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Aroon Purie at India Today Conclave 2025: Democracy a conversation between rulers and ruled
India Today
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3/7/2025
Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group Aroon Purie kicked off the 22nd edition of the India Today Conclave with a welcome address.
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00:00
Good morning, honored guests, a warm welcome to all of you to the 22nd edition of the India Today Conclave.
00:11
This conclave is happening at the most opportune time, because we are standing at the crossroads of history.
00:21
As they say in the cowboy movies, there's a new sheriff in town, that is Donald J. Trump.
00:28
And it's no small town, it is the United States of America, the world's largest economy and only superpower.
00:38
And he's holding friend and foe alike to gunpoint to get a better deal.
00:44
He's bent on destroying the world order that America established after the Second World War in 1945.
00:52
He's weaponizing trade, he's claiming that America has been taken for a ride even by its allies.
00:59
True to character, he's playing two contradictory roles.
01:04
He's withdrawn America from international institutions, frameworks like WHO and the Paris Climate Accord,
01:12
and I'm sure there will be more. If he perceives no financial gains for America, he wants out.
01:20
On the other hand, he's behaving like a CEO of a multinational company, who wants to make some acquisitions.
01:26
He wants Canada to become America's 51st state and acquire the Panama Canal, Greenland and Gaza.
01:34
He also wants to end the Ukraine war by negotiating with Russia without Ukraine.
01:40
All he wants Ukraine to do is to give America the rights to mine its rare earth minerals
01:45
and return for all the aid they've already got.
01:49
Shockingly, aid is now being converted into a loan without providing any security guarantees,
01:55
which Ukraine desperately needs.
01:59
He doesn't respect the UN Charter that requires countries to respect each other's territory
02:05
or the global institutions where free trade rules were negotiated.
02:09
The norms of civil engagement between nations and language and the protocol of diplomacy are all in a churn.
02:17
The old template is cracking and is being replaced by a sense of anarchy.
02:23
And he's only been in office for 47 days.
02:27
It seems that geopolitics has turned into a reality TV.
02:33
So there are interesting times ahead.
02:35
As one journalist, American journalist said,
02:37
if it weren't for my country, I would take out the popcorn and watch the show.
02:43
Jokes apart, what America does has serious repercussions for everybody.
02:48
The theme we have set for the conclave is the age of acceleration.
02:55
This means that not only change happens, but the rate of change gets faster and faster.
03:01
We could not imagine that Donald J. Trump would step on the pedal so fast, soon to validate our theme.
03:09
So thank you, Mr. President.
03:12
Later today, we have Mr. Michael R. Pompeo,
03:15
who was Trump's foreign secretary for nearly three years in his first term.
03:20
I'm sure he will share some rare insights into Donald Trump's mind and working style.
03:26
We also have the U.S. Commerce Secretary, Mr. Howard Ludnick,
03:31
live via satellite later today to discuss the hottest topic of the day, tariffs.
03:38
Besides the changes in America, there are other powerful forces at work that will impact our lives.
03:45
That is technology in particular.
03:47
The astounding increase in computing power has given birth to artificial intelligence.
03:53
This is transforming every aspect of our lives, from the workplace to politics and even ethics.
03:59
We're still struggling to determine whether it's a boon or a curse.
04:04
Nevertheless, it's impossible to halt the march of technology.
04:09
With Elon Musk right in the heart of administration, there's now even talk of techno-fascism.
04:17
That is absolute power speaking to the language of technology.
04:22
All aspects of government and society get technologized.
04:28
The best one can do is to attempt to regulate it without losing its benefits.
04:33
In the near future, artificial intelligence is predicted to surpass human intelligence.
04:39
They call it the singularity.
04:42
You can look at this with excitement or trepidation.
04:46
I have some questions, though.
04:48
If machines do everything, what will human beings do?
04:52
What will be the jobs which it will come from?
04:56
What will be the people's source of income?
04:58
The economy cannot run without consumers.
05:02
Barbers probably will be the last ones to lose their jobs.
05:07
At least I wouldn't ever get my hair cut from an AI-powered robot, whatever is left of my hair.
05:14
With its tech human resources, India has the potential to be a significant player in the world of AI.
