Why are we still going back 5,000 years for stories? A sharp panel debates whether this generation will create new Sanatani universes.
Moderated by Gautam, this panel confronts a civilisational provocation: the Mahabharata and Ramayana are 5,000-year-old universes — why aren’t we creating new ones? Panellist Ami pushes back thoughtfully, noting that the appeal of these epics is structural and eternal, and that India’s post-independence generation is still in a rediscovery phase after a century of disconnection from its own tradition — like a child entering a candy store they never knew existed. The panel draws on Kautilya’s insight that artha is the foundation of dharma, and argues that civilisational storytelling needs economic scaffolding to scale. A thought-provoking conversation about creative inheritance and cultural responsibility.
About the Speakers:
Ami Ganatra is an IIM-Ahmedabad alumna, Management Consultant turned Author of Mahabharata Unravelled and Ramayana Unravelled, a certified yoga instructor, and Sanskrit scholar dedicated to presenting the original itihāsa with clarity and insight.
Sanjeev Sanyal is an Indian economist, author, and urban theorist—an Oxford-educated Rhodes Scholar who served as Principal Economic Adviser (2017–2022) and is a current member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, known for best-selling books like Land of the Seven Rivers and The Ocean of Churn, and multiple international fellowships and awards.
Ashwin Sanghi is a best-selling Indian thriller writer, Yale-educated MBA, and Author of the acclaimed “Bharat Series” (The Rozabal Line, Chanakya’s Chant, The Krishna Key), as well as international collaborations like Private India with James Patterson, featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100, and winner of multiple literary awards.
Moderator:
Gautam Chikermane is a distinguished Indian journalist and author, serving as Vice President at the Observer Research Foundation. Formerly, New Media Director at Reliance Industries and editor at leading publications, he writes on economics, politics, foreign policy, mythology, and India’s reform journey.
