Global Immersion: Innovation in India

Why focus on India? India, the world’s largest democracy with a population of 1.4 billion, is emerging as an important counterpoint to China from a geopolitical perspective. The US is leaning on India as a crucial ally; President Biden welcomed Indian Prime Minister Modi to Washington in June 2023 and said that the US-India relationship was "one of the defining relationships of the 21st Century.” The Prime Minister addressed the US Congress and received a standing ovation, although his visit also generated a fair amount of controversy. In late 2022, India’s economy overtook Britain’s to be the world’s fifth largest, and the country had a growth rate of over 8%, the highest among large economies, in the fiscal year ending in March 2024. Over 950 million Indians are expected to exercise their right to vote in parliamentary elections in the world’s largest democracy in Spring 2024. Why focus on innovation? Apart from conglomerates such as Reliance, Adani, and Tata, innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of India’s growing economy. Startups, often tech-based, have gone from providing e-commerce and ride-sharing services to the richest Indians to seeking opportunities at the global innovation frontier. Students will learn about the Indian startup ecosystem from founders and funders and will also get a sense of the overall economic landscape. The course project will require students to dive into Indian market in one domain and write about the opportunities for innovation or market expansion given the constraints and challenges. After learning about India through a combination of readings, videos, lectures, and guest speakers in the Fall A term, students will travel to Delhi for a one-week immersion trip (October 13th to 19th), with many opportunities to learn from business and government leaders and to partake of the diverse culture and cuisine of India. We will also travel to Agra on the last day of our trip and visit the iconic Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. Note from the Chazen Institute The 2024-2025 Global Immersion Program mandatory fee for all classes is $2100 and provides students with double occupancy lodging, ground transportation and some meals. It does not cover roundtrip international airfare. Attendance both in New York and in-country and regular participation are a crucial part of the learning experience and as such attendance is mandatory. Students who miss the first class may be removed from the course. No program fee refunds will be given after the add/drop period has closed. Please visit the Chazen Institute website to learn more about the Global Immersion Program and visit the Global Immersion Policies page to review policies affecting these courses. Only second year students may participate in Global Immersion Program Fall courses; please note exams scheduled during this week may be rescheduled and papers due during that week are expected to be turned in by their due date.