Leapfrogging into the Future: Driving the Next Wave of Inclusive Growth

Economic growth does not, by itself, guarantee wider opportunity. Too often, conventional development pathways are slow to scale and uneven in who they reach. This keynote asks a more urgent question: how can countries leapfrog old pathways straight to more inclusive growth?

Drawing on examples from Asia, Africa and across the Global South, M. Hari Menon will explore how investment in the right infrastructure can help societies move further and faster, yet fairer. From digital public infrastructure, payment systems and digital identity to advances in agriculture, education and sanitation, as well as the opportunities provided by AI—foundations like these that can widen access from the start, strengthen resilience, and open more direct pathways out of poverty at scale.

But leapfrogging is not simply a matter of technology. It depends on systems that are inclusive, connected and governed for the public good, and how philanthropic capital catalyses it. At a time of demographic change, fiscal pressure and technological disruption, the challenge is not only to generate growth, but to build the underlying architecture that allows its benefits to reach those too often left behind. The session will consider how governments, philanthropy and partners can help make that possible.