FICCI FLO, under the visionary leadership of Poonam Sharma, National President, hosted an exclusive and thought-provoking session titled “Freedom to Think – In Conversation with Sanjeev Sanyal.”
Curated under the aegis of the FLO Financial Literacy National Initiative, the event brought together women leaders, members, and stakeholders for an intellectually engaging dialogue on India’s economic journey, policymaking, and the power of independent thinking.
The session featured Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PM-EAC) with the rank of Secretary to the Government of India. An economist, explorer, urban theorist, and celebrated author, Sanyal is known for blending history, economics, and systems thinking to frame fresh perspectives on India’s future.
The session was steered by Day Chair, Poonam Mahajan, Governing Body Member & Initiative Lead – FLO Financial Literacy National Initiative. Priyanka Gulati, Co-Chair – FLO Financial Literacy Initiative, moderated the Q&A that followed the address by Sanjeev Sanyal.
Sanjeev Sanyal delivered a compelling talk on India’s economic transformation, the role of freedom of thought in policymaking, especially for women leaders, and the pathways to sustaining long-term growth.
Mr Sanyal reinforced his belief in investment-led growth, emphasizing that India’s progress must be underpinned by continuous improvements in infrastructure, private sector investment, and administrative reforms. He clarified that the “quality of growth” should not be viewed through narrow sectoral lenses, but instead through stability indicators, resilience, and long-term productivity gains.
Highlighting India’s ascent as the world’s fourth-largest economy and its position as the fastest-growing major economy, he noted that India is in a critical but limited demographic window. This period, he stressed, must be used to convert economic momentum into broad-based prosperity, skilling, and institutional strength.
Mr Sanyal spoke extensively about the revised NCERT Social Science textbooks for Classes VI and VII, which he has contributed to and publicly supported. He explained that these new books move away from the outdated “poverty and colonised narratives” of earlier editions.
The updated curriculum integrates modern, growth-oriented examples, brings in contemporary systems like UPI to explain economics, uses visual, student-friendly formats, and reflects India’s aspirations, innovations, and agency.
He emphasised that young learners must engage with a curriculum that is confident, forward-looking, and rooted in India’s own context.
A highlight of the talk was Sanyal’s story behind the conception of the Indian Navy’s INSV Kaundinya, a stitched historic ship inspired by ancient Indian maritime traditions.
He shared how his deep interest in India’s maritime heritage led him to propose the idea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who supported it wholeheartedly. The ship, commissioned in May 2025, symbolizes India’s civilizational knowledge and naval ingenuity.
“Freedom to Think – In Conversation with Sanjeev Sanyal” was an invitation to challenge assumptions, embrace critical thinking, and understand India’s journey through a broader lens of history, economics, and culture. Mr. Sanyal emphasized that everyone, including women, should think freely without hesitation while contributing to the nation’s growth.
The discussion left the audience inspired, reflective, and empowered to think beyond conventional boundaries. The session stood out as one of FLO’s most enriching intellectual engagements of the year, leaving members inspired to reflect, innovate, and lead with clarity and confidence.