Kotlin is a pragmatic programming language for the JVM and Android that combines OOP and functional features. It focuses on interoperability, safety, clarity, and tooling support. The document discusses why Kotlin is needed, noting that Java is stuck on older versions without features like lambdas, streams, and the java.time API. It also discusses problems with Java like inability to add methods to platform types, nullability problems, mutability problems, and verbosity. The document promotes Kotlin as a modern, concise, safe, and expressive language compared to Java.