Can India lead globally, without picking sides?
A deep-dive on India's place in an uncertain world.
Dear all,
One of India’s leading journalists Barkha Dutt brought together celebrity and political power to London yesterday, with the UK’s first episode of We The Women, featuring Lt. Col Himanshi Singh (spokesperson, Operation Sindoor), filmmaker Karan Johar, actresses Kareena Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Meera Syal OBE and Sindhu Vee, musician Anoushka Shankar, politicians Shashi Tharoor and Smriti Irani, and many others.
Bridge India was delighted to support this, and it was great to see so many BI Members attend.
Journalist Loveena Tandon was in conversation with Kate Sullivan de Estrada (Associate Professor in the International Relations of South Asia, University of Oxford) and Giles Trendle (former Managing Director, Al Jazeera English; Co-founder, The Greenhouse Duo) on the sidelines of Ideas for India. Check out the video above.
Member Akshay Walia does an excellent deep-dive into the UK-India Free Trade Agreement here. Akshay works as a freelance researcher, who focuses on foreign policy, human rights, and corporate sustainability due diligence issues.
We’ve got some events coming up with journalist Rajdeep Sardesai (8 July), Monisha Advani (11 July) and some participation in the London Indian Film Festival (16 July onwards). Scroll down for more.
Catch up on Ideas for India sessions
Watch some of our sessions on YouTube here:
The future of ESG: A conversation on dharmic-compliant vs sharia-compliant investments
India as Vishwaguru: Soft power through democracy and elections
Why Telangana matters: Steady growth, and navigating the global economic landscape
Become a Member
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Individual Membership is £150 annually, concessions £100. Corporate Membership options are for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes. Prices start at £750 annually.
Planning for Ideas for India and India Week 2026 has already begun. So if you’d like to be involved, please get in touch with us for sponsorship opportunities.
Member news
Thank you to Reina D’Costa for putting together a lovely dinner for Members last Monday. It is organic meetings like this which create moments of serendipity and business success for Members.
Several congratulations this week are in order once again this week this week:
Anuj Radia now has his own show on LycaRadio, the UK’s largest South Asian radio station. You can listen to him 10am-1pm every Saturday and Sunday here.
Roopa Girard’s first book, Mumbai to Bengaluru off the beaten path: India, is now out. It is the ultimate door-to-door itinerary: a complete A-to-Z travel plan from Mumbai to Bengaluru. You can get direct WhatsApp and phone contacts of the most trusted local guides and ground-level experts - no middlemen.
Congratulations to Prabhu Guptara for a full-house book launch for Ambassador Murdeshwar Puri (former Assistant Secretary-General, UN) for Swallowing the Sun at the National Liberal Club last Friday. Prabhu’s publishing house Pippa Rann Books, is publishing her book internationally.
Pratik Dattani will be the Keynote Speaker on a webinar with global logistics provider UPS at 11am (BST) on Friday 4 July (sign up here). The focus areas: Key benefits of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, Market trends and growth sectors in India, Regulatory and compliance considerations, Logistics and transportation strategies for smooth trade.
Upcoming events
In Conversation With Rajdeep Sardesai | 6pm, 8 July, The Conduit | Find out more
Join us for an exclusive conversation with one of India’s most respected journalists and media commentators, Rajdeep Sardesai. This intimate session offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with a veteran who has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of Indian broadcast journalism for over three decades.
He will be having a conversation with Bridge India about his career, how the media landscape is changing, and his peerless knowledge of Indian elections around the country. Attendees will also have the opportunity to get a signed copy of Rajdeep’s new book 2024: The Election That Surprised India.
When: 6pm arrivals, 6:30pm start, 8:00pm close | Mon 8 July
Where: The Conduit, 6 Langley Street, London WC2H 9JA (closest tube: Covent Garden)
More info: Click here
Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £10 Members, £15 Non-Members
In Conversation With Monisha Advani | 6pm, 11 July, The Conduit | Find out more
Join us for an exclusive conversation with a founder partner of one of India’s leading film production houses Emmay Entertainment. Since its inception in 2011, Emmay has grown to be among India’s top 5 production houses, serving over 20,000 direct and indirect hires annually, and audiences across theatrical and web platforms.
Just some of Emmay’s recent hits in the cinema and on leading streaming platforms include: Vedaa (with John Abraham), Mumbai Dairies, Rocket Boys, Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway, Satyamev Jayate (John Abraham), The Emprire (Kunal Kapoor, Shabana Azmi), Bell Bottom (Akshay Kumar), Batla House (John Abraham), Indoo Ki Jawani (Kiara Advani), Baazaar (Saif Ali Khan), Katti Batti (Kangana Ranaut) and Lucknow Central (Farhan Akhtar).
Monisha will be having a conversation with Bridge India about her career, creating Indian stories, how streaming is changing the film landscape and how she sees the future of Hindi content in India.
When: 6pm arrivals, 6:30pm start, 8:00pm close | Fri 11 July
Where: The Conduit, 6 Langley Street, London WC2H 9JA (closest tube: Covent Garden)
More info: Click here
Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £10 Members, £15 Non-Members
London Indian Film Festival (16-23 July, BFI Southbank and BFI Imax | Find out more)
The UK’s premier such film festival, the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF), is back. LIFF runs July 16-23 at BFI Southbank and BFI Imax. The Birmingham Indian Film Festival runs July 17-23 at the Midlands Arts Centre.
Beyond film screenings, the festival will celebrate emerging British Asian talent through a new industry event developed in collaboration with RIFCO Theatre. The initiative aims to encourage more U.K. South Asians to enter the film industry while exploring co-production opportunities. This professional component will be accompanied by the festival’s popular program of British-Asian shorts.
Asian Achievers Awards (Fri 19 Sept, London Hilton on Park Lane | Find out more)
The Nominations Deadline of Friday 4 July is fast approaching for the annual Asian Achievers Awards, which recognises the outstanding work of individuals from the South Asian community in the UK. Established in 2000, they are consistently recognised as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards, and featured on BBC News and Sky News. The Awards take place on Friday 19 September at the London Hilton on Park Lane. If you know someone deserving from across business, media, sports and community service, nominate them today.
Benefits for Bridge India Members: Individual Members: £50 off tickets | Corporate Members: £100 off tickets | Corporate Member Plus: 2 x complimentary tickets, 25% off additional tickets | Strategic Partner: 4 x complimentary tickets, 50% off additional tickets.
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The Bridge India Team
contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
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About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.