With regard to the changes that are happening geopolitically, is there room for more growth and opportunities?
I joined BCG in 1988, that’s 36 years ago. We’ve averaged about 14% growth for 36 years. That’s come in times when it’s been very challenging and times when it’s been exciting. We have built and supported our clients in more challenging environments and more optimistic growth-oriented environments. We look at the future with genuine optimism. But that still means companies need to focus on productivity and building new capabilities. AI can help transformation to drive businesses and improve performance. Of course, specifics will vary by sector and geography.
The upcoming election in the US is going to play a pivotal role in how policies shape up. What is your take on how things are going to be a few months down the line?
From a purely economic point of view, the US is poised for a strong 2025 either way. They are very different candidates with different policies, and certainly as it relates to international relations and in terms of prioritisation, they’ll be quite different. But interest rates are set to start falling, and the US will likely have good growth this year. I do think stability, predictability, climate, foreign relations, all of those elements are very important. I don’t think that politics is the main risk factor in the US economy. In fact, we have seen many different things-like a pandemic. People thought that was going to tank the economy, but it was temporary. Even as the Russia-Ukraine war started, there was a thought that it was going to have a major macroeconomic impact, but it turned out to be small. Some thought that in having to raise interest rates to bring inflation under control, there was no way to have a soft landing and that a recession was inevitable. That turned out not to be true. The US is a very resilient economy and even the global economy is more resilient than many expect, and so we are cautiously optimistic about the years ahead.
How do you see India as an investment destination?For BCG, India has been extraordinary in terms of growth. We have averaged 20%-plus growth for the last five years. So, BCG has grown in double digits overall, but India’s been even higher. It has also been a hub of building capabilities in our practices and also in how we operate the firm. We have a fantastic team here. It’s been a source of tremendous leadership for the firm globally as well. We are really optimistic on India. The opportunity is enormous, and BCG has every intent to be a big part of it.Is AI an area where India could take a lead or be one of the leaders?
Absolutely. Take tech and software capabilities; they are enormous here and globally Indians are at the centre of it. I am extremely confident India will be a technology hub for the world, and AI will be increasingly embedded in nearly all technology.