Spectacle Over Substance – Why India’s Tech Events Are a Missed Opportunity.....

 #613

A recent Twitter post by Dilip Kumar struck a chord with me, highlighting an unfortunate trend that has plagued India's technological ambitions for decades. The upcoming AI event in Mumbai—Asia’s so-called 'largest AI summit'—features a lineup dominated by Bollywood celebrities, cricketers, and YouTube influencers rather than the actual architects of AI. This is a glaring example of how India continues to prioritise spectacle over substance, entertainment over expertise, and glitz over genuine technological progress.

The Disappointing Reality of India’s Tech Events

I was astonished to see that 75% of the invited speakers at this AI event were from the world of entertainment, politics, or social media, while only 25% were actual tech professionals—scientists, engineers, or AI researchers. It is mind-boggling that an industry so critical to the nation’s future is being overshadowed by personalities who have never written a line of code or deployed an AI model.

This is not an isolated incident. A decade ago, I watched the Hindustan Leadership Summit, expecting insightful discussions on leadership, governance, and strategic foresight. Instead, the stage was filled with cricketers, Bollywood stars, former politicians with little relevance to modern leadership, and corporate sponsors who paid for a spot on the panel. The moderators—mostly TV anchors—asked uninspiring and often foolish questions, reducing what should have been a knowledge-sharing platform to a PR exercise. That was the last time, I took any leadership event hosted in India seriously and paid attention.

When will India wake up to the reality that technological excellence, academic brilliance, and deep expertise should be at the core of these discussions rather than being relegated to a side note?

Why Does India Obsess Over Showmanship?

1. Media-Driven Obsession with Celebrities – The Indian psyche has long been conditioned to worship film stars and cricketers. From advertisements to brand endorsements to political campaigns, celebrities overshadow professionals who have real impact. Events exploit this trend, assuming that a famous face will drive audience engagement, even at the cost of meaningful discourse.

2. Corporate Sponsorship & Brand Visibility – Many large-scale events are funded by corporations that prioritise brand exposure over intellectual depth. For them, inviting an AI researcher or an academician may not bring the same media buzz as a cricketer or Bollywood star. This mindset dilutes the seriousness of discussions meant to shape India’s technological landscape.

3. Lack of Intellectual Rigor in Public Discourse – Unlike in the West, where top AI, tech, and academic conferences are led by Nobel laureates, domain experts, and pioneering innovators, India’s major platforms often resemble entertainment spectacles. This reflects a deeper societal issue: a lack of appreciation for intellectualism.

4. Political Influence & PR Exercises – Politicians frequently use such platforms for visibility rather than contributing any substantial insights. Their presence transforms what could be a knowledge-sharing space into a venue for populist speeches and political posturing.

What Needs to Change?

1. Prioritise Experts Over Entertainers – If we want to be taken seriously as a technology-driven nation, our summits must be led by engineers, data scientists, AI researchers, and startup founders—not film stars, cricket legends, or influencers with no technical grounding.

2. Industry & Academia Collaboration – India must build an ecosystem where universities, research labs, and tech startups are given centre stage. Events should showcase breakthroughs in AI, machine learning, and robotics rather than celebrity endorsements.

3. A Cultural Shift Towards Knowledge – Our society must develop an appetite for intellectual discussions. We should promote public forums, panel discussions, and keynote addresses by real innovators—akin to how TED Talks and MIT conferences are structured in the West.

4. Media Accountability – News platforms must rethink their role in shaping public discourse. If their focus remains on clicks and TRPs driven by celebrity presence, India will continue to lag in serious discussions on science and technology.

Conclusion: A Call for Change

Technology is not a spectator sport. If India wants to be a true technology powerhouse, we need to shift our focus from empty spectacle to genuine expertise. Events must be designed to foster learning, collaboration, and innovation rather than serving as yet another platform for showmanship. The US and China didn’t dominate AI by organising glitzy summits with film stars; they did it by investing in research, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting deep tech innovation.

India has the talent, resources, and capability to be a leader in AI and other emerging technologies. But until we place real builders—scientists, engineers, and researchers—at the centre of the conversation, we will remain a nation that consumes technology rather than one that leads it.

It’s time for India to wake up and demand better.

Karthik

4th Feb 2025

130pm