NewsVoir
New Delhi [India], February 16: The pleasure continued on Day 2 of the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2026 as world policymakers, trade leaders, economists and entrepreneurs convened to decode the following part of world and Indian progress amid disruption, technological transformation and shifting geopolitics.
The day opened with a welcome deal with by Y Rama Rao, Senior Managing Director and CEO, Spark Capital, who set the tone for conversations on capital, confidence and long-term progress. This was adopted by a particular deal with by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, who highlighted India’s digital and infrastructure ambitions and the function of know-how in shaping a future-ready financial system. In a dialog with Sajeet Manghat, Senior Executive Editor, ET NOW & ET NOW Swadesh, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Government of India, shared insights on connectivity, regional improvement and India’s evolving progress priorities.
He stated, ‘India is in the midst of a digital revolution powered by knowledge, connectivity and homegrown know-how. With over 900 million broadband customers and a number of the lowest knowledge prices globally, digital platforms like UPI and ONDC are driving nationwide financial participation. India has constructed its personal 4G stack, achieved one of many world’s quickest 5G rollouts, and is now shaping world 6G requirements by the Bharat 6G Alliance. Our purpose is clear- to show the digital divide right into a digital dividend and place India as a world chief in next-generation telecom and digital infrastructure.’
A key spotlight of the day was the deal with Ease of Doing Business 3.0, with discussions centred on how Maharashtra can speed up its journey in the direction of a $1 trillion state financial system. Industry leaders, together with Rahul Guha, Managing Director and CEO, API Holdings, Sandeep Varaganti, CEO, JioMart (Reliance Retail), mentioned the progress made in authorities entry and time-bound approvals, whereas flagging persistent challenges reminiscent of land availability, zoning readability and overlapping compliances, notably in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Deependra Singh Khuswah, IAS, Development Commissioner (Industries) and Chairman, MAITRI, outlined the state’s reforms geared toward shifting from a regulator-led strategy to a facilitator-driven mannequin, with a deal with single-window clearances, digitized approvals and lifecycle-based coverage design to enhance velocity, certainty and enterprise confidence.
Urbanisation and the way forward for cities emerged as one other central theme, with world leaders calling for a shift from reactive city administration to predictive and people-centred governance. Dr Debolina Kundu, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, cited UN World Urbanization Prospects 2025 knowledge, noting that greater than 81% of the worldwide inhabitants is now city below revised methodologies. She highlighted that Asia and Africa will drive future city progress, with New Delhi projected to overhaul Tokyo because the world’s largest city agglomeration by 2030. At the identical time, greater than 3,000 cities globally have skilled inhabitants decline, together with a big share in India, underscoring the necessity to handle each growth and contraction.
Prof. Jung-hoon (John) Lee, Former Honorary Mayor of Seoul and Professor at Yonsei University, mentioned Seoul’s transition from a technology-driven sensible metropolis mannequin to a people-centric strategy, leveraging AI-based predictive governance and built-in knowledge programs. Madam Norliza Hashim, CEO, Urbanice Malaysia, Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia, outlined Malaysia’s National Urbanization Policy and sustainable cities framework, highlighting the combination of local weather, sustainability and governance frameworks throughout city centres.
Private sector leaders shared insights on sustainability and technology-led city infrastructure. Okay. Ganesh, Director, Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Bisleri International, highlighted initiatives reminiscent of groundwater restoration and concrete water packages throughout a number of cities. Dr Nilesh Purey, Chief Technology Officer, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), showcased GIFT City’s built-in infrastructure mannequin, together with district cooling, automated waste programs, zero water discharge, inexperienced cowl initiatives, IoT-enabled infrastructure and AI-based citizen companies, positioning it as a blueprint for future sensible cities.
Artificial intelligence and innovation fashioned a significant pillar of Day 2 discussions, with trade leaders inspecting AI’s transformative impression on enterprises and society. A panel on AI and innovation explored how AI is reshaping productiveness throughout insurance coverage, healthcare, agriculture and provide chains, enabling quicker claims processing, personalised healthcare and improved crop predictions. Panelists highlighted challenges reminiscent of restricted major knowledge in agriculture and excessive knowledge processing prices, whereas emphasising that AI ought to complement human judgement slightly than exchange it. Speakers additionally mentioned the speedy evolution of AI programs and the necessity for strong governance frameworks as AI strikes nearer to human-like intelligence.
Cultural and enterprise conversations additionally added a definite perspective to the summit. Actor Abhishek Bachchan highlighted the significance of authenticity in model endorsements, noting that he solely associates with merchandise he genuinely believes in and personally makes use of. He additionally mirrored on India’s shift from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Built for India,’ underscoring the rising deal with innovation and belief in homegrown merchandise.
Day 2 of the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2026 highlighted a convergence of coverage, know-how and concrete transformation narratives. From accelerating regulatory reforms and constructing trillion-dollar state economies to designing future-ready cities and embedding accountability into AI programs, the summit strengthened the necessity for predictive governance, digital infrastructure and human-centric innovation as India and the world navigate a decade of disruption and a century of change.
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