Hindi's importance to grow with India's role in global economy: Singapore business leaders

Speaking at the Global Hindi Excellence Summit - 2024, held over the weekend, Neil Parekh, chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry underscored the growing importance of Hindi for working in the fast-paced development of the Indian economy.

Singapore: The fusion of Hindi -- spoken by 57.2 crore people in India and another 50 crore globally -- with cutting-edge technology opens a realm of possibilities for businesses, allowing them to tap into vast, previously inaccessible, markets, a top Singapore business leader has said.

Neil Parekh, chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "As we transcend the world of digitalisation, where boundaries between cultures and markets are increasingly blurred, language has emerged as a crucial bridge connecting people, ideas and opportunities."

Speaking at the Global Hindi Excellence Summit - 2024, held over the weekend, he underscored the growing importance of Hindi for working in the fast-paced development of the Indian economy.

He called the summit a platform with immense significance in promoting the richness of the language and culture on a global stage.

The theme for the summit -- "Hindi Excellence in this Era of Innovation" -- reflects how language and technology open various business opportunities in today's interconnected world, Parekh said.

"Hindi is not just a language for communication but also a bridge to a deeper cultural understanding. It allows us to tap into the Indian market, which offers excellent potential for corporations and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) looking to expand internationally," said investment-focused Parekh, also a nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore.

He highlighted that Hindi was the third most spoken language in the world, with more than 50 crore speakers globally. In India, more than 57.2 crore people only speak Hindi.

"The sheer scale of these numbers highlights the importance of language as a tool for businesses to connect with the local communities in India and across the world through the diaspora," Parekh said.

Elaborating on advanced technologies, he noted that artificial intelligence (AI) had also become a powerful tool in bridging language barriers, leveraging advanced technologies such as natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

"The potential of AI-powered tools, such as Google Translate and Microsoft Translator, to allow individuals from diverse linguistic backgrounds to communicate instantly, improving both spoken and written exchanges with increasing accuracy, is a reason for us to be optimistic about the future of communication," Parekh said.

The summit, organised by Singapore-based Global Hindi Foundation, plays a vital role in fostering cultural exchange, he added.

By celebrating Hindi and its influence across industries and borders, these platforms create opportunities for deeper intercultural dialogue and understanding, Parekh said.

He highlighted that India's linguistic and cultural heritage opened doors to Indian businesses, talent and innovation, positioning the Indian community as a critical contributor to global progress.

Singapore-based financial consultant Mandar Padhye noted the efforts to propagate languages, especially Hindi -- among the languages taught in most schools in the country.

The new generation will learn the language and culture but there are challenges in getting children to learn a language in multi-ethnicity city states like Singapore, he conceded.

Parental guidance to learning a language is important, he added.

"Globally, English is the language you have to know and the next two languages you have to know is Hindi and Chinese (Mandarin) because the next generation of leaders are coming from places speaking these languages," said Padhye, whose recent book The Resilient Investor highlights the human-to-human relationships that evolve amid professional growth and personal development in an ever-evolving financial landscape.

Hindi will be an important language as a lot of business leaders are coming from the Indian community and, many a time, the default language for them is Hindi, he pointed out.

It is also important for foreign executives based in India to be well versed in Hindi as India is playing a pivotal part in the global economy, said the investment advisor.

"India is playing a bigger role on the global front with regard to technology, medicine and businesses, and it is paramount for the industries and leaders to understand the Indian culture and languages. Hindi is going to help them," said Padhye, a business veteran who has lived in Singapore for 20 years.

"For the next 10-15 years, it is India's game in global businesses and the importance of this main Indian language will grow with that," he said. "The feel and expression are fantastic in your mother tongue, no matter how much you master other languages."

Alka Bhargav, the principal at Pre-Examination Training Centre in Indore, travelled to Singapore to share her views on Hindi with about 300 participants. She noted the vibrations from cultural performances by various communities but also called for "freer communications" in Hindi among corporations.

She said she felt more combined efforts should be made to further promote Hindi on the global stage and called for teaching programmes for propagating Hindi as a main language.