Cricket Star MITHALI RAJ, Acclaimed actor ANUPAM Kher, CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange ASHISH CHAUHAN & others to convene at LSE India Forum 2018
New Delhi: The India Forum part of the Students Union at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will host a series of keynote speeches and panel discussions, as part of the prestigious annual event: ‘LSE India Forum 2018’ (LIF), the largest India-focused student-run conference in the UK, which recently won the Best Event award at the inaugural UK India Youth Awards.
Taking place on Saturday, 3rd March at London School of Economics, the forum serves as a platform for students and young professionals alike to engage with eminent business, sports, political and Indian film personalities, as they explore the topic of: ‘India in the Global Landscape’.
A range of topics will be discussed including recent developments across economic, political, entrepreneurship, sport and cultural issues at the daylong forum to encourage a stimulating discussion. Each panel will then be followed by an active Q&A session throughout the day with a VIP speaker reception taking place at the end of the main forum.
LIF has a pedigree of attracting some of the finest stalwarts across various industries, with this year’s speakers being just as high profile and topical. They include:
· Anupam Kher – Acclaimed Indian Actor who recently starred in the hit BBC drama The Boy with the Top Knot and over 180 Bollywood and Hollywood feature films (Bend It Like Beckham, The Silver Lining Playbook). Anupam Kher is also the Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India.
· Jyotiraditya Scindia – Indian politician, Congress Leader and front runner of the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh position in the upcoming elections
· Mithali Raj – the Captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team for Tests and ODI. Mithali is often regarded as one of the greatest cricketing batters to have ever played the game. She is the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket, the only female cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODIs and the first captain (men or women) to lead India to an ICC ODI World Cup final twice in 2005 and 2017.
· Ashish Chauhan – CEO, Bombay Stock Exchange, Asia’s first stock exchange
The forum will be structured into six thought-provoking panels and topics. They will include:
· The Politics panel will debate the topic ‘The Essence of Dynamic India’, covering themes including ‘Then and Now: Inclusion of women in the Cabinet’, ‘The Inseparable influence of religion on politics: Nationalism or Extremism?’, and ‘Young India: The change agents in the political arena’.
Participants: Shazia Ilmi (Spokesperson, Bhatatiya Janata Party), Atishi Marlena (Member, Political Affairs Committee & National Executive, Aam Aadmi Party), Jyotiraditya Scindia (MP, Indian National Congress)
Moderator: Sumantra Bose (Department of Government)
· The Finance & Economics panel will discuss ‘Redesigning the Financial Terrain’, covering topics including ‘GST: India’s struggle with tax revolution’, ‘Blockchain Strategy and Fintech Innovation – are banks dying?’ and the ‘Influence of crypto-currency on the global economy’.
Participants: Ashish Chauhan (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Yaga Venugopal Reddy (Former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Vik Mehrotra (Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer, Venus Capital Management)
Moderator: Kanchana Ambagahawita (Department of Management, LSE)
· The Business & Entrepreneurship panel discusses ‘The Future is Today: The Great Indian Movement’, with a focus on themes such as ‘Uncovering the realm of Big Data by driving automation’, ‘Making India a global manufacturing hub –deep diving into GST implications, Make In India campaign’, and ‘Cost synergies and the fundamental shift in future of consumption.’
Participants: Neeraj Kanwar (Managing Director & Vice Chairman, Apollo Tyres), Ajay Bijli (Founder, Chairman & Managing Director, PVR Group), Anil Rai Gupta (Managing Director & Chairman, Havells),
Moderator: Alnoor Bhimani (Department of Accounting)
· The Entertainment Panel takes a look at the world of modern Indian cinema, with discussion focusing on ‘Societal Outlook: The Emerging Trends in Bollywood’. Themes include ‘World of films instigating social reforms’, ‘Free speech through the lens of social media and censorship’, ‘Rise in sports biopics’.
Participants: Anupam Kher. Actor and Chairman of Film and Television Institute of India
· The Sports panel discusses ‘Revitalising the Indian Playing Field’. Themes include a discussion ‘Private tournaments and their impact on the growth of sports’ (Commercialization of Sports) ‘Evolution of Indian women in sports’, and ‘Increasing the medal tally for India’.
Participants: Aakash Chopra (Former Cricketer & Commentator), Mithali Raj (Captain, Indian Women’s Cricket Team) and Rajneesh Chopra (Former Cricketer & Promoter, Dunamis Sportainment).
· The Change panel discusses ‘Press Prospects: Forecasting the Future’, with a focus on ‘Transforming the ‘local’: Interpreting institutional change’, ‘At the margins or at the core? Revisiting empowerment and activism’, and ‘Left, right or in the middle – Questioning the world of education and politics across phases’.
Participants: Yashveer Singh (Director the Youth Venture Program, Ashoka (South Asia), Shaheen Mistri (CEO, Teach for India), Deepa Dasmunsi (Former Union Minister of State for Urban Development),
Moderator: Dr Ruth Kattumuri (Co-Director at the India Observatory, Associate at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, and Fellow of Academy of Social Sciences)
The 2018 LSE SU India Forum is presented by LSE SU India Society, sponsored by Wadhawan Global Capital (WGC) (Platinum Sponsor), Venus Capital Management Inc. (Gold Sponsor) Sterling Media (Media Partner) and is supported by LSE South Asia Centre, LSE India Observatory, National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK.