17th Annual Lecture – India’s Opportunities in a Turbulent World

NIIT University’s celebrations were not only a buzz withing the campus but nationwide as the much-awaited Annual Lecture made its wake on November 22, 2025. Welcomed by Mr. RS Pawar, the guest of the day was the renowned economist Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

A polymath with over four decades of experience in public policy, the former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission of India and a Padma Bhushan awardee , he addressed the motion of India’s Opportunities in a turbulent world after being introduced to the audience by Mr. VK Thadani. What began as a deep dive into  𝖴𝖲 𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗂𝖿𝖿𝗌 𝖾𝗏𝗈𝗅𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝖺 𝖽𝖾𝖾𝗉 𝖽𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝖼𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗌 𝗀𝖾𝗈𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗌, 𝖻𝗎𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗎𝖼𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗒, 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗅 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗆𝗂𝖾𝗌, 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗋𝗎𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗁𝗇𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗒, 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝖽𝗒𝗇𝖺𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌, 𝖯𝖫𝖨𝗌, 𝖢𝖯𝖳𝖯𝖯, 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗀𝗂𝖼 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝗅𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝗍𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌. 𝖡𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾, 𝖺𝗌 𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌: 𝖡𝖺𝖽 𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗀𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗈𝗆𝗂𝖼𝗌 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖽 𝗉𝗈𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖼𝗌 and good economics can be bad politics. With internal knowledge of the Indian government, he proposed strategies on how India could achieve its goals by 2030.

Though fired with questions on his propositions his answers were sublime indicators into economic frameworks and geo – political  operandi being flipped onto its head introducing to us the real game of chess being played on the global board. To conclude the annual lecture, he left us with details even rewound news articles failed to report and with one simple “What would this game lead us to?”. This closing was met with a long applause from the audience, appreciating the insightful lecture. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by University President Prof. Prakash Gopalan.