India@75 is a grassroots and path breaking initiative of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for realizing the dream of an inclusive, sustainable and developed India by the year 2022, when India completes 75 years of Independence. It is a universal vision for India shared by Indians from all geographies and all walks of life. It was developed using collaborative public reasoning processes that involved thousands of Indians from all walks of life.

Professor Coimbatore KrishnaraoPrahalad (C.K. Prahalad,1941 – 2010), the Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor of Corporate Strategy at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business in the University of Michigan was the inspirational force behind the India@75 initiative.While commemorating the 60th year of India’s independence, on 23 Sep 2007 during the Incredible India@60 celebrations at New York, he articulated the idea of a developed India in three dimensions i.e. robust economic resilience, technological vitality and vibrant moral leadership by 75 years of independence. CII adopted his vision.

India@75’s agenda has found wide acceptance, encouragement and support including the vision to skill 500 million people by the year 2022 by the Honorable Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

India@75 is about catalyzing and facilitating grassroots level action that will allow Indians to realize their vision for India by the year 2022.

Key Vision Elements

1.   Education and Skills 2022 India has the world’s largest pool of trained manpower India has the potential to build a base of 200 million college graduates (~16%) Additionally, India should build a workforce of 500 million certified and skilled technicians (~40%) Implicit in this future is universal literacy. This must happen for vision to succeed
2.   Business and Economy 2022 India becomes the home for at least 30 of the Fortune 100 firms India accounts for 10 per cent of Global Trade (Indian Exports/World Exports ~1.35%) India must become connected with the rest of the world This is a critical step in influencing others and the basis of learning from others
3.   Technology and Innovation 2022 India becomes a source of Global innovations New businesses, New technologies and New forms of businesses India focuses on the bottom of the Pyramid as a source of innovations for the world Create leaders in Health, Education, Energy, Transportation, Sustainable Development for all
4.   Arts Literature and Sports 2022 India has a flowering of Arts, Science, Sports and Literature Why can’t India have 10 Nobel Prize Winners?
5.   Agriculture, Food Security and Health 2022 India has a Renewal of Agriculture to reach World Class productivity levels Every Indian has access to a balanced meal by 2022 Every Indian has easy and affordable access to well equipped and serviceable healthcare
6.   Urbanisation and Environmental Sustainability 2022 India has 500 World-class cities through planned urbanization India becomes a global benchmark for sustainable development and environmental conservation
7.   Moral Leadership, Governance and Public Administration 2022 India becomes the New Moral Voice for People Around the World India as a country where Universality and Inclusiveness is widely practiced India becomes the most benchmarked country for its capacity to accept and benefit from its diversity Every Indian experiences transparent, accountable and efficient public administration

Mission

• Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
• Where knowledge and skills are everything
• Where the country and its people have been energized to leverage resources and areas of expertisewith clearly defined goals
• Where words come out from the depth of truth
• Where tireless technology empowers people and supports robust processes
• Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dark depths of communalism or corruption
• Where the mind is led forward by disruptive thinking and innovation into ever-positive thought and action
• Into that heaven of freedom, let my country awake

Call for Action
In Prof. CK Prahalad’s words:
“The process of socializing the concept of India@75 and working with state level planners and a large cross section of society must now translate into a standing group of volunteers who will work full time- a India@75 Peace Corps- if you will. We need young people with passion, dedication, and a willingness to devote a few years of their time to build a new India; the India@75

We are creating a movement where everyone is involved in realizing the dreams of our country. It requires partnerships with diverse stakeholders ranging from government to individuals, and community groups to institutions. We need to develop new solutions to old problems, ie Next Practices that would help us achieve the vision. These practices are to be developed within the overall framework of the development sandbox articulated by Prof. Prahalad and are the non-negotiable that everyone must agree on:

• Transparent transactions
• Socially equitable
• Focus on rule of law and individual rights (not just rights of groups)
• Develop global scale (to cover a large population)
• Become ecologically sustainable
• Accept the need for new price-performance relationships (to ensure access and affordability for all)