Economy to water, Maharashtra politics to movies: Full coverage of India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019 – India Today

Posted: September 23, 2019 at 8:44 am

With over two days of engaging conversations, fiery debates and inspiring keynotes, the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019 played host to an idea exchange that covered varied topics. From the Indian economy and the situation in Kashmir to the politics of Maharashtra and the world of showbiz, the two-day Conclave had it all. And, a big-bang announcement by the government on reducing corporate tax rates made the session on economy even more interesting.

In case you missed out on the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, here's everything that happened over the last two days.

DAY 1

FULL WELCOME SPEECH OF AROON PURIE AT INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE 2019

A very warm welcome to you all. It is great to be back in Mumbai with another edition of the India Today Conclave. This March, we had shifted our national conclave to Delhi as it was going to be a year defined by elections and politics and power equations at the Centre.

But Mumbai has tugged us back. Yours is a city of enterprise and dynamism, of resilience and reinvention -- qualities our country needs across the board. As it turns out, this is also a year dominated by conversations around the economy, so it is doubly apt for us to be hosting this edition of the conclave in the financial capital of the country...

RBI SENSED SLOWDOWN AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY: SHAKTIKANTA DAS AT INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE

Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das Friday said that the central bank had sensed a slowdown in the Indian economy in February this year itself. "RBI had noticed the signs of slowdown as early as February this year," Das said while speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019.

Das also pointed out that a slowdown in the global economy was among the factors affecting India's economy, which has shown signs of slow growth. Speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, Das said he was not being defensive but pointed out that global and external must be considered when talking about the slowdown in the Indian economy.

TOP ECONOMISTS DISCUSS ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN, GDP, JOBS AT INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE

Renowned economists Shamika Ravi, a member of PM's Economic Advisory Council, Roopa Purushottam, chief economist and head of policy advocacy at Tata Sons Limited and Ritu Dewan, vice-president of Indian Society of Labour Economics, agreed that the Indian economy has been facing a slowdown.

While some sectors were more adversely impacted due to their own underlying issues, global economic slowdown and trade wars have come together to pull down the growth rate. The rural economy, which was doing better until a few quarters back, has also taken a hit.

ARMY FIGHTS DAILY BATTLES, IAF FOUGHT WHEN IT WAS CALLED TO: AIR CHIEF BS DHANOA AT INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa lauded the Indian Army for "fighting daily battles" and said that the force still remains in the limelight. Dhanoa said this when asked about whether the Indian Air Force had stolen the limelight away from the Indian Army following the Balakot airstrike from earlier this year that targeted a terrorist hideout in Pakistan.

"The Indian Army is fighting a daily battle... they are in the limelight. We were called to fight. So we fought," BS Dhanoa said while speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019.

INDIA ON RIGHT TRACK, ALL ECONOMIES FACE UPS AND DOWNS: NITIN GADKARI

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said Indian will soon become a $5 trillion economy because the government is taking right decisions. Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019 in Mumbai, Nitin Gadkari said, "I believe the kind of measures we are taking will help us achieve the goal of making India a $5 trillion economy. This will lead to employment generation, will boost India's GDP growth and will make the economy powerful."

Nitin Gadkari's comment comes in the wake of India registering a 5 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter of this financial year. This has been the lowest in many years.

VICKY KAUSHAL: MY SECURITY GUARD SEES NETFLIX ON PHONE. UNLESS WE MATCH, WHO WILL PAY RS 500 FOR A MOVIE?

Vicky Kaushal has been high on josh ever since his last release Uri: The Surgical Strike struck gold at the box office. Aditya Dhar's directorial debut not only made Vicky an overnight star, but also helped him bag his first National Film Award.

And ever since, there has been no looking back for this 31-year-old actor.

On Day 1 of the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, Vicky Kaushal opened up on his Bollywood journey, his first National Award and his love life in a session titled The Art and The Man: What gives me josh in Bollywood.

HUMAN LIFE MORE IMPORTANT THAN INTERNET CONNECTIVITY: JITENDRA SINGH ON KASHMIR LOCKDOWN

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh has claimed that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is normal after the abrogation of Article 370. He insisted that human life is more important than internet connectivity.

While speaking at India Today Conclave 2019 on Friday, Jitendra Singh called the Opposition hypocrites who did not want democracy to be more open. Jitendra Singh claimed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will come forward in support of the Union government's decision on Article 370 within six months.

HERE'S HOW VIRUSES ARE LINKED TO CANCER, AUTISM AND OTHER SYNDROMES: TAKE NOTES FROM DR W. IAN LIPKIN

India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019: Mumbai is capturing the excitement of human potential by presenting thought leaders triggering positive change around the world: people redefining human health, physical and mental wellness, artificial intelligence and much more.

