NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink called the next 20 -30 years as the Era of India. Speaking at a fireside chat organized by JioBlackRock in Mumbai, Ambani and Fink emphasized the unparallelled opportunity for Indians to invest and participate in India's growth journey. Spotlighting the unparalleled long-term investing and growth opportunity, they said this is the time for Indians to turn from savers to investors to participate and gain from this growth journey.

Calling India’s growth trajectory “one of the most compelling long-term investment stories in the world,” Fink said the focus for investors should be participation over decades rather than reacting to short-term political or market noise.

“If you believe in the era of India — which I do — we need to compel hundreds of millions of Indians to invest alongside the growth of their country,” Fink said, adding that domestic participation in capital markets would reduce India’s reliance on imported capital over time.

Fink downplayed the long-term impact of geopolitical issues such as tariffs and interest-rate cycles, arguing that markets ultimately reward productivity, innovation, and sustained economic growth.

Ambani said India is now attracting unprecedented global attention because of visible, sustainable outcomes from years of policy continuity, infrastructure build-out, and digital adoption.

“There is an old Indian saying that a tree attracts attention only when it bears fruit,” Ambani said. “Today, the Indian economy is bearing fruit with visibility, sustainability and abundance.”

He credited stable leadership, policy predictability, conservative fiscal management, and large-scale execution—ranging from roads and renewable energy to nationwide 5G coverage—for India’s position as the fastest-growing large economy.

Ambani projected India’s GDP could expand from about $4–4.5 trillion today to $25–30 trillion over the next 30 years, describing the opportunity as “multi-generational.”

Addressing whether JioBlackRock aims to “disrupt” India’s financial sector, Ambani said the joint venture’s core mission is to convert India’s strong savings culture into productive, compounding investments.

“Indians are savers, but much of this saving is unproductive,” Ambani said, citing large imports of gold and silver. “Our objective is to give every Indian household the option to convert savings into earnings.”

Fink echoed the philosophy, emphasizing that disruption comes from relentless focus on clients rather than growth targets.

“If you serve each client with purpose and consistency, day after day, disruption happens naturally,” he said.

Both leaders stressed the central role of artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure in India’s next phase of growth. Fink dismissed fears of an AI bubble, warning instead that under-investment could leave countries behind.

“The greatest risk is if we don’t continue to invest,” Fink said. “AI has the potential to broaden economic success — but only if societies are willing to embrace change.”

Ambani highlighted AI’s potential to transform education, healthcare, governance, taxation and security at population scale, calling it essential for delivering quality services to 1.4 billion Indians at a fraction of global costs.

Urging young Indians to think long term, both leaders emphasized compounding and ownership.

“Money lying in a bank account is not compounding,” Ambani said. “Money invested productively grows with the country.”

Fink added, “Believe in your own country. If India grows at 10%, investing alongside that growth can transform financial security and dignity over a lifetime.”

The session ended on a lighter note when Fink revealed that the revival of BlackRock’s India presence was sealed during a car ride with Ambani.

“The bait was a friendship,” Fink said, drawing applause from the audience.