• India is officially the world’s fastest growing economy, with average economic growth of 7.5% in 2015
• India is the world’s second-largest English speaking country
• India is the largest democracy in the world
• India has a young population, with the average age being 27
• India has three of the world’s top ten megacities – New Delhi, Mumbai & Kolkatta
The London School of Economics and Political Science’s Student Union will host its prestigious annual conference ‘India Forum 2016’ on 19th March 2016 at the world famous LSE in London. This year’s theme is: ‘India’s Growing Global Footprint’, and will shine a spotlight on the pertinent topics affecting India in relation to its place on the global stage, particularly with reference to its recent listing as ‘the world’s fastest growing economy’.
The conference will see a panel of eminent dignitaries, academics, business leaders and entertainment impresarios in attendance, who will speak on a range of topics that will encourage stimulating discussion. This will then be followed by an active Q&A session throughout the day. This will be followed by a speaker reception.
Some of the key speakers at this year’s event include: Rana Kapoor (MD and CEO of Yes Bank), Manish Sisodia (Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi), Suhel Seth (Managing Partner of consultancy Counselage India and columnist), Sachin Pilot (politician), Pratik Gupta (founder of leading digital marketing and media solutions agency Foxymoron), and Anupama Chopra (film critic and author), amongst others.
• Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and one of the most prominent members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He is responsible for the Finance and Planning, Revenue, Services, Power, Education, Higher Education, Information Technology, Technical Education and Administrative Reforms ministerial portfolios in the Government of Delhi. Prior to being elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi in December 2013, Sisodia was a social activist, journalist, and an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
• Suhel Seth, managing partner of consultancy Counselage India, the only strategic marketing and branding consultancy in India, founded in 2006. Seth is also an accomplished author and columnist. He regularly appears on Indian news channels and writes columns in several publications, including Daily News and Analysis, The Financial Express, The Financial Times, London Times and Business India. Mr Seth is also a board member of several international corporates, including Cavendish and RADA and on the regional boards of Citibank, Coca Cola, Drayton Capital and Max Foundation.
• Pratik Gupta, the founder of Foxymoron, one of India’s leading digital marketing and media solutions agencies, which provides services to top brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Star Sports, Rajasthan Royals, Maybelline, French Connection and Parle amongst others. Prior to his role as Director for New Business and Innovation at Foxymoron, he has worked at companies such as Castrol India Ltd. and Balaji Telefilms Tvt. Ltd. He was ranked 50 in the Top 100 of the Digital World by IMPACT Magazine.
• Anupama Chopra, Indian author, journalist and film critic. She is especially known for her work on several books related to Indian cinema as well as being a prominent film critic for NDTV, India Today and the Hindustan Times. She has received a National Film Award for her first book ‘Sholay: The Making of a Classic’. She has also written about Bollywood for various international publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety and Sight & Sound.
The conference will be structured into five thought-provoking panels, incorporating the following: Politics, Entrepreneurship, Finance Keynote speech, Media and Politics Keynote speech, and Entertainment. Enlightening topics will include:
The Politics panel discussing ‘the Modi government’s two-year performance’, the issue of censorship in India and the recent JNU controversy.
The Entrepreneurship panel will debate the question of ‘what does it take to be an entrepreneur in India’ and ‘the ease of doing business in India.’
The Finance keynote address will be given by Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO of Yes Bank, who will discuss ‘India’s Resurgence as a Design, Innovation, Creativity led Entrepreneurship (DICE) Economy’.
The Media Keynote speech will be delivered by renowned journalist and Editor-in-Chief of India TV Rajat Sharma, who will talk about ‘how can the media balance its role as a political watchdog and a source of entertainment?’
The conference will close with an ‘In Conversation’ session led by acclaimed author, journalist and film critic Anupama Chopra alongside acclaimed film director Kabir Khan who will discuss the issue of ‘Bollywood’s Soft Power’ in popularising India’s film industry to a global audience.
Speaking about the event, Sanam Arora, President, National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK, said: “At the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK we aim to develop future leaders for India, the UK and the Indo-British relationship. Through this forum we hope to bring together the young Indian community in Britain with change-makers and inspirational personalities that can enable knowledge transfer and motivate diaspora Indian youth to take a more active role in the India growth story.”
Ayush Rawat, President LSE India Forum 2016 and Head of Business Development at National Indian Students and Alumni UK, said: “With India being labelled as the bright spot for growth time and again when other emerging markets are in turmoil, at the LSE SU India forum 2016 we hope to discuss the road ahead for India. We started this conference three years back with the vision to provide students around UK to hear from and interact with the people who make things happen back at home, and this year we hope to deliver just that.”
