The 23rd edition of the India Conference at Harvard will bring together prominent voices from sport, politics, and culture, highlighting India’s evolving global identity through dialogue, debate, and creative exchange. Among the headline speakers are Olympic champion P.V. Sindhu, parliamentarian and author Shashi Tharoor, and renowned fashion designer Manish Malhotra.
The student-led conference will be held across Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, continuing a tradition spanning more than two decades of examining India’s role in global business, governance, and culture. This year’s theme, “The India We Imagine,” seeks to explore how leadership, creativity, and institutional values are shaping the country’s future.
P.V. Sindhu will participate in a moderated panel examining the transformation of India’s sports ecosystem and the relationship between elite performance, leadership, and national identity. A two-time Olympic medalist and world champion, Sindhu is widely regarded as one of India’s most influential sporting figures. Her discussion will also explore how professional management and global exposure are redefining India’s sporting ambitions and international image.
Shashi Tharoor will deliver a keynote address anchoring the conference’s central theme through the lens of India’s constitutional values, democratic traditions, and international engagement. A former senior United Nations official and a leading public intellectual, Tharoor is expected to draw on his experience in diplomacy, politics, and writing to reflect on how India’s ideas and institutions shape its global presence.
Adding a cultural dimension to the programme, Manish Malhotra will address the role of fashion, film, and creative entrepreneurship in projecting India’s cultural confidence worldwide. His session will explore how creativity serves as both an economic force and a vehicle for expressing India’s identity on the global stage.
Now in its 23rd year, the India Conference at Harvard is among the largest and most influential student-led India-focused forums in the United States. Organised by students from across Harvard University, the conference brings together policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, and thought leaders for meaningful engagement on India’s global trajectory.
This year’s programme will feature more than 70 speakers over two days, including discussions on public policy, sustainability, innovation, and culture, reinforcing the conference’s role as a platform for shaping conversations on India’s future in an interconnected world.
