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Sonal, a former sociology professor battling memory loss and depression, meets Abhay, a fugitive genetic engineer. Their connection deepens as Abhay shares his groundbreaking ideas through a book. Together, they aim to challenge societal norms, but reality may thwart their plans.

In "The Best Possible Experience," Nishanth Injam offers unique stories: a young man on a bus with vanishing passengers, a woman in a village haunted by ghosts, and a man's Green Card interview with a paid American spouse. These narratives explore belonging and displacement, introducing an engaging new literary voice.

The tale of UPI's transformative impact on India's digital payment landscape is an open secret. Swiftly, UPI ushered in a revolution in payments, etching its triumph in the fact that within a mere 18 months, more Indians embraced it than signed up for credit cards over the past 18 years. However, UPI's triumph was not an isolated phenomenon. India also bore witness to the rise of digital direct benefit transfers, interconnected egovernance systems, and digital public infrastructure These innovative solutions prompted Prime Minister Modi to dub this era as 'India's Techade'

Delving deeper into this term, during the unveiling of 'India's Techade', a book penned by esteemed political scientist and author Nalin Mehta, Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and Textiles, articulated, "Today, we bask in the global spotlight for our strides in digital payments and digital public goods, subjects that have captured the world's attention."

"India is the embodiment of a 30-30-30 narrative The world now envisions India adding 30 trillion dollars to its economy within the next 30 years, propelling it to a 35 trillion dollar economy by 2047 Our present GDP stands at 3 7 trillion dollars This presents the world's most expansive opportunity, unprecedented in history transitioning from 3 7 to 35 trillion dollars in under three decades. The second facet is our population, once seen as a liability, now hailed as a demographic boon. With a population under 30, our demographic dividend spans from 28 to 29 years. All of this groundwork rests on our foray into the digital realm. We're already the world's third-largest economy. The ardor and aspiration of our youth are stoked by the digital universe, igniting their pursuit of a fulfilling life Every corner of India today is digitally interlinked," the minister elaborated

Continuing the discourse, Paytm's Founder CEO, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, part of the panel, reflected, "The span between 2014 and 2018 marked the ascent of the internet and Aadhaar We were the patrons who embraced them Aadhaar is our bedrock We were the architects of mobile payment "

Speaking on global outreach, Sharma shared insights from an exchange with the RBI governor, recalling, "The directive was to venture globally, to propagate our systems across the world. Our creations here serve as global benchmarks. What we're designing, innovating, and resolving here meets the world's needs, replete with an astounding cost and skill proposition."

Concurring, Rohan Verma, CEO & Executive Director of MapMyIndia, another panelist, added, "India now harnesses maps, location data, and digital tech in ingenious ways to optimize business, uplift governance, and enhance citizens' lives Indians possess the acumen to wield technology, aided by our visionary government's execution capabilities This marks a tech-centric era for both India and technology itself hence, the 'Techade' "

Digital Revolution and Startup Ecosystem

A conversation about India's digital transformation remains incomplete without delving into its impact on the nation's startup ecosystem. The startup realm has experienced substantial influence, leveraging advancements such as AI, machine learning, IoT, and blockchain to birth novel products, services, and business paradigms However, a realm of untapped potential remains

Raj K Gopalakrishnan, CEO & Co-founder of KOGO Tech Labs, weighed in, "While startups today enjoy a more favorable landscape than a few years prior, regulatory and compliance challenges persist Many sole founders still navigate uncertain waters. Although our journey has begun on a promising note, a substantial distance lies ahead, with AI poised to bolster governance, compliance, and hasten implementation."

A Blueprint for Global Imitation

Undoubtedly, India's digital transformation stands as the most monumental change of our era. This shift not only captures the world's attention but also furnishes a blueprint for other nations. As Sharma aptly summed, "This extraordinary nation spans the pre-PC to post-AI epochs within a single generation " and CEO, Koo), Harivansh (Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha), and Raj K Gopalakrishnan (CEO and Co-Founder, KOGO Tech Labs)

"In India's Techade," discover the remarkable tale of India's tech transformation. Over two decades and two political regimes, the world's largest democracy leveraged cheap mobile phones, data, and a unique digital ID system to spark a digital revolution. This revolution included pioneering fintech like Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a digital welfare state, and interconnected e-governance systems that brought millions into the financial system. This concise book unravels the story, spotlighting key players, processes, and political will behind this transformation. Essential reading for those curious about tech's impact on Indian society, politics, and culture.

What inspired you to write the book “The Light at the End of the World?” Any specific incident(s) you would like to share?

I wanted to read a novel set in India and South Asia that blurred the lines between realism and speculative fiction, that discussed authoritarian politics, but through the occult, the unconscious, and technology, that played with history, the present, and the near future. This novel didn’t seem to exist, so I decided to sit down and write it

Bibi reflects a set of people who faced challenging situations during the exchange of currency notes (demonetization) How was the character conceived?

Bibi is very close to my heart in her loneliness, her sense of failure, her deep sense of empathy, and her struggle to be courageous in grappling with the dystopian world she lives in I have always been drawn to protagonists who don’t quite belong, who are neither full outsiders nor insiders, and she is a distillation of those attributes

The book reflects many subjects and themes which question humanity which indicates extensive research done. Can you elaborate?

I read widely and voraciously, both literary fiction and genre fiction as well as reportage, anthropology, and history. I think a lot of the reading over many decades, as well as my interest in film and music, made its way into the novel

As known, the ghastly incident – the Indian Partition 1947 happened on the basis of religious unrest. Some incidents in the present day also are due to the same reason. Can you comment on this?

Yes, of course, the past bleeds into the present, and that is something the novel tries to capture, especially now, when authoritarian regimes declare that minorities do not belong

What is your favorite part in the book and why?

I love them all, but perhaps the Bibi section was particularly engaging for me in playing with the present while also doing a near-future, alternative Delhi

As the author, what was the most difficult chapter of the book?

They were all hard, but the Bibi section was especially tricky to get right since it is the principal narrative in the book.

The recent Nolan’s movie ‘Oppenheimer’ is a big question on humanity and most of the countries are resorting to nuclear weapons. One of the book’s chapters talks on similar lines Do you have something to say about this?

Yes, the book speaks explicitly about the atomic bomb in the 1947 section and has a critique of the obsession with superweapons in all the sections

Keeping aside the book, delving into your personal choices. What is your favorite book, who is your favorite author, and why?

I love so many authors and books, but perhaps a favorite is 2666 by Roberto Bolaño

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