Agenda
Arrivals and networking | Exhibition opens
India in a multipolar world
With political headwinds from the Trump presidency, a trade war between the US and China, ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East, the liberal western global order is coming under stress from multiple avenues. This has accelerated a move towards a multipolar world, with India hoping to be one of those more influential global players. The UK has a unique position on the global stage, with the historic Free Trade Agreement signed with India, and a reset of the relationship with Europe anticipated this year. India counts both the US and Russia as its friends, which is unusual among major powers, and has seen its statute grow globally over the last few years under Dr Jaishankar’s leadership in the Foreign Ministry.Where does India fit in world where countries are being asked to choose between the US and China? Will it realise its goal of being a Vishwaguru (“world power”)? What role does the UK have to play, given the significant number of Indian-origin Cabinet Ministers over the last 14 years of the Conservatives?
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Reena Ranger OBE
Former Co-Chair, Conservative Friends of India
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Raghav Chadha
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
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Giles Trendle
Co-founder and Former Managing Director, Al Jazeera English, The Green House Duo
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Lord Simon McDonald
Former Permanent Under-Secretary and Head of the Diplomatic Service, FDCO
India’s regional security post-Pahalgam
At least 26 tourists were killed and ten injured in a deadly terror attack at the popular local tourist destination Pahalgam in Kashmir last month. What followed was an escalation in military tensions, followed by a swift ceasefire. This was the biggest terrorist attack on Indian soil for decades. This session does a deep-dive into what to expect next from both India and Pakistan.-
Kate Sullivan de Estrada
Associate Professor in the International Relations of South Asia, University of Oxford
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Rahul Roy-Chaudhury
Senior Fellow for South and Central Asian Defence, IISS
Why Telangana matters: Steady growth, and navigating the global economic landscape
Hear about how Telangana has positioned itself as a leader in sustained economic growth and strategic development. With a focus on innovation, infrastructure, and global engagement, the state is emerging as a key player in the international economic landscape.-
K. T. Rama Rao
Former Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries, Commerce & IT, Government of Telangana
Lunch and networking
Doing business with India: Where do the current and future opportunities lie?
The biggest news in the UK-India corridor for many years has been the very recent announcement of the successful agreement of the bilateral Free Trade Agreement. It’s the UK’s largest since Brexit and India’s most significant for many years also. Across trade in goods, trade in services and investment flows, the FTA augurs well. But India’s GDP per capita is still only around $2,500, significantly behind China’s. And India is not a market of 1.5bn for most British businesses – instead it’s many smaller markets in one, whether segmented by Tier 1 cities, Tier 2/3 or the Hindi belt. This session is focused on conversations around whether the current and future opportunities for doing business across India lie, both in goods and services. What are the biggest opportunities the FTA offers, and where have there been false starts before that business leaders must be cautious of?-
Avinash Vazirani
Investment Manager, Indian Equities, Jupiter Asset Management
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Barbara Mills KC
Chair, The Bar Council
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Kalpana Unadkat
Co-Head India Practice, Ashurst
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Raja Ganapathy
Founding Partner, Spring Marketing Capital
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Br. Umar Kamaal Farooqui
State Spokesperson, Nationalist Congress Party
India as Vishwaguru: Soft power through democracy and elections
Conversations about India’s growth story and rising soft power within and outside the country often focus on the country’s tech prowess, cinema, cricket and its diaspora. But India really is a Vishwaguru (world leader) in participatory democracy via elections. It is rarely utilised as a tool of soft power. India’s electoral model isn’t just a domestic institution, it’s an untapped global soft power export. This session includes the co-founder of the best-known political consultancy in India, that helped PM Narendra Modi win the 2014 election, and has worked with leaders across the political spectrum, as well as the Chair of TIPRA Motha, one of the active voices for the rights of Indigenous Tripuri people of Tripura, who first contested in the 2021 TTAADC district council elections.-
Dr. S.Y. Quraishi
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India,
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Dr Chietigj Bajpaee
Senior Research Fellow for South Asia, Asia-Pacific Programme, Chatham House
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Vinesh Chandel
Co-Founder and Director, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC)
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Pradyot Manikya
Founder, TIPRA Motha Party
Founder Stories: Indians making it big
A conversation between leading Indian founders who are scaling their businesses beyond borders, including significant growth into the UK market. The discussion will explore their unique journeys across business and family life, the motivations that drive them, and the pivotal role their roots continue to play in shaping their decisions and leadership.Through personal insights and strategic reflections, the panel will highlight the opportunities and challenges of building global businesses with a strong sense of identity and purpose.
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Shalini Gupta
Head of Internal Communications, UKIMEA, Arup
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Nilesh Choudhary
Founder and CEO, Aikyam Capital
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Avinav Nigam
Founder and CEO, TERN Group
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Vee Bharkhada
Founder and Director, Navigate Business Recovery
The future of ESG: A conversation on dharmic-compliant vs sharia-compliant investments
Investors have pulled money from ESG funds in recent years, amid political backlash, high interest rates and other headwinds. But analysts say the outlook and long-term investment thesis for the fund category are favourable, despite headwinds from President Trump. S&P Global estimated that the Islamic finance sector, will increase to almost $4.94 trillion by 2025. The statistics depict a rise in both demand for halal – or “sharia compliant” – investments and opportunities.Similarly, there is latent demand for “dharma compliant” investment, aimed at Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, as “ESG+” products. The pioneers of research work in this area are the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, in a research paper they wrote with the Dow Jones more than a decade ago. Today, they are seriously looking at the potential for introducing such products, working with leading financial experts.
This session is a conversation of a young Indian Muslim entrepreneur who has revolutionised the Islamic finance industry, and the Director of the OCHS, on how both faith backgrounds approach investment, the similarities in environment, social and governance standards they see, as well as where they diverge.
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Junaid Wahedna
Chairman, Wahed Inc
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Shaunaka Rishi Das
Director, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies