Mukesh Ambani urges youths to make this ‘an Indian century’

Mumbai, Jan 16 (IANS) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D. Ambani on Monday urged the youths and students to help India realise its true potential and make this "an Indian century" with a humane touch, despite being surrounded by machines and technologies.

Delivering the 160th Annual Convocation Address at the University of Mumbai, Ambani said the world has entered a fundamentally new phase in human history.

While the first industrial revolution used water and steam power to mechanise production, the second utilised electricity to create mass production.

The third industrial revolution deployed electronics and IT to automate production, while the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution is building on the digital revolution that has been occurring since the middle of the last century.

"It is characterised by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital and the biological spheres, a new world is emerging before our eyes, fundamentally different from the old," Ambani said.

The leading industrialist and a distinguished alumnus of University of Mumbai pointed out, "We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work and relate to one another, and the transformation will be unlike anything mankind has experienced before in terms of its scale, scope and complexity."

For instance, new technologies have rendered many businesses obsolete overnight and those that didn't exist less than a decade ago are now multinational giants dominating global economies.

"65 per cent of the global GDP growth in the future is expected to be fuelled by some form of technology that is less than two decades old. In the next 30 years we shall collectively achieve more than what has been achieved in the past 300 years of civilisation," Ambani said.

"The present generation is graduating at a truly historic period in human history, it is the most educated generation, most connected without any barriers of time and geography and with billions of minds getting connected, there is potential for tremendous breakthroughs," he said.

"The world is at your fingertips, the opportunities are limitless, but simultaneously you have grave responsibilities on your shoulders, and each one of you is responsible for shaping the future of our country, humanity," Ambani urged the students.

He said there are millions who still have no access to food, water, housing, electricity, transport, jobs and these challenges for equitable and sustainable development demand creative responses from the scientists, artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, policy-makers and global citizens.

"Will you be able to rise to the occasion? Your generation will lead this movement to create an equitable and sustainable world. Step out into this world of possibilities to become productive citizens, bearing in mind that people are the biggest assets," Ambani exhorted the fresh graduates.

At the same time, the students must ensure that they preserve their good character and righteous conduct, with compassion and empathy for the fellow beings, and make it their second nature.

Present on the occasion were Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor C.V. Rao, Vice-Chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh, the university faculty, students, parents and other invitees.

A Chemical Engineering student who graduated from the University of Mumbai in its 120th year, Ambani admitted he never imagined to be the chief guest at its convocation ceremony after four decades.

One of the largest educational institutions in the world, the University of Mumbai has over 782,000 students through 755 affiliated colleges spanning Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts.