Prof. Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian maps a $55 trillion path to Viksit Bharat

NEW YORK and NEW DELHI — 24 August 2026 — The India 2047 Leaders Talk series opened on Monday with a live dialogue on what it would take to build India into a $55 trillion developed economy by the centenary of independence in 2047. Broadcast on LinkedIn and X, the session brought together policy architects, institutional investors and domain experts to examine the drivers behind India's long-term trajectory.

The featured guest was Hon. Prof. Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian, Professor of Finance at the Indian School of Business, former Executive Director for India at the International Monetary Fund, and the 17th Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, serving from 2018 to 2021.

In March 2026, Prof. Subramanian became the first Indian economist to receive the University of Chicago's Alumni Award for Professional Achievement in the award's 85-year history. Past recipients include at least 14 Nobel laureates, among them Paul Samuelson, Gary Becker and Claudia Goldin, alongside Carl Sagan and Philip Kotler.

Three levers, one compounding engine

In his address, Prof. Subramanian set out how sustained 8% real GDP growth, combined with strategic capital deployment, compounds across India's core economic pillars. He pointed to three levers in particular:

• 01Attracting high-quality foreign direct investment.
• 02Expanding electronics and industrial manufacturing through global value chain integration.
• 03Building a young workforce skilled in artificial intelligence and deep-tech.

He also argued that India's move into frontier industries — defence manufacturing, dual-use technology transfer and commercial space technology — is central to technological self-reliance and high-value export growth.

“Building a $55 trillion Viksit Bharat by 2047 is an achievable reality driven by the power of compounding growth, ethical wealth creation, and bold structural policy. By expanding high-value manufacturing, harnessing our vast young demographic in AI and emerging capabilities, and establishing global dominance in sunrise sectors like space and defence tech, India is not merely expanding its economic footprint — it is delivering a resilient economic blueprint for the modern world.”

Prof. Krishnamurthy V. Subramanian

A bridge between capital and execution

The session was hosted by Ravi Karkara, Founder of INDVest Forum NYC and co-author of the AI for Food Movement book, who moderated the discussion on aligning global capital with sovereign execution, cross-border technology alliances and sustainable infrastructure development.

“The India 2047 Leaders Talk platform was conceived as a bridge connecting visionary leadership with global capital, industrial strategy and institutional policy. This conversation underscores how the convergence of FDI, advanced manufacturing, AI-ready human capital, and defence and space innovation turns the vision of a Viksit Bharat into something tangible.”

Ravi KarkaraFounder, INDVest Forum NYC

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