China is a non-event`

He’s considered one of the world’s greatest futurists. In 1982, John Naisbitt wrote Megatrends, which spent two years on The New York Times bestsellers list and was translated into 57 languages. It’s still in print, as are Naisbitt’s other bestsellers Reinventing the Corporation and Global Paradox.

here are some extracts of his interview with Business standard :

Business models are undergoing a change. What is the business model of the future?

What it does is to draw on talent. In a way, pharma companies are also evolving. As their pipelines for new drugs are drying up, they acquire tiny innovative companies, because their in-house R&D teams are not producing enough innovation for this kind of growth. So it serves as a new model. You go where the talent is.

When things are bright, are there also any shades of grey for business

One of the things I say is, “be an opportunity seeker and not a problem solver”.
Opportunity seekers are the ones who will change the world. They look for openings and possibilities. Problem-solvers necessarily deal with yesterday.

You have spoken about companies being in the centre of economic activity....

Investments are shifting from nation states to economic domains. The question is not whether China will beat India. The question is whether a Chinese company in that sector will beat an Indian company from the same sector.

The competition is between people and companies. Countries don’t create economies. Entrepreneurs create economies. The government’s role is to create a nourishing environment for its companies, just like it’s a company’s role to create a nourishing environment for its employees. Then, entrepreneurs will see openings and the opportunity seekers will create employment opportunities.