The first-ever Bhubaneswar edition of Great Conversations-an initiative by the British Council, was organised at the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB) on Wednesday.
The discussion on the topic ‘The Future of Indian Cities’ had speakers like internationally-acclaimed thought leader and columnist and advisor on Smart Cities Karuna Gopal and writer and journalist Bee Rowlatt.
XIMB Vice-Chancellor Father Paul Fernandes emphasised on the current need for a society having great leaders, peace, sustainability, resilience and justice.
British Deputy High Commissioner for Eastern India Scott Furssedonn-Wood highlighted the importance and need for smart cities and also urged the audience to consider balancing strategies amidst various challenges like increasing rural to urban migrations, environmental degradations and poverty.
later, writer Rowlatt talked about the importance of reducing carbon footprints and the need for greener policies. She also highlighted the need for learning and implementing some successful models from neighbouring countries. The discussion was followed by a question and answer session.