India: From ambition to action

A curation of McKinsey insights about the world’s fastest-growing economy
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This compendium offers a lens on India’s achievements, aspirations, and actions that could help realize full potential as the country approaches its centenary of independence in 2047. The selection features broad perspectives on geopolitics and trade; deep dives on sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive components, insurance, and chemicals; as well as pertinent growth themes such as the state of AI, sustainability, and women in the workforce. Notably, the issue also features snippets of conversations with some of India’s top business leaders on what it takes to create value in a disruptive world.

Perspectives on India’s potential

Universal grass stadium illuminated by spotlights and empty green grass playground
Article
India’s future arenas: Engines of growth and dynamism
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India, which played a limited role in the global arenas before, could now build on inherent endowments and large-scale sectors...
Image of India at night viewed from space with city lights illuminating the country.
Article
India: The promise and possibilities for global companies
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India often attracts multinationals seeking new business opportunities. What strategies will help them thrive in this compelling...
The architectural style of Airport of Mumbai
Article - Business Today
Wanted: A new economic playbook
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Here is how India can reach consistent 8 to 9 percent real GDP growth required to become developed by 2047.
Lots of multi-colored square coming together to form a three dimensional arrow. The squares are forming in the wake of the arrow head and are moving quickly with motion blur.
McKinsey Direct
The future of global centers
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Centralizing business activities in global centers has transformed the efficiency of big enterprises. Next, these talent HQs...
An image of several container ships navigating a vast expanse of blue ocean under a sky filled with fluffy white clouds.
Article
A new trade paradigm: How shifts in trade corridors could affect business
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Trade routes face high variability in growth under different scenarios, with one-third of global trade potentially exposed to...

Sectors in focus

Digital generated image of robots welding a car body on production line
Article
Shaping the future of India’s auto component industry amid global trade shifts
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As geopolitical shifts redefine global trade in auto components, India’s industry emerges as a key player, projected to...
Report
Building resilience for global leadership: The path forward for India’s chemicals industry
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An outperformer despite global uncertainties and change, India’s chemicals industry could rise above headwinds and sustain...
3D rendering of an automatic medicine manufacturing plant. Robotic arm working on medicine manufacturing production line.
Report
Shaping the future of India’s pharmaceutical operations
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India, the world’s largest producer of generic medicines, faces major technological and geopolitical disruptions. Eight...
Digital generated image of abstract torus with growing plants on it against pink background.
Report
Strengthening the future: Steel for growth and resilience
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The global steel industry stands at an inflection point as shifting patterns of consumption, regulatory pressures, and economic...
Abstract representation of a city viewed from above with a glowing line marking a path
Article
Riding the storm: How consumer finance companies can survive and thrive
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AI and new technologies present a unique opportunity for consumer finance entities. By embracing them, lenders can unleash new...
Circle of land divided into three parts, with one third a renewables farm with solar panels and windmills, one third a row of crops with drones and advanced technology, and one third a tractor harvesting crops.
Report
Value creation in Indian agriculture
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Indian agriculture is thriving. Understanding its complexities—and its areas of opportunity—is critical for agribusinesses...
Umbrella on abstract technological background
Report
Steering Indian insurance from growth to value in the upcoming ‘techade’
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A significant share of India’s people and assets remain uninsured, presenting both challenges and opportunities for the...
A video animation that is centered around a cube that consistently transforms. Ultimately morphing into a prism that beams its light across the screen.
Article
Extracting value from AI in banking: Rewiring the enterprise
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To gain material value from AI, banks need to move beyond experimentation to transform critical business areas, including by...

Growth imperatives

A network of vibrant threads, transitioning from blue to pink to golden yellow, sprouts over a lattice of crisscrossing branches and small white beads, all against a soft blue backdrop.
Survey
The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation
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Almost all survey respondents say their organizations are using AI, and many have begun to use AI agents. But most are still...
Image of high-rises in a cityscape focused on a sustainable building with solar panels, wind turbines, and a green roof.
Report
How incumbents can succeed in climate-driven growth investments
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As incumbents navigate through cycles, early movers—and our hyperscaling formula—offer insight into how to approach...
Two women working together on a laptop.
Report
Women in the Workplace 2025: India, Nigeria, and Kenya
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In India, Nigeria, and Kenya, distinct but systemic challenges prevent women from reaching leadership roles at scale. The countries...

Spotlight

Mukesh Ambani headshot
Interview
Mukesh Ambani’s bold ambitions: Building businesses of the future
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Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, one of India’s largest and most profitable private sector companies, discusses...
Ashishkumar Chauhan, with short hair and glasses, is wearing a white shirt and a dark blue Nehru vest, standing against a gray background.
Interview
Building a resilient future with India’s National Stock Exchange
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India’s National Stock Exchange is one of the world’s largest exchanges, with the market capitalization of its listed...
Digital generated image of multi colored portal gate opening night sky. Metaverse concept.
Interview
How Uday Kotak uses dreams to manage risk and build value
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Founder and director of Kotak Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak, believes that common sense, an open mind, and strategic partnerships...
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw headshot
Interview
Mazumdar-Shaw’s bold biotech mission: Affordable, accessible healthcare
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Clarity of purpose, extraordinary people, and innovation were vital to entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw when building India’s...
Narayana Murthy headshot
Interview
Respect above all: Narayana Murthy’s core business belief
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Narayana Murthy, founder of Indian technology services and consulting giant, Infosys, discusses the vital role that respect and...
T. V. Narendran, CEO of Tata Steel, stands with a gentle smile, dressed in a dark suit and arms folded across his chest.
Interview - McKinsey Quarterly
‘Steel is part of the problem but is also part of the solution’: A conversation with Tata Steel’s T. V. Narendran
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The CEO of the Indian steel giant talks about going green.
Extreme close up of a peacock tail feather showing details and markings in vibrant colors
Interview
World in color: How Sudarshan became a global pigment powerhouse
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Rajesh Rathi, chairman and managing director of Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited, shares how the family-led company moved...
Dilip Shanghvi headshot
Interview
Dilip Shanghvi on the focus and philosophy behind Sun Pharma’s success
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Dilip Shanghvi, chairman and managing director of Sun Pharma, discusses how India’s top pharmaceutical company has grown,...