ET CEO Roundtable: 'Animal spirits need a release,' says BCCL CEO Sivakumar Sundaram

Mumbai: The current rapid pace of change that the world is witnessing will create opportunities for the enterprising, said Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (publishing), Bennett, Coleman & Company Ltd (BCCL).

"Chaos isn't a roadblock - it's the fuel for opportunity," he said in his welcome address ahead of the ET CEO Roundtable on the Changing World Order: Time for Cautious Optimism or Embrace of Animal Spirits? on Wednesday.

"Take Trump - an enigma and a disruptor," he said. "Trump's bold moves, like tighter export controls and raised tariffs on Chinese goods, could unleash a wave of what Keynes called animal spirits."

While calling on India Inc. to set "animal spirits" free, Sivakumar raised a key related issue.

"Animal spirits, I'd like to mention here, also pertains to the biggest challenge the world is facing - the climate crisis," he said. "So the 100 billion-odd animals slaughtered for meat and animal products every year are also in need of a spirited release."

Talking of the opportunities in a chaotic world, he said the influence of Indian tech entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley signals a US-India technology relationship ready to take flight.

With India's thriving tech talent and innovation ecosystem, this partnership is poised to drive transformative advancements in artificial intelligence, innovation and global market dynamics.

"While AI might be today's most unpredictable force - part guessing game, part investing game - it is a stable and well-regulated world that provides the foundation for such innovation to thrive," Sivakumar said, flagging the challenge of over-regulation and micro-management.

"Policies that are 'one size fits all' risk stifling innovation and holding us back from achieving our $5 trillion, $7 trillion economy aspirations," he said.