India, a nation on the cusp of transformative change, is being called upon to embrace bold, long-term thinking with the launch of #Forwardism, a visionary book by celebrated Dutch futurists Adjiedj Bakas and the late Vinco David. The book was introduced to India this summer at two high-profile events hosted by the Embassy of the Netherlands in New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Mumbai, drawing an eclectic audience of business leaders, policymakers, scientists, academics, and journalists.
In many parts of the world, futurism and trend-watching are established disciplines that shape national policy and corporate strategy. In India, however, such forward-focused thinking remains underdeveloped, often left to priests, astrologers, and politicians. The authors point out that transformative nations have not been built by incrementalism alone, but by ambitious masterplans. They cite China’s “100 Years Plan,” conceived in 1949 when the country was impoverished and recovering from war, yet daring to envision itself as a high-tech superpower by 2049. Remarkably, most of those goals have been achieved decades ahead of schedule. Similarly, Singapore’s “30-Year Plan,” launched in 1969 by Lee Kuan Yew, turned a resource-poor island into one of the world’s richest states, while Dubai’s 1980s vision to pivot from oil to tourism created an iconic global destination with man-made islands and record-breaking architecture.
The authors argue that post-independence India never undertook such a comprehensive, long-term exercise. In their view, this was a missed opportunity to define a bold trajectory for the nation. With #Forwardism, they offer a framework that can serve as an informal “50-Year Plan” for India, inviting the country to imagine itself in 2075, just ten general elections from now. The book asks provocative questions: What will be the pillars of the Indian economy in 2075? How will the nation adapt to climate change and extreme weather? What role will it play in a multipolar world? How can it harness its demographic dividend, eradicate poverty, and clean its air, land, rivers, and seas? What will the future hold for food, healthcare, community, spirituality, and even love?
Adjiedj and David are known for their unorthodox and freethinking approach to global trends, with an impressive 87 percent of their previous predictions having come true. Their goal is to encourage Indians to move beyond what they describe as a “colonized poor country daily bread-and-butter thinking mode” and to adopt a mindset that looks decades ahead. They stress that futurism cannot be bound by today’s references or conventional knowledge, and that ideas which seem unthinkable now may well become reality, as China’s transformation demonstrates.
At the New Delhi launch, Gita Kapoor of the World Bank praised the book’s unconventional yet rigorous thinking. Having worked for 40 years on global development and future studies, she remarked that the book is “at least five years ahead of its time” for Indian readers. She commended the authors for questioning everything and everyone, in the spirit of leading futurists from the West and Southeast Asia, and expressed hope that this approach will inspire more Indians to think boldly about the future without the fear of lawsuits, criticism, or the demand for constant references.
Echoing this vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech this year, said: “By 2047, we must build a Viksit Bharat, an advanced India that is prosperous, inclusive, and self-reliant.” He further emphasized that “nations that dare to think far ahead and plan boldly will lead the future world order.”
The authors note that the book’s Dutch origins are significant, as the Netherlands strongly upholds freedom of speech, ensuring that provocative ideas can be expressed without fear of legal repercussions. This freedom, they suggest, is essential for honest and imaginative future planning.
Ultimately, #Forwardism is a call to dream big and act boldly. It challenges India to envision a 2075 that is prosperous, sustainable, inclusive, and influential on the global stage. It draws inspiration from nations that have dared to think far ahead and execute their visions with discipline and creativity. The authors hope their work will spark a movement in India toward strategic, long-range thinking that transcends political cycles and immediate concerns. As history shows, the future belongs to those who plan for it, meticulously, ambitiously, and without fear.
#Forwardism by Adjiedj Bakas and Vinco David is available now, offering not only a sweeping view of the megatrends that will shape the next five decades but also a rare invitation for India to design its own future with courage and imagination.
