IGF London 2024 emerges as the leading convening ground of global leaders and influencers

A Call for a Scripting a New Chapter in UK-India Relations

Then Shadow Foreign Secretary, and current Foreign Secretary, David Lammy used his speech at the inaugural day to send a key message to the Modi Government, emphasising the Labour Party’s readiness to finalise a free trade agreement with India. Calling India a superpower that is the “future of Asia,” Lammy emphasised the need for a “reset and a relaunch” of UK’s relationship with the world’s largest democracy.

The Launch of Archer-Amish Award for Literature

The event also witnessed a key announcement by bestselling authors Jeffrey Archer and Amish Tripathi - the launch of the prestigious $25,000 IGF Archer-Amish Award for Literature to celebrate authors whose work stands out as a remarkable contribution to the India story globally.

The 5th Climate and Business (ClimB) Summit

The 5th edition of the Climate and Business Forum, held in association with Bloomberg on Day 2 of IGF London, spotlighted critical discussions on climate financing and energy transition. Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange, emphasised the pressing need for substantial green financing in India, highlighting the country's critical role in the global energy transition.

IGF Founder Manoj Ladwa Honoured at the Market Close Ceremony at London Stock Exchange

Later in the day, the London Stock Exchange was host to IGF’s first-ever Global Investors Forum, bringing together top-tier Indian and global investors and corporate leaders to discuss collaborative opportunities and growth prospects. The Forum concluded with IGF Founder Manoj Ladwa being honoured during the Market Close Ceremony and a special closing bell ceremony to mark the contribution of IGF in strengthening of UK-India ties.

Spotlight on India’s Economy, Technology, and AI

IGF Studio, a popular broadcast studio-styled discussion filmed live in front of an audience witnessed a series of compelling discussions highlighting India's current and future economic trajectory, climate change mitigation strategies, and the role of technology and artificial intelligence in solving for global problems on Day 3.

Under the theme of Inspiring Journeys, prominent figures shared how they overcame personal challenges to make significant social impact. Abhinav Bindra, India’s Olympic Gold-winning shooter, emphasised resilience and learning from failure. Pragya Prasun Singh of Atijeevan Foundation highlighted her advocacy for burn victims, focusing on support and rehabilitation. Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham, Founder & CEO of Jayashree Industries, spoke about his work in female menstrual health, which inspired the film ‘Pad Man.’

IGF Dialogues, a selection of carefully curated invitation-only roundtable discussions also took place parallelly on Day 3, bringing together business leaders and policymakers to discuss opportunities, challenges, and alliances across various sectors including global partnerships, education and skills, healthcare, sustainability, and technology and innovation.

A Recognition for Changemakers

As part of IGF London, the 6th UK-India Awards saw prominent personalities, organisations and corporations from across the board being recognised for driving the UK-India partnership in their own unique way and making a global impact. India’s sporting heroes, Abhinav Bindra (India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist) and Dr. Deepa Malik (the first Indian woman Paralympics medallist), were conferred the 'Special Recognition Award'.

Social crusader Arunachalam Muruganantham was honoured with the ‘Global Indian Icon Award’ for his revolutionary work in menstrual hygiene.

The Culture Vultures Descend

The 3rd Culture and Creative Economies Forum witnessed actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Aditi Rao Hyadri regale audiences with anecdotes from their careers and personal journeys.

The Forum brought together a dynamic line-up of speakers from film and TV to literature and fashion to sports and technology, with discussions ranging from the impact of AI on storytelling to the convergence of technology and culture.

A Special Session with English Football Legend Sol Campbell

On the final day of IGF London, ace Arsenal and English defender Sol Campbell, emphasised the significant potential for football's growth in India. "In India, obviously, football is never going to surpass cricket. But we probably just need 10% of that to make football work,” he said.

A Sneak Peek into the Future

IGF London culminated with the third edition of the exclusive Founders and Funders Retreat in Fairmont Windsor Park. The event witnessed founders and funders from the around the world engage in conversations across the themes of emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and inspiring journeys. The Forum took a futuristic look into the integration of AI and our daily lives – from mobility to fitness, from education to employment, and banking to cinema.

'IGF Pitch Perfect' competition saw startups pitching their innovative ideas to a panel of global investors. With 3 minutes to complete their pitch, the judges were looking for ideas that demonstrated not only innovative solutions but also had the potential for driving significant impact and scalability. Sandeep Chintala, Founder and CEO of Smart Audio Technologies, won the competition for his pitch around AI-based self-adaptive noise elimination technology.

With 15 events across iconic venues in London and Windsor, IGF London established itself as the convening ground for global leaders and influencers and a catalyst for ideas of the future.

Carrying these thought-provoking dialogues ahead and continuing the fostering of strategic partnerships, the next flagship India Global Forum event, ‘IGF Middle East & Africa 2024’, is slated to be held in the UAE between 24 – 27 November 2024.

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