India in Future Tense: 47 Words for 2047
A youth-led dictionary anticipating the vocabulary of India's centennial
Published
December 2024
Publisher
Council on Energy, Environment and Water & United Nations Foundation
Supported by Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty
About the Publication
India in Future Tense is a groundbreaking dictionary created by and for youth — 47 words that capture the trends, innovations, and ideas that will define India when it turns 100 in 2047.
It emerged from a youth-centred national townhall (Youth Sabha 2047), focus group discussions, and expert interviews. Each word represents a concept, innovation, or value that will shape the country's trajectory — from the Yottabyte Era to Digital Public Infrastructure to bioprinting and pharmacogenomics.
The dictionary spans themes across food, ocean, energy, health, technology, the future of the workforce, climate action, and more. It's not a collection of words — it's a manifesto for the future, written by the generation that will inherit it.
Themes Covered
By the Numbers
Words Defined
47
Themes Spanned
11
Year of Publication
2024
Launched At
Youth Sabha 2047
Featured Words
Six words from the dictionary
Yottabyte Era
Technology & AIThe age of data at a scale beyond current comprehension, demanding new frameworks for storage, privacy, and governance.
Digital Public Infrastructure
GovernanceIndia's pioneering model of open digital platforms — Aadhaar, UPI, DigiLocker — that other nations are now replicating as a template for inclusive digital economies.
Bioprinting
Public Health3D printing of biological tissues and organs, poised to revolutionise healthcare access and affordability for billions.
Pharmacogenomics
Public HealthPersonalised medicine based on an individual's genetic makeup, shifting healthcare from reactive to predictive — and raising new questions about data, equity, and access.
Climate Grief
Climate ActionThe emotional toll of ecological loss on a generation that did the least to cause it but will bear its consequences — and what it means to mobilise grief into action.
Algorithmic Accountability
Technology & AIThe principle that AI systems must be explainable, auditable, and contestable — ensuring that automated decisions affecting people's lives can be questioned and corrected.
Six of 47 words — download the full dictionary below
The Launch
Unveiled at Youth Sabha 2047
India in Future Tense was launched at the inaugural Youth Sabha 2047 — a national townhall bringing together 200+ young leaders alongside senior government officials, UN representatives, and industry pioneers.
The dictionary was accompanied by a visionary art installation that brought the words to life — transforming abstract policy concepts into tangible, sensory experiences.
Supported by Narayana Murthy and Sudha Murty, the publication represents a generation-defining act of imagination — proof that youth policy work can be both rigorous and beautiful.