05:22
The Prime Minister is cognizant of this and has created rupees 10,300 crore India AI mission.
05:30
One of the pioneers of AI, Sam Altman, said on his recent visit to India
05:35
that India should be one of the leaders of the AI revolution.
05:42
By the way, the images behind you are all generated on AI.
05:47
AI genius art director Nalindjan Das does them.
05:51
Is he here?
05:54
Nalindjan, where are you?
05:57
Please give him a round of applause.
05:59
It's really amazing.
06:05
Just to clarify, my speech is written by me and me alone, without any AI assistance.
06:15
But technology also persuades us to think beyond countries.
06:20
Whether Donald Trump likes it or not, globalization will remain a driving force for change.
06:26
We are inextricably connected through supply chains, telecommunications,
06:32
and even the controversial migration of people.
06:36
Globalization has been a force for good and will continue to be so.
06:42
It is estimated over one billion people have been lifted out of poverty since 1960.
06:48
This may hit a speed bump with America's current attitude, but its march is inevitable.
06:54
International trade will just be realigned.
06:57
Other technologies that will change and are changing the world are synthetic biology,
07:03
which involves gene splitting, and cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology.
07:09
One will change healthcare, the other will change how economies are managed.
07:14
Both these technologies are due to the advancement of AI.
07:19
As far as geopolitics is concerned, we're in some significant changes.
07:25
Instead of the USA being the lone superpower, China is emerging as a serious challenger.
07:32
Currently, I would say one is a diet dictatorship and the other one is a full one,
07:37
with Xi as president for life.
07:39
They're rivals, but they need each other.
07:42
Trump may want to play hardball with China,
07:45
but he has to remember that they play a very long game.
07:50
If he hands over part of Ukraine to Russia, China may test him and invade Taiwan.
07:56
Trump has weakened the transatlantic alliance, but united Europe in the process.
08:03
But his cozy relationship with Putin must worry them.
08:07
India is in a sweet spot.
08:09
Both America and China would like to be in good terms with us.
08:13
I must say, PM Modi has skillfully negotiated these choppy waters
08:19
by managing the unpredictable Trump.
08:22
He did his homework by reducing duties on items close to Trump's heart
08:27
before his American visit, like the Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon whiskey.
08:34
He's an experienced leader, having held 24 years of high public office.
08:40
India is fortunate to have him on the international stage,
08:46
somebody the world takes seriously, not like a former comedian or a reality TV star.
08:54
One of the unintended consequences of Trump's policies
08:57
would be a much-needed aggressive opening up of the Indian economy to the world
09:02
and deregulation to encourage foreign investment.
09:07
We always seem to act better when faced with a crisis.
09:11
There's no shortage of crises.
09:15
We have climate change, the mother of all crises.
09:19
And it is accelerating and affecting everything and everyone.
09:22
And here we have a president of the country that historically
09:26
has been the worst polluter in the world, and he's in denial.
09:31
Unless the world acts in concert, it will be a terrible legacy
09:35
to leave for our future generations.
09:40
We cannot have this conclave without mentioning the massive success of Mahakam.
09:45
We saw 660 million people over 45 days visiting it.
09:51
It was the biggest gathering the world has ever seen.
09:55
The architect of this spectacular event, the chief minister of UP,
09:59
Sri Yogi Adityanath, will be the guest of honor tomorrow evening.
10:05
Ladies and gentlemen, democracy survives only when those in power
10:10
genuinely believe in democratic values.
10:15
The checks and balances of institutions only work
10:18
if those in power respect these values.
10:22
Consider what Donald Trump is doing in a country with such strong institutions.
10:27
He's weaponizing investigative agencies and persecuting his rivals.
10:32
He puts in place people who only do his bidding.
10:35
Unlike his previous term, now he has no guardrails.
10:40
Also, democracy survives when there's a free flow of truthful information.
10:47
It is the oxygen of democracy.
10:50
It is a conversation between the rulers and the ruled.
10:54
The India Today conclave has been such a destination for 22 years.
11:01
So ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the conversation.
11:05
Fasten your seat belt, as we are in the age of acceleration.
11:10
Thank you for coming.
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