My Tribe

The Paradigm Shift

Lately, I’ve been thinking about a Political Science professor I had during my sophomore year at the University of Arizona in Tucson. It was five years after the assassination of India’s Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, three years before India would enter into a tense missile standoff with Pakistan, and five years before the terrorist attacks on the parliament building in New Delhi. Dr. O’Neill, who not only correctly predicted that Arizona would win the NCAA tournament against Kentucky but also forecasted that India would eventually rise to the top of the global GDP rankings. Most of the class thought he was nuts, but I thought he was onto something. This was in 1997, when India ranked as the 10th largest economy in the world. At the time, with the second-largest population globally, India’s economic standing was more about quantity than quality.

Now, as I write this from the historic Imperial Hotel in New Delhi during the Holi festival, it feels fitting to reflect on how India is on the brink of becoming one of the top three global economies. I recently had the honor of exhibiting at Luxury Tribe, the exclusive invite-only luxury travel conference focused on outbound luxury travel from India. I was also privileged to speak about the rise of socially responsible travel to a room full of luxury advisors, who are clearly witnessing a paradigm shift.

In 1997, I was hopeful for India. Today, I am simply proud.

Happy Holi.