This time, we had Dr W. Ian Lipkin, Virologist with us at the India Today Conclave 2019, Mumbai and he shared his own experiences about how he encountered with HIV/AIDS and identified AIDS-associated immunological abnormalities and inflammatory neuropathy, which he showed could be treated with plasmapheresis, and demonstrated that early life exposure to viral infections affects neurotransmitter function.

SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATIONS CARRYMINATI AND PRAJAKTA KOLI: JIO CHANGED INDIA

CarryMinati aka Ajey Nagar is one person who is doing it all. The 20-year-old who started out as a YouTuber, became an online sensation instantly with his quirky videos. The social media star posts rants, commentaries and reactions to anything that trends on social media, on his YouTube channel. The man, who has a view about everything, is also a rapper and has some songs out like Byepewdiepie and Trigger.

Prajakta Kohli, who is famous by her online name, Mostly Sane, is another popular YouTuber known for her hilarious and relatable videos as they are based on everyday observations.

INDIA LEADS THE WORLD IN TEENAGE DEPRESSION: BRAVE YOUNGSTERS SHARE THEIR TRIGGER MOMENTS

Over the last five years, more than 40,000 students committed suicide in India. Last year itself, 8492 students committed suicide. One student commits suicide every hour in India, and yet, we keep pretending like today's teenagers are anything from fragile to obsessed about their looks -- each of these blame-games make diagnosis and treatment of teenage depression even more difficult.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, moderator Soma Chowdhury gives the audience a few shocking numbers and mentions how Deepika Padukone's opening up about her depression opened up a very important discussion that goes beyond caste, class, language, or age.

AWARENESS AND ACCEPTANCE CAN TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS: NEERJA BIRLA

Even in today's modern society, mental illness is not considered as serious as physical ailments. In many cases, it is frowned upon and neglected.

The main problems plaguing mental ill-health are a lack of awareness, stigma and a lack of infrastructure, said Neerja Birla, Founder, and Chairperson of MPower, an endeavour that is working in the area of mental health on Friday.

KARAN JOHAR: EVERY TIME YOU SAY SUPERSTARDOM, YOU THINK SHAH RUKH. NO ONE CAN TAKE IT AWAY FROM HIM

Over the course of two decades in Bollywood, Karan Johar has carved a name for himself in the industry. He is considered one of the most popular filmmakers in B-Town, owing to his big-budget blockbusters, and new stars are eager to work with him. On Day 1 of the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, Karan Johar opened up about ruling Bollywood, the infamous drug row, box-office clashes, his kids Yash and Roohi, and more. Karan was speaking on a session titled Cinema Czar: The Final Word - The Dream Maker: Karan Johar on ruling Bollywood.

PERFECT BODY, QUIET MIND: WHY HOLLYWOOD SWEARS BY YOGI CODE

Shunning the high life to attain inner peace is really a cakewalk for the first male supermodel, Yogi Cameron, who left the enticing fashion industry right after meeting Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa. When asked about his name, he said, "I used to be called Cameron in the fashion world and once I entered in the world of inner beauty, I added Yogi just to remind myself that I am on this journey."

He started practising yoga in Paris at the Shivananda center in 1987. Further, he extended his knowledge on the subject by reading natural medicine until 1999 and becoming certified in yoga at the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City as well as the Sri Satchidananda Ashram.

IS THIS INDIA OF GANDHI OR INDIA OF GODSE: ILTIJA MUFTI TAKES ON MODI GOVT OVER KASHMIR

Iltija Mufti, the daughter of the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehooba Mufti, hit out at the Narendra Modi government over its move to strip Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and statehood.

When asked what the way forward in Kashmir was, Iltija said the government must roll back its decisions regarding Kashmir. "Is this Gandhi's India or Godse's India," Iltija said while speaking about the clampdown on communications and restrictions on movement imposed in Kashmir.

"How would you feel if in Mumbai you would need a curfew pass to move around in your own country?" Iltija asked, while speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019.

GOVT OPEN TO HEARING, OFFERING SOLUTIONS TO SPUR GROWTH, SAYS PIYUSH GOYAL

Panelists headed by Railways Minister Piyush Goyal feel, in the backdrop of the Union government's decision to reduce corporate tax, the investment climate in India would reverse in the coming days to spur economic growth, though there is no single 'steroid' to spur that growth.

The government is open to hear, learn and offer required solutions from time to time to spur that growth, Piyush Goyal said.

However, the economists feel the issues like adequate liquidity in the system, reforms in land and labour, and attracting investments into India are necessary to spur growth.

