We were privileged to host an evening of high-level engagement in honour of Mr Santosh S. Lad, Cabinet Minister in the Government of Karnataka, acclaimed for his leadership in labour welfare, infrastructure development and social inclusion.
The event commenced with a dinner reception, bringing together distinguished investors, industry leaders, and key stakeholders from both the UK and India. CEOs and Managing Directors of many leading companies were present, offering a unique opportunity to connect, collaborate, and explore how they can fully leverage the latest UK–India business opportunities.
Minister Lad addressed the gathering, sharing his vision for scalable investment and cross-border partnerships in sustainable industry, infrastructure, and skill development. The evening was structured to encourage dialogue, relationship-building, and concrete next steps towards joint ventures and new initiatives.
We are grateful to all participants for their active engagement and look forward to the business momentum generated from this gathering.
London, Sep 24 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made a pitch for cross-sector partnerships with the UK and European investors at the Indo-European Business Forum's (IBEF) annual Viksit Bharat Investment Summit in the House of Lords complex here.
Sukhu, who was also presented with IBEF's Leadership and Governance Award on Tuesday evening, said the northern Indian state, with its high literacy rate and investor-friendly policies, offered opportunities across clean energy, horticulture, IT and wellness sectors, including Ayurveda and herbal offerings.
As a year-round tourism destination, he invited travellers, entrepreneurs and innovators to witness Himachal's growth prospects first-hand.
"With 100 per cent literacy, a tradition of hard work, honesty, and resilience, our citizens are the true foundation of investors' confidence,” said Sukhu.
“While Himachal apples have already established themselves as a global brand, we are now expanding into vegetables, flowers, and high-value crops that are ready for international markets. Our focus is on natural farming and government-supported dairy initiatives, which open new doors for innovation and collaboration,” he said.
British Indian ministers recently appointed to their portfolios – Seema Malhotra as Minister for the Indo-Pacific in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Kanishka Narayan as Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Online Safety in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – addressed the summit against the backdrop of the recently concluded India-UK Free Trade Agreement.
"This year has been a landmark year for our partnership as in July, our Prime Ministers [Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi] came together to sign a historic trade deal. It marks a huge leap forward that will unlock many billions of pounds in terms of new exports, investment and create those many thousands of jobs across the UK,” said Malhotra.
Narayan noted: “As the Minister for AI and Online Safety, there is a very specific future for us to chase together… I feel the UK and India have huge amounts both to share in terms of particular examples, in terms of the talent we have unparalleled across the world, but most fundamentally, in terms of the values that we have in shaping the future of technology.”
The annual summit, hosted in the House of Lords by Baroness Sandy Verma, not only highlighted the recently concluded India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) poised to double bilateral trade over the next decade, but also the ongoing trade negotiations between India and the European Union, in the final stages of completion this year.
“This is not just about reducing tariffs. It is about unlocking opportunities across textiles, renewable energy, defence, education, IT, and retail. Together, we can redefine economic partnerships for the 21st century,” said IEBF Founder Vijay Goel.
Among some of the other IBEF awards handed out were a Global Changemaker Award for Social Impact for Neerja Birla, founder and chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, and Green Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Sandip Sali, founder of UK-based renewable energy firm VoltX Power Ltd.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)
House of Lords Hosts Indo-European Business Forum’s Viksit Bharat Investment Summit 2025
London, September 23, 2025 – The historic House of Lords witnessed a landmark evening as the Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF) hosted the Viksit Bharat Investment Summit 2025, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs to celebrate partnerships and strengthen economic ties between India, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the wider world.
The summit was graced by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who was honoured with the Leadership and Governance Award for his visionary policies and transformative governance in Himachal Pradesh. In his keynote address, the Chief Minister invited global investors to explore opportunities in clean energy, responsible tourism, horticulture, IT, and wellness industries in Himachal Pradesh, emphasizing the state’s 100% literacy rate and its strong foundation of trust and resilience.
IEBF Founder Mr. Vijay Goel welcomed dignitaries and emphasized the significance of the moment, with India-UK and India-EU Free Trade Agreements poised to unlock business worth over £40 billion and €200 billion respectively.
