At a time of economic uncertainty, one thing remains clear. There’s an unmistakable shift of influence to the east. It’s not just about IT outsourcing. Increasingly India, China and the rest of Asia are making their presence felt globally in new technologies, design brilliance, cultural and economic innovation. And so, our conference theme: “The Future Beckons.”

Even the site of our conference is a powerful metaphor for the reshaped world of the 21st century. It’s being held at the incredible high-tech campus built by Infosys to train its thousands of engineering graduates, representing the heart of the Asian outsourcing industry. We can think of no more appropriate place to gather to think about tomorrow.

Details of the speaker program will be revealed approximately 2 months prior to the conference (as is always the case with TED events), but it’s already shaping up to be an extraordinary line-up. Speakers will include India’s most promising innovators, from entrepreneurs to artists, storytellers to scientists. And about one third of the program will come from outside India. We’ll hear from celebrated global icons as well as undiscovered talent that’s due broader recognition.

Some of the questions we’re planning to tackle:

• Which local innovations are destined for global impact?
• Who are the young thinkers and doers capable of shaping the future?
• Can there be economic advancement without environmental destruction?
• Can a pluralistic democracy survive in the face of rising fundamentalism?
• Can we make money and be good? Really?
• What should we learn – or fear? — from China’s investment in Africa?
• Do we have enough water for everyone?
• How do we keep our youth challenged and our aged healthy?
• How can anti-poverty solutions be brought to scale?
• Is there wisdom to be found in traditional medicine??
• Which other ancient traditions can illuminate modern life?

TEDIndia speakers will include:
Anand Mahindra, managing director, Mahindra and Mahindra
Anil Gupta, from IIM Ahmedabad, the founder of the Honeybee Network
Anupam Mishra, expert on water harvesting
A. Balasubramaniam, artist
Banny Banerjee, architect
C.K. Prahalad, management and innovation guru
Charles Anderson, marine biologist
Devdutt Pattanaik, mythologist
Erin McKean, editor of the new online dictionary Wordnik
Eve Ensler, playwright and activist
Hans Rosling, medical researcher and data wizard
Harsha Bogle, cricket commentator
Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients
Jib Ellison, sustainability expert
Kamal Haasan, film actor and director
Kavita Ramdas, president and CEO of Global Fund for Women
Mallika Sarabhai, social entrepreneur and performer 
Matthew Spacie, founder, Magic Bus
Pawan Sinha, MIT vision researcher and head of Project Prakash
Pranav Mistry, MIT grad student and inventor of SixthSense
R.A. Mashelkar, business and innovation guru
Robert Thurman, Buddhist scholar
Romulus Whitaker, herpetologist
Ryan Lobo, photographer and documentary filmmaker
Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev, yogi and founder of Isha Foundation
Sashwati Banerjee of “Sesame Street”
Sendhil Mullainathan, economist
Shamsul Wares, architect
Shashi Tharoor, India’s Minister of State for External Affairs
Shekhar Kapur, film director and producer
Shukla Bose, founder, Parikrama Humanity Foundation
Sunitha Krishnan, activist against human trafficking
Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com

Performers:
Ananda Shankar Jayant, dancer 
Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil GuruCharan, classical musicians
Dan Nainan, comedian
Mukul Deora, rapper and producer
Sidi Goma, African Sufi dance troupe
Usha Uthup, legendary singer

Comat Technologies was founded to create a one-stop shop where rural Indians can access the Internet, receive employability training and avail themselves of government services. Since launching in 1996,  Comat Technologies has established a presence in nearly 50,000 villages across five states, according to their Web site. In December 2008, Comat won the first-ever Legatum FORTUNE Technology Prize, an award that recognizes the work of for-profit enterprises, whose application of technology solutions foster social and economic growth, and dramatically improve the lives of poor people.

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Lakshmi’s Lounge: What does TED mean to you?

Sriram Raghavan: TED is a confluence of breakthrough ideas where every participant seems to challenge the status quo for betterment of knowledge and humanity.

LL: What was the first TEDTalk that you heard?

SR: Hans Rosling – his incredible ability to simplify extremely complicated subjects, immediately attracted me to his way of thinking.

LL: What is your favorite TEDTalk?

SR: Simply impossible to pick a favourite. Almost every idea that is presented at TED opens up a new perspective, a new connection or a pattern that previously never existed. Besides, there is always something new every year that will top the past.

LL: What is the most influential Indian Idea?

RS: [N]on-violence. It seems to have deep roots in the country and its people.  While almost every new nation relied on war or violent revolution to establish its nationality, India’s non-violence seems to have been an extremely mature approach, and an idea certainly ahead of its time. It is powerful because it gave us a collective identity and nurtured the democracy that followed.

LL: What is the biggest idea impacting India today?

SR: It is the concept of ‘youth power’. India behaves like a young nation, reflected in its embrace of new age technology, its enthusiastic foray into business and entrepreneurship and in its  thirst for freedom of expression. Slowly, but surely, the country’s youth are also making their presence felt in politics. Their openness and flexibility to experiment new ideas are crucial for social reform and equitable growth.

LL: What is something that has taken your breath away lately?

RS: Realization of deep rooted corruption in India and its ability to innovate and grow across the board. Corruption has taken multiple forms, with the capacity to challenge and adapt to any framework or process that threatens its survival.

LL: What is your vision for India in 10 years?

RS: Moving towards Information symmetry. We have too many islands of influence and too few bridges to connect them. We need to bring people together across rural-urban, poor-rich and across languages to allow for ideas to flow.

TEDIndia Co-Host, Lakshmi Pratury, goes to the street to show how Bangaloreans enjoy a spicy treat on the go. 

TEDIndia is happening at the Infosys campus in Mysore Nov. 4-7. More information is available at www.TED.COM/INDIA.

TEDIndia Co-Host, Lakshmi Pratury describes how Indians integrate art, music, dance and performance into their daily lives.

TEDIndia is happening at the Infosys campus in Mysore Nov. 4-7. More information is available at www.TED.COM/INDIA.

TEDIndia Co-Host, Lakshmi Pratury, describes the vision behind TED and tells us why TEDIndia will be such a unique and special event.

TEDIndia is happening at the Infosys campus in Mysore Nov. 4-7. More information is available at www.TED.COM/INDIA.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing insights on the TED Conference from past attendees, as well as guests of the upcoming TEDIndia conference in order to share the experience of TED, and the excitement of having TED in India. Our first interview is with Intuit co-founder, Scott Cook.

Founded in 1983, Intuit is a US-based software company that develops accounting and tax preparation tools and related services for accountants and individuals. In its 25th Anniversary Issue, Inc. Magazine called Cook ‘one of America’s 25 most fascinating entrepreneurs.’

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Lakshmi’s Lounge: What is your vision for India in 10 years?

Scott Cook: When India’s greatest export are its ideas.

LL: What is the biggest idea impacting India today?

SC: I’d say a class of “180 degree reversals” of ideas.  Those happen when a generally accepted belief flips 180 degrees so that the exact opposite becomes generally accepted.  For example, aerobic exercise is now prescribed for heart attack recovery; formerly just the opposite was prescribed:  bed rest.   Nandan Nilekani describes how modern India’s success is based on a handful of 180 degree reversals of generally accepted ideas.   See the first third of his book,  ‘Imagining India.’

LL: Where do you go for inspiration?

SC: TED!

LL: What has taken your breath away lately?

SC: Learning last week that China has more millionaires than the U.S.