There is something wonderfully optimistic about the Economic Times 40 under Forty awards. Every year, a room fills up with mostly young people who have built companies, transformed industries, created jobs, raised capital, challenged conventions and, in a few cases, acquired a valuation larger than the GDP of a small country.
And then there is me: a 60+ year old member of the jury, surrounded by this buzzing energy, nodding sagely, while mentally trying to decipher some of the new lingo being spouted. This raises an obvious question: what is a senior citizen doing judging 40 under Forty? I assume ET believes in diversity. Or perhaps the organisers want someone who remembers a world before Google, ChatGPT and smartphones. My presence certainly provides historical context. Rather like a heritage building that has been retained for atmosphere, while everything around it gets redeveloped.
