From News Desk
The annual India Week 2025 in London is set to be the first major international summit following the landmark signing of the UK-India Free Trade Agreement and the recent Pahalgam attacks. Taking place during the final week of May, this high-level series of events will bring together over 1,000 global delegates, including ministers, parliamentarians, business leaders and creatives from both India and the UK.
The centre-piece of the week is the flagship Ideas for India Conference, scheduled for 30 May, which will feature a diverse line-up of guest speakers including Sachin Pilot (Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan), KT Rama Rao (President, Bharat Rashtra Samithi), Raghav Chadha (Member of Parliament), Pradyot Manikya (Chairman, TIPRA Motha), Barbara Mills KC (Chair, The Bar Council), Lord Simon McDonald (former Head of the UK Diplomatic Service) and Barrister Umar Kamaal Farooqui, a Congress leader and legal expert known for his cross-border policy work and diaspora engagement.
Organised by global advisory firm EPG, India Week is an annual gathering designed to foster dialogue on economics, politics and diplomacy. This year’s edition places a special focus on the implications of the UK-India FTA, a milestone agreement poised to redefine the future of trade and investment between the two countries.
India Week 2025 will open on 26th May with the Film Conclave, which includes the UK’s first UK-India co-production market and a networking reception. The event will be attended by acclaimed director Gurinder Chadha OBE, casting director Mukesh Chhabra and actor Taha Shah Badussha of Netflix’s Heera Mandi. The conclave aims to finance over a dozen collaborative film projects.
On 29 May, a special reception will celebrate 30 years of the Asian Business Association of the London Chamber of Commerce, led by hotelier and entrepreneur Tony Matharu. The week concludes on 31 May with a Literature Festival celebrating Indian writing and global narratives. The cultural gala following the Ideas for India Conference will feature traditional folk and tribal dance performances from Tripura.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, reflecting on her past involvement with the conference, stated;
“It was an honour to speak at the Bridge India conference. The Indian diaspora strengthens our economy, culture and society – and is at the heart of our communities.”
Pratik Dattani, MD, EPG and Founder of India Week, commented, “The UK-India FTA marks a historic new chapter in our bilateral relationship. India Week 2025 will reflect that energy and ambition, with an incredible range of speakers from across India’s political spectrum and global institutions.”
“India Week 2025 is a unique platform to strengthen the growing partnership between India and the UK, especially following the historic Free Trade Agreement. I look forward to contributing to meaningful discussions that will help unlock new economic and cultural opportunities for both countries,” said Barrister Umar Kamaal Farooqui, international lawyer and Congress politician.
India Week 2025 promises to be a defining platform for shaping the next phase of UK–India cooperation, while spotlighting the voices and ideas driving both nations forward.
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