Neelesh Misra

Singapore: Business executives, Internet warriors, social entrepreneurs and dreamers — young leaders from Asia met at a summit in Singapore to discuss the road ahead for their continent, which many predict will soon be the influence hub of the world. They also spoke of India — and what they expect from it in the coming years.

“India can be on the (UN) Security Council and be a strong partner for Asean,” said Suryani Senja Alias, vice-president of Khazanah Research and Investment Strategy based in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.

Suryani and some 200 other delegates from across Asia and the US assembled at the Asia Society Young Leaders Summit in Singapore. They ranged from an Iranian businesswoman in Kabul to a journalist who has lived with tribals for eight years in the Philippines, to former military officers who gave up life of bloodshed to begin social work, and advisers to the Pakistani prime minister and Mongolian president.

“Imagine if India could distribute her wealth, opportunities, education and power in a fair and equitable manner… could nurture her young and old talents in both urban and rural areas,” said Vivian Lau of Junior Achievement, a Hong Kong-based non-profit organisation grooming the youth into entrepreneurs.

“I would imagine an India that would have its own open space software industry,” said Gen Kanai of Mozilla Corporation which built the free, open source Firefox web browser. “I imagine a future where India would provide free software to Indians in all languages.”

Singapore President SR Nathan said: “Asia today is rapidly growing, lifted by the twin engines of China and India ... There is a sense that our time has come.”

Chinese journalist Lin Gu recalled a Chinese saying that called for an understanding of one’s neighbour for better understanding of oneself — and imagined a confederation of the two countries.

Damdin Tsogtbaatar, foreign policy adviser to the president of Mongolia, said: “India has a very long term growth perspective and less risks.”

Many delegates came from countries with authoritarian regimes, or nations where delegates said the rule of law did not exist.

“The independence of the judiciary is a very important lesson from India,” said lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar of the National Human Rights Society in Malaysia.

neelesh.misra@hindustantimes.com