Sadhguru, Rajamouli and Fadnavis to attend Harvard India Conference

Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, political strategist-cum-JD(U) leader Prashant Kishore, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Bahubali director S S Rajamouli among the top leaders to attend the annual Harvard India Conference next year.

Students of the prestigious Harvard University have invited a host of eminent Indian personalities from various fields to brainstorm for two days on February 16 and 17, 2019, on issues weaved around the theme "India at an Infliction Point," student organisers of the annual event said Monday.

"2019 is an election year and it truly fits into the theme of the conference, India is indeed at an inflection point. In this year's conference, we intend to move away from the traditional one-way communication we have become used to. We will focus on dialogues and debate which are critical in a democracy," said Rridhee Malhotra, one of the co-chairs of this year's Harvard India Conference.

As the world's fastest growing large economy, India will soon join the coveted high middle-income country club. At the same time, India needs to continue making progress with its economic reform agenda to sustain growth, she said.

In this context, 2019 edition of the conference will reflect on the opportunities presented by India's rapid growth in the last decades and the challenges it must overcome in preserving its secular and tolerant social fabric, Rridhee said.

Among other confirmed speakers for the two-day conference in Boston are Aruna Roy (Founder, MKSS), Jayaprakash Narayana (founder and president, Loksatta Party), Manu Jain (CEO, Xiaomi), Shraddha Sharma (CEO, Your Story Inc.), Pa Ranjith (director, Kaala and Kabali with Rajnikanth), and former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian among others.

"We will be showcasing four young leaders of India who have done exceptional work in their respective fields," she added.

The conference, now into its 16th year, is jointly organised by students of Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School with active contribution by students from across the Harvard community.

This year's co-chairs are Rridhee Malhotra, Mahesh CR, Neetisha Besra and Kirtika Singh from, Harvard Kennedy School. Co-chairs from the Harvard Business School are Shruti, Nihal Sarwagi, Nidhi Shanbagh.