Aroon Purie at India Today Conclave 2025: Democracy a conversation between rulers and ruled

India Today

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.

Transcript

00:00Good morning, honored guests, a warm welcome to all of you to the 22nd edition of the India Today Conclave.

00:11This conclave is happening at the most opportune time, because we are standing at the crossroads of history.

00:21As they say in the cowboy movies, there's a new sheriff in town, that is Donald J. Trump.

00:28And it's no small town, it is the United States of America, the world's largest economy and only superpower.

00:38And he's holding friend and foe alike to gunpoint to get a better deal.

00:44He's bent on destroying the world order that America established after the Second World War in 1945.

00:52He's weaponizing trade, he's claiming that America has been taken for a ride even by its allies.

00:59True to character, he's playing two contradictory roles.

01:04He's withdrawn America from international institutions, frameworks like WHO and the Paris Climate Accord,

01:12and I'm sure there will be more. If he perceives no financial gains for America, he wants out.

01:20On the other hand, he's behaving like a CEO of a multinational company, who wants to make some acquisitions.

01:26He wants Canada to become America's 51st state and acquire the Panama Canal, Greenland and Gaza.

01:34He also wants to end the Ukraine war by negotiating with Russia without Ukraine.

01:40All he wants Ukraine to do is to give America the rights to mine its rare earth minerals

01:45and return for all the aid they've already got.

01:49Shockingly, aid is now being converted into a loan without providing any security guarantees,

01:55which Ukraine desperately needs.

01:59He doesn't respect the UN Charter that requires countries to respect each other's territory

02:05or the global institutions where free trade rules were negotiated.

02:09The norms of civil engagement between nations and language and the protocol of diplomacy are all in a churn.

02:17The old template is cracking and is being replaced by a sense of anarchy.

02:23And he's only been in office for 47 days.

02:27It seems that geopolitics has turned into a reality TV.

02:33So there are interesting times ahead.

02:35As one journalist, American journalist said,

02:37if it weren't for my country, I would take out the popcorn and watch the show.

02:43Jokes apart, what America does has serious repercussions for everybody.

02:48The theme we have set for the conclave is the age of acceleration.

02:55This means that not only change happens, but the rate of change gets faster and faster.

03:01We could not imagine that Donald J. Trump would step on the pedal so fast, soon to validate our theme.

03:09So thank you, Mr. President.

03:12Later today, we have Mr. Michael R. Pompeo,

03:15who was Trump's foreign secretary for nearly three years in his first term.

03:20I'm sure he will share some rare insights into Donald Trump's mind and working style.

03:26We also have the U.S. Commerce Secretary, Mr. Howard Ludnick,

03:31live via satellite later today to discuss the hottest topic of the day, tariffs.

03:38Besides the changes in America, there are other powerful forces at work that will impact our lives.

03:45That is technology in particular.

03:47The astounding increase in computing power has given birth to artificial intelligence.

03:53This is transforming every aspect of our lives, from the workplace to politics and even ethics.

03:59We're still struggling to determine whether it's a boon or a curse.

04:04Nevertheless, it's impossible to halt the march of technology.

04:09With Elon Musk right in the heart of administration, there's now even talk of techno-fascism.

04:17That is absolute power speaking to the language of technology.

04:22All aspects of government and society get technologized.

04:28The best one can do is to attempt to regulate it without losing its benefits.

04:33In the near future, artificial intelligence is predicted to surpass human intelligence.

04:39They call it the singularity.

04:42You can look at this with excitement or trepidation.

04:46I have some questions, though.

04:48If machines do everything, what will human beings do?

04:52What will be the jobs which it will come from?

04:56What will be the people's source of income?

04:58The economy cannot run without consumers.

05:02Barbers probably will be the last ones to lose their jobs.

05:07At least I wouldn't ever get my hair cut from an AI-powered robot, whatever is left of my hair.

05:14With its tech human resources, India has the potential to be a significant player in the world of AI.