SHASHI THAROOR, SWAPAN DASGUPTA SPAR OVER HINDUTVA, NATIONALISM, STRONG INDIA

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta shared their ideas of Hindutva, nationalism authoritarianism and dynasty. While Tharoor insists that the idea of Hindutva is against the freedom struggle Dasgupta emphasised that Hindutva is about civilisation and culture not religion or territory. Tharoor pointed that the feeling of insecurity among certain people is scaring. Dasgupta said the country is rolling back on the corruption which is decreasing every year.

GURU DUTT TO VICKY KAUSHAL: ARJUN KAPOOR DECONSTRUCTS THE INDIAN HERO AT CONCLAVE MUMBAI 2019

On Day 1 of the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, Arjun Kapoor took the audience through decades of Indian cinema and what the Indian hero has been like all these years. The evolution from Guru Dutt to a hero who is anyone and everyone is what Arjun spoke on during his session, titled Top Guns: Deconstructing the modern Indian hero.

DAY 2

STONES HURLED BY FRIENDS LIKE FLOWERS: DEVENDRA FADNAVIS ON ALLY SHIV SENA

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said that he is not deterred by ally Shiv Sena's criticism of his government or his party. "Aisa hai ki dost agar pathar bhi pfainke toh to usse phool samjahna chahiye [Stones hurled by friends are like flowers]," Fadnavis said.

Devendra Fadnavis was speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019 Mumbai on the day the Election Commission was set to announce poll dates for his state.

AAREY FOREST ROW: SHED TO JAAYEGA, SAYS AADITYA THACKERAY; SHED WAHIN BANAYENGE, SAYS FADNAVIS

Shiv Sena youth president Aaditya Thackeray defended his stand on the controversial Mumbai Metro project that has sparked a huge row over the need to fell trees for a carshed. Thackeray has openly opposed the carshed that is supposed to come up in a part of Mumbai's Aarey Forest.

Activists have strongly opposed the felling of trees and the issue has divided Mumbai.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2019 Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray, whose party is a part of the very government constructing the Metro, said the issue was not about "Shiv Sena vs BJP" but about "Mumbai vs environmental damage".

GDP TO GROW 7-7.5 PER CENT IN 2ND HALF, DISINVESTMENT TO BRING REVENUE: NITI AAYOG VC RAJIV KUMAR

The GDP will grow between 7 and 7.5 per cent in the second half of this financial year, Niti Aayog VC Rajiv Kumar said while speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019.

Kumar added that the government will find additional revenues from disinvestments--- it has a plan to divest stakes in 24 companies to raise Rs 1.3 lakh crore --- and raise the fund to bridge the budget deficit that arose out of corporate tax cut.

IDEA THAT THERE IS INFINITE SUPPLY OF WATER IS DUMB: P SAINATH AT INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE

P Sainath, Founder-editor, People's Archive of Rural India called for a rethinking on water crisis, not restricting it to just irrigation or drinking water problem. Water is a social, cultural, political, economic and environmental issue and has to be addressed from all these angles.

Water should also be declared a basic right as the planet is shared by humans as well as flora and fauna. He called for prioritisation of water uses and restrict the transfer of the infinite resource from agriculture to industry, from food to cash crop, from rural to urban areas, from the poor to the rich and from livelihood to lifestyle uses. Since water wars have been fought over the last 2000 years, it was important to discuss the issue as it cannot be evaded now.

WATER CONSERVATION SHOULD BE PRIORITY: PARAMESWARAN IYER

Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, talked about how Indian villages lack clean water and what could be done to provide clean drinking water to the villagers.

He also pointed out that technology could be used to create awareness on water conservation. The focus should be on creating local water storages.

THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE LEARNABILITY WILL BE LEFT BEHIND: WIPRO CHAIRMAN ON THE FUTURE OF JOBS IN INDIA

Technology is changing the landscape of industries around the world. Many jobs that existed in the past are slowly phasing out and data says that over the next five years, 9% of India's 600 million workforce will hold jobs that do not exist yet. In such a time, the only thing that can save us is re-skilling and learnability.

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji, the son of business tycoon and philanthropist Azim Premji conversed with Rahul Kanwal at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019 on how re-skilling and learnability are the top skills for tomorrow's workforce.

AUTOMOBILE, PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES ARE RAPIDLY GROWING IN UTTARAKHAND: CM TRIVENDRA SINGH

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat pitched for investment in the Devbhoomi saying it is a land of many opportunities.

He pointed towards the clean environment and better connectivity to make Uttarakhand an investment destination. Comparing with Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh, which were created in 2000 at the same time of Uttarakhand, Rawat claimed that his state has done better compared to the rest of two.