“This is not just about reducing tariffs,” said Mr. Goel, “it is about unlocking opportunities across textiles, renewable energy, defence, education, IT, and retail. Together, we can redefine economic partnerships for the 21st century.”
Dignitaries in Attendance
The summit saw participation from an illustrious gathering, including Lord David Evans, Minister Kanishka Narayan, Minister Seema Malhotra, Virender Sharma ji, His Excellency Samuel Mahama from Ghana, Dr Rohitga Sri Lanka’s former Foreign Minister and High Commissioner, Dr. Neerja Birla, Niharika Handa ji, Tejesh Kumar Kodali, Subodh Kumar Gupta, Sandip Sali ji, and distinguished guests from the USA, Dubai, Hong Kong, Africa, and Europe.
Awards & Recognitions
The evening also celebrated excellence across diverse fields:
Leadership and Governance Award – Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh
Innovation in Diagnostic Devices – Mr. Subodh Kumar Gupta
Businesswoman of the Year – Ms. Niharika Handa
Global Changemaker Award for Social Impact – Mrs. Neerja Birla
Global AI Excellence Award – Mr. Tejesh Kumar Kodali & Ms. Janaki Yarlagadda
Green Entrepreneur of the Year (UK) – Mr. Sandip Sali
Media partner Manish Tiwari Here and Now.
The summit concluded with a collective commitment towards building stronger economic bridges between nations. “We are not just speaking of business,” said Mr. Goel, “we are speaking of building a brighter, stronger, and more sustainable future. Together, let us make Bharat truly Viksit—developed, prosperous, and globally respected.”
The Indo-European Business Forum (IEBF) convened the Sustainable Synergy Summit 2025 at the esteemed House of Lords, bringing together thought leaders and experts from India, the UK, and Europe to explore collaborative pathways in sustainable energy and green innovation. This summit reflects IEBF’s mission to strengthen strategic and economic ties across regions with a focus on clean, future-oriented growth.
Among the distinguished speakers were Baroness Sandip Verma, Mr. Kanishka Narayan, Mr. Vivek Saraogi, Mr. Max Harris, Mr. Sandip Sali, Ms. Alexandra Sasha, Mr. Shashank Gupta, Ms. Trupta Sali, and Mr. Jacobo Pombo Garcia. Their insights helped chart a roadmap for Indo-European cooperation in tackling global energy challenges and fostering sustainable development.
India showcased its growing potential as a global economic powerhouse during the 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, from January 20 to 24, 2025. With the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” the event highlighted priorities such as rebuilding trust, reimagining growth, investing in people, safeguarding the planet, and embracing industries of the intelligent age. The meeting saw the participation of distinguished individuals, including Mr Sunil Kumar Gupta, Founder of SARC Associates and Indo European Business Forum, along with his delegation comprising of Mr. Rajendra Bagade, Director of India Global Chamber of Businesses, Mr. Chandra Sekhar Akula, Founding Partner of SARC Associates, Mr. Probir Roy, Co-Founder of Paymate and Founding Independent Director of Nazara Tech and Alize Capital and Mr. Ashutosh Verma, Founder & CEO of Anvi. The Delegation had a detailed discussion with Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hon’ble Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and) Electronics and IT, Sh. Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Sh. Uday Samant, Hon’ble Minister of Industries of Maharashtra, with CEO Metro Ms. Ashvini Bhide, Shri TG Bharath, Hon’ble Minister of Industries Andhra Pradesh, Sh. Manoj Singh, Hon’ble Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh and Smt. Sarada Muraleedharan, Hon’ble Chief Secretary of Kerala, Mr. Vivek Kumar Dewangan, IAS, Chairman & Managing Director REC Limited, Mr. Vivek Oberoi, Indian Actor and Businessman, where IEBF had the opportunity to present some ideas, plans & suggestions on Space Tech City in Andhra Pradesh; Deep Medtech Hub in Vizag; Emerging Sectors Fund & Centre in Kerala; E. Sports and Gaming Hub in NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh and Fintech Hub in Mumbai.