By, James Boey
When we chose to begin the year in Odisha under the BharatNetra initiative with the Government of Odisha, many asked: Why Odisha?
Because the future of innovation will not be built only in capital cities. It will be built where ambition meets preparation, and Odisha is ready.
Odisha may not yet be mentioned in the same breath as traditional financial centres, but that is precisely the point. Odisha represents potential at scale with over 45 million population, strong engineering and university pipelines, improving digital infrastructure, competitive operating conditions and leadership with the courage to think long term. The state has invested steadily in education, skilling and governance reform. What it needed was a global bridge.
The Black Swan Summit was designed to be that bridge.
Across three days, global CEOs, policymakers and ecosystem leaders gathered to discuss AI, the future of jobs, Global Capability Centres, digital public infrastructure and capacity building. But beyond the policy conversations, what moved me beyond the macro narrative was the micro story unfolding around us.
Under BharatNetra’s capacity-building pillar, together with NUS-AIDF, we trained over 250 students in FinTech and InsurTech, equipping them with practical knowledge and direct exposure to industry thinking. From this group, the top-performing students began to emerge, not just academically strong, but globally curious.
In February 2026, seven of these students travelled to Japan to participate in the GFTN Forum, Japan as part of the MUFG Young Innovators initiative. They had the opportunity to immerse themselves in one of Asia’s most sophisticated financial ecosystems. For many of them, it was their first exposure to a global financial ecosystem. They engaged with leaders shaping the future of finance, visited innovation hubs and saw firsthand how ideas are translated into scalable solutions.
Later this year, our GFTN Global Pathfinders will represent Odisha and India at the Singapore FinTech Festival. They will stand among regulators, founders and global institutions, participating in conversations that shape the direction of finance and technology worldwide. This move is not simply symbolic, but strategic as students gain exposure to global networks, emerging market trends, and the kind of cross-border thinking that will define the careers of tomorrow's financial innovators.
Alongside the Black Swan Summit dialogues in Odisha, we also hosted a job fair. While AI and automation were debated on stage, another hall was filled with interviews, CV exchanges and real employment conversations. Students met companies, and companies discovered local talent.
The state of Odisha is positioning itself not only as a destination for investment, but as a source of skilled, globally connected talent. Black Swan Summit India was not about declaring Odisha a global hub overnight. It was about placing it confidently on the global map and signalling that it belongs in conversations about AI, FinTech, Global Capability Centres and the future economy.
As I walked through the venue, I saw something I have witnessed in Singapore, Kigali, Perth, Zurich and Tokyo, the early signs of ecosystem confidence. Students networking without hesitation. Local leaders speaking with conviction. Companies exploring partnerships beyond borders.
Again…Why Odisha?
Because the next chapter of global innovation will not be written only in established centres. It will be written in places bold enough to step forward.
Odisha stepped forward.
And for GFTN, under BharatNetra, this is only the beginning of building a corridor that connects Bhubaneswar to Tokyo, to Singapore and to the world.