TECHNOLOGY SHOULD MAKE US BETTER HUMAN BEINGS, SAYS DIGISEXUALITY EXPERT NEIL MCARTHUR

Sexbots or sex robots are increasingly making their way into our society catering to various needs and and sexual desires of people. While on one hand they are being embraced by tech enthusiasts and other people in the society who prescribe to their services, on the other hand, people have also raised their concerns about their impact on people and society at large. The presence of an array of sensors that helps these sex robots read, interpret and even replicate humans has raised another question - if machines become more like humans, do they have rights?

Speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai two digisexuality experts -- Allysson Silva, Lawyer, Co-Founder of NextOs, AI and Tech-intimacies expert and Neil McArthur, Author, Robot Sex: Social and Ethical Implications - tried to answer concerns and challenges around digital sexuality. They were accompanied by Harmony, which is a female sex robot created by Silva's company, who shared her views on some of the questions being raised in the society.

DICTATORS WHO CONDUCT RIGGED ELECTIONS LAST LONGER THAN THOSE WHO DON'T: BRIAN KLAAS

Acclaimed journalist Brian Klaas on Saturday spoke on how alarmingly the world is becoming less democratic.

Klaas has authored two authoritative books on how elections are rigged across the globe The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy and The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy and coauthored another book How to rig an election.

CONCLAVE 2019: GENETICS LOADS THE GUN LIFESTYLE PULLS THE TRIGGER, SAYS MURALI DORAISWAMY

On the second day of India Today Conclave 2019 Mumbai, Dr Murali Doraiswamy, who is a Physician and Futurist at the Duke University School of Medicine discussed the discoveries of the human brain and also gave a brief discussion about the genome and why it is the new gold.

"There is an old saying about genetics. Genetics loads the gun lifestyle pulls the trigger all of us are different because of our different genes. We have 23 pairs of Chromosomes and between then we have 3 to 6 billions of bits of coded information in our genes, said Doraiswamy.

OUR LEADER OF OPPOSITION IN MAHARASHTRA WAS 'MANAGED': PRITHVIRAJ CHAVAN HITS OUT AT RADHAKRISHNA VIKHE PATIL

Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan strongly hit out at Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who was the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra assembly for the last five years. Earlier this year, in a huge embarrassment to Congress, Patil quit the party and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Speaking at the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said it was a huge mistake to appoint Patil as the leader of the opposition and to let him continue in that post for five years. Chavan did not name Patil directly.

SHAHID KAPOOR: KABIR SINGH IS 16 YEARS OF MY HARD WORK

Shahid Kapoor has had a rollercoaster of a journey in Bollywood. In his career spanning almost fifteen years, he has had his fair share of hits and misses. However, 2019 was a lucky one for him, as his film Kabir Singh crossed over Rs 270 crore at the box office and emerged as one of the highest-grossers in Bollywood.

At India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019, at his session, Heroes and Anti-Heroes: The craft and the heart of telling all stories, Shahid Kapoor opened up about the success of Kabir Singh, the constant debate around it, as well as his relationship with his family.

EKTA KAPOOR: I RESPECT THE WOMAN IN THE SAREE AS MUCH AS THE WOMAN IN THE SWIMSUIT

Ekta Kapoor spoke on Day 2 of the India Today Conclave Mumbai 2019 on how to interpret love, desire and ambition in India. The TV czarina didn't shy away from speaking her mind and wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Speaking on Day 2 of the Conclave, during a session titled, #Alt-Imagination: The Radical and the Regressive. Interpreting love, desire and ambition in India', moderated by Koel Purie, Ekta Kapoor spoke on everything from her TV shows being called regressive to ALTBalaji shows being termed soft porn. She also said how everyone had now given up on asking her to get married.

KATRINA KAIF: ZERO AND BHARAT REVIEWS MADE ME REALISE IF YOU GIVE YOUR ALL, IT SHOWS

Katrina Kaif joined the industry as an outsider. And from there, she's gone on to carve a niche for herself. She's learned on her own, she learned a language to fit in, learned how to dance a typical Bollywood number, and today boasts of an unparallel fan base.

In some ways what we see of Katrina Kaif today is a 2.0 version - and Katrina admitted the same, speaking at the India Today Conclave, Mumbai 2019, during a session titled Interstellar: My journey into Bollywood from a different planet.

KRITI SANON: RIGHT NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO BE A WOMAN IN BOLLYWOOD

She made her Bollywood debut with the 2014 film Heropanti. But it took her three years to make people sit and take notice of her talent. The 29-year-old actress surprised everyone with her small-town girl act in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi. And since then, there has been no looking back for the actress who entered Bollywood without a Godfather.

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