2025 wishlist: From healthcare to art, what changes do Chennaiites envision for the future?

CHENNAI: As we bid adieu to a wholesome year of 2024, here is welcoming the new year with futuristic advancements in various sectors for a better Chennai

Holistic wellness, a niche yet to be explored

I work a lot with elderly and palliative care patients and am happy to be part of the path-breaking developments in the healthcare sector in Chennai last year. The city has witnessed a surge in robotic surgeries for the affordable category. In terms of certain challenging situations for the doctor - it’s the multiple infections (non-communicable and communicable diseases). Earlier, only the non-communicable diseases were parallelly growing. But now, the number of tuberculosis cases has also grown drastically. Particularly in elders, as post-COVID, their lungs have been affected badly. There have also been advancements, particularly in key areas of geriatrics. All the authorities have taken up elderly care and palliative care into consideration. There is a lot of cross-referral and understanding about pain management in cancer. Multiple hospitals have also mushroomed recently. But it would be better if more rural communities have access to multi-speciality hospitals. Medical tourism is also parallelly booming because of the cost factor and technological development in medicine here. 2025 will be about technology development in exploring early diagnosis and interventions. Exclusive centers for holistic wellness is a niche area which the city is yet to explore. I think Chennai will be looked at internationally as a major hub because of the population, multiple diseases, multiple areas where people can focus on getting the permanent cure for many of the diseases. Key focus will be on diabetes improvement. The rise in myocardial infarction in youngsters came as a surprise in 2024. The medical fraternity should look at a larger perspective. Earlier, it used to be only deep learning in one particular specialty, but now, the overall holistic well-being of the patient is predominant.

—Dr Republica Sridhar, geriatric and palliative care physician

Living an ecocentric life

Chennai is a coastal city facing threats such as rising sea levels, humidity, oil spills, and more. Climate change is the root cause of many of these issues. Last year, temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius. In addition to the heat, scientists have recently begun studying the effects of humidity. Chennai experiences a dangerous combination of heat and humidity due to its geographical position. For instance, there were fatalities at an air show event due to dehydration and heatstroke. This was a critical lesson: outdoor events near the sea should be carefully considered, as we are not equipped to handle excessive humidity. We need to develop technology to accurately measure and predict weather patterns. This could be achieved by launching a dedicated satellite for Tamil Nadu to monitor the region’s weather, as the intensity of natural disasters is increasing each year. Shelters must be set up for delivery agents across the city to help them cope with the heat. Water scarcity is expected by 2025, and desalination plants are not a long-term solution. Around 75 per cent of sewage is untreated and discharged into the Cooum and Adyar rivers. If we address the sewage issue, water bodies can be restored and connected to mitigate both water scarcity and flooding during rains. Small treatment plants should be established throughout the city. It is crucial to develop scientific landfills, as burning waste at Kodungaiyur is making the neighbourhood uninhabitable. Regarding oil spills, there are technologies to manage their adverse effects, but we lack proper protocols. The pollution load in Ennore and Manali needs to be reduced. On an individual level, we can reduce emissions by improving the efficiency of electrical appliances. It is time to move away from an anthropocentric mindset and adopt an ecocentric approach to living.

—Prabhakaran Veeraarasu, environmental engineer

Squash holds out more hopes

Last year saw numerous women from the city venturing into the field of sports. But there are still families who aren’t supportive of them pursuing a profession in sports. As a professional squash player, I am excited that the game has officially qualified for the 2028 Olympics. A little has certainly changed in terms of the kind of recognition squash as a professional sport gets in Chennai than back in 2016 when I decided to pursue a career in it. Certainly, people still aren’t aware of the rules of the game or watch players perform, but conducting more tournaments in the city can help shape a more informed audience who might actually end up following squash and also let their children delve into the game. The Tamil Nadu government does a good job in terms of high cash incentives and sponsorships for us players. But for 2025, I would like to see developments in infrastructure – courts for squash practice and matches in the city.

—Rathika Suthanthira Seelan, squash player

Preparing students for the future

Delving deep into AI tools is crucial, as artificial intelligence is the future of almost all fields. Students and teachers are often unaware of lesser-explored courses and competitive exams, such as B.Tech in Railway Infrastructure and the UCEED exam, among others, beyond NEET and JEE. Students are expected to acquire additional skills beyond their core subjects to stay competitive and secure desirable jobs. In engineering, automation is prevalent everywhere. Students should focus on computing and automation, as these fields offer immense opportunities. Civil engineering is also in demand again, with more buildings undergoing restructuring and ongoing infrastructure development. The medical field is undergoing a revolution with the advent of AI. Additional skills in areas like fintech, blockchain, and investment banking are also crucial. From the perspective of institutions, it is their responsibility to guide students towards a world beyond IT. For school students, a major overhaul of the syllabus is necessary, and at least 30 per cent of the current content should be reduced. The examination system also needs to be reformed. We must shift from traditional teaching methods to a hybrid mode, creating more interactive online learning experiences. Additionally, the influence of coaching centers on school students should be minimized, as students as young as class six are being pressured to train for exams like JEE.

— Jayaprakash Gandhi, career consultant-analyst

Art of innovation and compassion

In 2025, I hope Chennai will blossom into a city of greater art and empathy, a place that nurtures multidisciplinary projects and fosters deeper environmental consciousness. The arts may not change the world outright, but they hold the power to touch individuals profoundly—and individuals, in turn, can inspire change. We need more people who believe that every small action can make a difference, that collective efforts can transform our community into a more sustainable, vibrant, and empathetic space. As I work on an Indo-Korean interdisciplinary project about war and peace—embracing the risk and beauty of trying something different—I dream of a Chennai that supports such creativity, where art and the environment intersect meaningfully. Together, we can build a better way to live and create a city that thrives on both innovation and compassion.

– Parvathi Nayar, multidisciplinary artist and writer

As spoken to Ankita Nair, Nivetha C and Merin James