Gadkari: Old Gen Should Retire, New Gen Must Lead
Gadkari: Old Gen Should Retire, New Gen Must Lead
Gadkari urges next-gen leadership at Advantage Vidarbha expo in Nagpur, calling for elders to step aside as the region pushes industrial growth.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday urged the next generation to take charge and said the old generation should gradually step aside once things start running smoothly. He framed it as a natural leadership transition necessary for sustained growth.
Speaking at a press conference in Nagpur at the Advantage Vidarbha-Khasdar Audhyogik Mahotsav, organized by Ashish Kale of the Association for Industrial Development (AID), Gadkari highlighted Kale's effort to engage youth in the Advantage Vidarbha initiative. He said, 'I believe that gradually, the generation should also change.' He noted that Kale has involved young entrepreneurs across multiple sectors as part of the expo’s mission to strengthen Vidarbha’s industrial profile.
He added, 'Ashish’s father is my friend. Now we should be gradually made to retire, and the responsibility be given to the new generation, and when the vehicle starts running smoothly, then we should withdraw and do some other work.' The minister spoke as AID’s chief mentor, underscoring a broader push for leadership turnover in regional development efforts.
The third edition of Advantage Vidarbha runs from February 6 to 8 in Nagpur. Gadkari emphasized that Vidarbha already hosts a diverse ecosystem of entrepreneurs in textiles, plastics, minerals, coal, aviation, logistics, IT, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, defence, real estate, renewable energy, and startups, and that the expo could anchor the region on India’s industrial map.
Observers described the call as part of a larger trend toward generational leadership transition within political and business circles, arguing that renewed youth involvement could accelerate investment and job creation in the region.
