The Southern Rising

South India, home to approximately 20% of India's population, is a pivotal contributor to the nation's economy, accounting for 31% of its GDP, and projected to rise to 35% by 2030. The Southern states have consistently outperformed the North in healthcare and education. Notably, they also serve as laboratories of democracy and regional aspiration. As data scientist RS Neelakantan has pointed out, a child born in India is far less likely to be born in southern India than in northern India, given the former's lower rates of population growth. The child is far less likely to die in the first year of its life given the lower infant mortality rates in south India compared with the rest of the country. The child is more likely to get vaccinated, less likely to lose its mother during childbirth, more likely to have access to child services and receive better early childhood nutrition. The southern film industries have made huge strides in the global arena and in business, managers from the south are running top corporations internationally. Strongly tied to their roots, the southern states are forever reaching outwards. With a new political balance at the Centre, two new elected state governments, a revitalized capital, and a reassertion of regional identities, southern India is forging new benchmarks. The region is consistently leading India in economic growth, cultural dynamism, and social cohesion, offering innovative governance models invested in education and healthcare. The ABP Network’s ‘The Southern Rising Summit’ returns to Hamara Hyderabad, a city emblematic of ambition and aspiration. The second edition of the Summit, themed "Coming of Age: Identity, Inspiration, Impact," will celebrate the political, cultural, economic, and social advances of the southern states. Join us on October 25, 2024, along with changemakers and visionaries from the New South at ‘The Southern Rising Summit 2024’ in Hyderabad and explore the region’s transformative journey towards a brighter future.