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London to host maiden thought leadership summit IndiSetu to boost India-UK innovation and cultural ties

NITN | @notintownlive | 30 Jul 2025, 07:13 am

London to host maiden thought leadership summit IndiSetu to boost India-UK innovation and cultural ties IndiSetu Summit

Kolkata: IndiSetu, a two-day thought leadership summit, will be held in London in October this year, aiming to foster enduring partnerships and celebrate cultural diplomacy with a special focus on India-UK synergies.

Summit overview

Organised by the Global Collaboration Forum, the summit is envisioned to bring together innovators, policymakers, academics, and creators from diverse fields to deliberate on pressing global challenges. 

It will revolve around the inclusive theme of “innovation and collaboration” and aims to evolve into an annual cultural and networking festival.

Dr. Amit Ghose, consultant urologist and founding director of the Global Collaboration Forum (GCF), said, “IndiSetu is conceived as an intellectual and cultural bridge between India and the United Kingdom. 

"It brings together changemakers from across disciplines to address the shared challenges and transformative possibilities of our time.”

IndiSetu is conceived as an intellectual and cultural bridge between India and the UK and a networking platform for participants, says Dr. Amit Ghose, the architect of the summitIndiSetu is conceived as an intellectual and cultural bridge between India and the UK and a networking platform for participants, says Dr. Amit Ghose, the architect of the summit

Continuing, he said, “We live in a world that demands fresh thinking. From the climate crisis to the future of healthcare, from reimagining education to nurturing sustainable entrepreneurship, our century is one of redefinition."

"IndiSetu responds to this urgency by inviting participation from policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, artists, and students alike—those who seek convergence over silos and purpose over protocol, Ghose added.

Rev. Dr. Fr. Felix Raj, Founder Vice-Chancellor of St. Xavier's University, Kolkata, warmly welcomed the collaboration, emphasising the growing Indo-British relations. 

"This partnership represents a significant milestone in strengthening cultural and academic ties between India and the United Kingdom, reflecting our shared commitment to mutual learning and inclusive innovation," he stated.

Rev. Dr. Fr. Felix Raj, Founder Vice-Chancellor of St. XavierRev. Dr. Fr. Felix Raj, Founder Vice-Chancellor of St. Xavier's University, endorses the initiative as a milestone. Photo: Wikipedia

Global Platform for Innovation

Highlighting the benefits of the initiative, he added, "Through joint initiatives, participants will gain a global platform to voice their innovative ideas, fostering intellectual growth and nurturing future leaders equipped to address complex global challenges."

Dr. Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation, King's College, London, said, "IndiSetu is going to be an amazing collaboration between India and the United Kingdom." 

"The summit will explore the conversation around entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence (AI), and sustainability and the effect and impact of what we are doing to the climate around us.

"None of us can ignore climate change and the warming, and we need to rise up as a community to use everything within our capability to reduce our carbon footprint," remarked the chairman of King’s Vattikuti Institute of Robotic Surgery.

Dr. Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation, KingDr. Prokar Dasgupta, Professor of Robotic Surgery and Urological Innovation, King's College, London, called IndiSetu an amazing collaboration between India and the UK. Photo: Wikipedia

Events in London

The first day of the summit will feature an award ceremony at the House of Lords, London, to honour visionaries from across the world, followed by a networking lunch.

The second day will include a series of conversations, presentations, pitches, and a concert at the British Medical Association House.

Ghose highlighted the summit’s main feature—Planet Pitch—an all-India start-up challenge aimed at empowering young Indian start-ups to present sustainability-focused solutions to global audiences.

The selected start-ups will find themselves pitching their ideas to global investors and incubators during the final round in London.

Ideas in focus

The panel discussions and presentations at the summit will focus on three key themes—healthcare, wildlife conservation, and the future of India-UK relations.

The healthcare segment will feature conversations on breakthrough treatments, equitable healthcare access, and global health security, with participation from veteran doctors, medical researchers, and health economics experts from both India and the UK.

Also, a series of presentations will highlight India’s success in biodiversity preservation, including landmark initiatives such as Project Tiger.

The summit will also explore the evolving trajectory of India-UK collaboration.

Industrialists, public intellectuals, and sports personalities from both countries through this summit will examine ways to revive historical ties, strengthen economic and cultural partnerships, and highlight the role of the Indian diaspora.

Prior to the summit in London, the Global Collaboration Forum will host a launch event here in August.

IndiSetu website for registration: https://indisetu-gcf.com 

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