Person of the Year 2016
“Hyper-United, Hyper-Divided World” wins the crown.
This hyper-united world has hyper-polarised opinions. The caustic and close fight between Trump and Hillary, between “Leave” and “Remain” are examples of the increased polarity. Clamour for higher economic and social walls seems to have increased. This is neither the end of globalization nor the beginning of nativism. We are just witnessing a high tide of envy, fear and anger - the deepest of human emotions. The sentiment of the day and motion of the debate will keep changing but the plurality and pace of the new, hyper-united world will not.
Person of the Year 2015
"DIET - Distributed, Intelligent, Empowering Technology" is declared the winner.
Will coal-fired mega power plants be replaced by solar farms in every neighbourhood? Will A.I. powered drones supplant delivery boys? Maybe. Mega factories in China may have to worry about local stores using 3D-printers and nano-particles to produce custom toys on-demand. Look beyond the price chart of Bitcoin, the crypto currency, and you would realize how the concept of the blockchain can lead to unthinkable solutions for a complex world. Take my byte, its one of the biggest inventions of this century. With exponential power of computing and connectivity, we are entering a period of Extreme Transformation. Shape up or ship out.
Person of the Year 2014
The author salutes the “awakened young Indian”.
The youth is changing the narrative across politics, business and society at large. Venture capital investment in startups tripled this year with investors betting on young Indian talent. One may abhor the addiction to WhatsApp or candy-crush, the fact is that rising internet penetration is throwing exciting opportunities. It’s not about the soaring valuations of FlipKart, Zomato, InMobi or Zoho but a pervasive revolution underway. This generation has a different DNA with a favorable eco-system to boot. Day is not far to have our own Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Larry Page pushing the horizons of innovation.
Look at the renaissance in literature with the arrival of many young authors. Generations that never looked beyond cricket are surprised at shooting popularity of several other sports. There are outstanding examples of young social entrepreneurs whose “spirit of doing good” is making visible impact. Stories abound. This is just the beginning.
Person of the Year 2013
Love in Tokyo
In Pran, Bollywood lost one of the most versatile actors this year. One of his hit movie "Love in Tokyo" had a song, "mujhe tum mil gaye, humdum (I have got you, my companion). It’s a coincidence that Manmohan Singh extended his official visit by a day while visiting Tokyo this year. Maybe he was singing another famous song of this movie, Sayonara… kal phir aungi, meaning, "good bye for now, but I promise to be back tomorrow". The Japanese emperor and her majesty re-visited India after 60 years. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to be a special guest on India's Republic day.
The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor will not only be the poster boy of the next phase of India's economic development but also of the extensive collaboration with Japan. India needs finance as well as technical expertise to meet its humongous need for infrastructure. Japan can offer both. India has a great demographic dividend while Japan has an ageing population. Strategically, the world needs Japan and India to be together to counter-balance China's rising influence in the region. Over centuries, India never attacked anyone, and Japan would have hardly spared someone. So, this partnership will surely be an interesting one.
Take my word, seeds of partnership between these two powers will be remembered as one of the most defining moment in the political and economic history of Asia in this century.
