across sources, including unstructured documents, like physical reports. LLM can play a pivotal role in extracting structured content from unstructured documents in such a situation, thus offering a tangible solution to a specific business problem. ChatGPT, for instance, follows an LLM model and has proved…