05:22The Prime Minister is cognizant of this and has created rupees 10,300 crore India AI mission.

05:30One of the pioneers of AI, Sam Altman, said on his recent visit to India

05:35that India should be one of the leaders of the AI revolution.

05:42By the way, the images behind you are all generated on AI.

05:47AI genius art director Nalindjan Das does them.

05:51Is he here?

05:54Nalindjan, where are you?

05:57Please give him a round of applause.

05:59It's really amazing.

06:05Just to clarify, my speech is written by me and me alone, without any AI assistance.

06:15But technology also persuades us to think beyond countries.

06:20Whether Donald Trump likes it or not, globalization will remain a driving force for change.

06:26We are inextricably connected through supply chains, telecommunications,

06:32and even the controversial migration of people.

06:36Globalization has been a force for good and will continue to be so.

06:42It is estimated over one billion people have been lifted out of poverty since 1960.

06:48This may hit a speed bump with America's current attitude, but its march is inevitable.

06:54International trade will just be realigned.

06:57Other technologies that will change and are changing the world are synthetic biology,

07:03which involves gene splitting, and cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology.

07:09One will change healthcare, the other will change how economies are managed.

07:14Both these technologies are due to the advancement of AI.

07:19As far as geopolitics is concerned, we're in some significant changes.

07:25Instead of the USA being the lone superpower, China is emerging as a serious challenger.

07:32Currently, I would say one is a diet dictatorship and the other one is a full one,

07:37with Xi as president for life.

07:39They're rivals, but they need each other.

07:42Trump may want to play hardball with China,

07:45but he has to remember that they play a very long game.

07:50If he hands over part of Ukraine to Russia, China may test him and invade Taiwan.

07:56Trump has weakened the transatlantic alliance, but united Europe in the process.

08:03But his cozy relationship with Putin must worry them.

08:07India is in a sweet spot.

08:09Both America and China would like to be in good terms with us.

08:13I must say, PM Modi has skillfully negotiated these choppy waters

08:19by managing the unpredictable Trump.

08:22He did his homework by reducing duties on items close to Trump's heart

08:27before his American visit, like the Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon whiskey.

08:34He's an experienced leader, having held 24 years of high public office.

08:40India is fortunate to have him on the international stage,

08:46somebody the world takes seriously, not like a former comedian or a reality TV star.

08:54One of the unintended consequences of Trump's policies

08:57would be a much-needed aggressive opening up of the Indian economy to the world

09:02and deregulation to encourage foreign investment.

09:07We always seem to act better when faced with a crisis.

09:11There's no shortage of crises.

09:15We have climate change, the mother of all crises.

09:19And it is accelerating and affecting everything and everyone.

09:22And here we have a president of the country that historically

09:26has been the worst polluter in the world, and he's in denial.

09:31Unless the world acts in concert, it will be a terrible legacy

09:35to leave for our future generations.

09:40We cannot have this conclave without mentioning the massive success of Mahakam.

09:45We saw 660 million people over 45 days visiting it.

09:51It was the biggest gathering the world has ever seen.

09:55The architect of this spectacular event, the chief minister of UP,

09:59Sri Yogi Adityanath, will be the guest of honor tomorrow evening.

10:05Ladies and gentlemen, democracy survives only when those in power

10:10genuinely believe in democratic values.

10:15The checks and balances of institutions only work

10:18if those in power respect these values.

10:22Consider what Donald Trump is doing in a country with such strong institutions.

10:27He's weaponizing investigative agencies and persecuting his rivals.

10:32He puts in place people who only do his bidding.

10:35Unlike his previous term, now he has no guardrails.

10:40Also, democracy survives when there's a free flow of truthful information.

10:47It is the oxygen of democracy.

10:50It is a conversation between the rulers and the ruled.

10:54The India Today conclave has been such a destination for 22 years.

11:01So ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the conversation.

11:05Fasten your seat belt, as we are in the age of acceleration.

11:10Thank you for coming.

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