From Forbes India's 16th anniversary edition to RBI's bullish annual report, our top stories of the week

1) 'Longevity' disruption

Illustration: Chaitanya Dinesh Surpur

Forbes India is celebrating its 16th anniversary with a special issue dedicated to the opportunities hidden in disruptions. We are bringing you three of the sixteen essays in this week's newsletter. You can read the rest by subscribing to get your copy. First up is a column written by Deepak Saini, a professor at IISc and convenor of the Longevity India Initiative. Silicon Valley tech millionaire Bryan Johnson has been dedicated to pursue a path that will let him live forever. His experiments to improve longevity have inspired many and has also raised questions in equal measure. There are a few takers in India as well. In his column, Saini, who is also the lead investigator at ICMR Centre for Advanced Research on Aging, argues that India must urgently shift its focus from disease management to wellness optimisation as India’s healthcare industry finds itself on the cusp of a disruptive transformation. Check out the column to understand why Saini believes Indian players have both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead the charge, if they start preparing now.

2) Of India's AI identity

Illustration: Chaitanya Dinesh Surpur

Artificial intelligence's invasion of human lives has to be one of the biggest disruptions of the 21st century so far. Every tech company worth its salt wants to win this race to conquer the world with the help of AI. That means having an original thought. But as AI reshapes everything from finance to filmmaking, the question India must now answer is: should it continue copying imported AI models, or build its own foundational, AI-native enterprises? Follow-up would be: What does it take to move from being an integrator of technology to becoming an originator? In this thought-provoking piece, Dev Khare, partner at Lightspeed, explores whether India’s tech ecosystem is ready to birth an AI bellwether of global repute. He asks Indian creators and innovators to dig in their heels, lean on desi 'jugaad', and carve out a distinctly local, scalable, and sovereign AI path.

3) Future-proofing family businesses

Illustration: Chaitanya Dinesh Surpur

If you are a family in movies, music, or the arts, and your kids follow the same path, they must deal with the ‘nepo baby’ tag; however, the script changes when it comes to family businesses. The next-gen is encouraged to follow the footsteps, expected to grow the businesses, and secure the future for generations to come. The Indian economy has thrived because of its strong family businesses. But they are also not immune to the changing tides, shifting global alliances, tech disruptions, and generational transitions. That comes with the mandate to modernise legacy systems, align values with investors, and globalise operations. Nupur Pavan Bang, director of ICAI's Centre of Excellence and Professor Kavil Ramachandran of Indian School of Business, outline how new-age scions can steward their inherited empires in a "BANI" environment. Do read to understand what that and the "FAMILY" framework entails.