Art Matters CVI
Book Discussion on The Joint Indian Family Album: Portraits of a Visual Arts Community by Ajay Shanker

Followed by a panel discussion: Ram Rahman, Meera Menezes and Gary Reid

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

Five Years On: Mapping the New Terrain of Indian Publishing
 

Keynote Speaker: Gaëlle Bohé, Director of Fontaine O Livres and President of the Académie Hors Concours, which awards the annual Prix Hors Concours to francophone authors from independent publishers.
Five years on, Indian publishing is still reshaping itself in response to the disruptions of the pandemic. This session takes a broad, stock-taking view of the industry, exploring how shifts of the past decade – political centralisation, market consolidation, and rapid technological change – have intensified in the post-pandemic period. From the growing power of conglomerates and global platforms to the pressures on independent publishers and the expanding role of AI, we examine the forces that are defining Indian publishing’s next phase and what they mean for the future of books in the country.
The keynote address will be followed by a Panel Discussion and Awards.
(Collaboration: Publishing Next)
 

Menace
(2025; 42 min; English & Hindi)
Directed by Vishal Bhutani
 

This documentary examines the debate around stray dogs in Delhi–NCR in the wake of the 2025 Supreme Court order. Through perspectives spanning law, veterinary practice, governance, rescue work, and citizen experience, it explores compassion, public safety, and the complexities of humane coexistence.
Post-screening discussion with the director and Ayesha Christina Benn, Founder, Neighbourhood Woof; and Jasmine Damkewala, Advocate-on-Record, moderated by Vineet Bhalla, senior legal correspondent, The Indian Express

Expert Talk and Assessment:

Impact of Air Pollution on health and how Ayurveda can help
This talk explores air pollution and its impact on human physiology through an Ayurvedic lens, explaining how pollutants affect the body, lifestyle-based preventive measures, and Ayurvedic approaches to managing severe conditions such as acute asthma.

By Dr Adarsh T, Consulting Physician, Apollo Ayurvaid Hospitals, with expertise in metabolic disorders, dermatology, male infertility, and integrative Rasayana- and Panchakarma-based care

Followed by expert Ayurved consultation camp where Dr Adarsh T, Consultant Physician and Dr Tinkle Rani, Senior Physician-Apollo Ayurvaid Hospitals will examine patients 
 

 You may register by clicking anywhere on the document attached in the link

 https://aws-static.iicdelhi.in/s3fs-public/2025-12/10%20JAN%20IIC%20Eve…

Book Discussion Group

History of A Tomorrow: The Knowledge Revolution

by Upendra Kachru (White Falcon Publishing, 2025)

Discussants: Prof. Yash Gupta, Plastic Surgeon from London and author of Science in Sanskrit literature; Prashast Kachru, Transdisciplinary Conceptual Interventionist; Dr. A K Merchant, General Secretary of Temple of Understanding India Foundation; Upendra Kachru, Author of the book

Moderator: Veena Baswani, Publishing consultant, Author, Editor
 

The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India 

Speaker: Prof. Robert Ivermee, historian of British and wider European colonialism in South Asia, an Associate Professor at Sciences Po Grenoble – UGA, France. He is the author of Glorious Failure: The Forgotten History of French Imperialism in India (Context, 2026) and a wide range of other publications.

Chair: K.N.Shrivasatava, Director, IIC

Moderator: Zohra Chatterji, IAS (retd.) Former Secretary, Govt of India, scholar, writer and Vice-President, Alliance francaise de Delhi 
For 150 years, from the reign of Louis XIV to the downfall of Napoleon, France was an aggressive imperial power in South Asia. Through their East India company and state, the French established a far-reaching empire in India.This talk will recover and reflect on the largely forgotten history of French imperialism in India. In doing so, it tackles topics like great power rivalry and entrenched inequalities that remain vital and urgent today.
(Collaboration: Alliance Française de Delhi)
 

The Bibek Debroy Memorial Lecture
 

Speaker: Shaktikanta Das, Principal Secretary-2 to the Prime Minister of India. Previously, he was a noted policy maker, has served as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. He was also a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission and India's Sherpa to the G20.

The inaugural Bibek Debroy Memorial Lecture honours the life, work, and legacy of one of India's foremost intellectuals, the Sanskrit scholar, economist, and policy expert, the late Dr. Bibek Debroy (1955-2024).  Awarded the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri for his work, Bibek Debroy's last held position was chair of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. Dr. Debroy wrote and translated more than 100 books including the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. 
 

Salsabil: Photographs and Videos by Saba Hasan 
 

Salsabil presents a meditative selection of photographs and videos by acclaimed artist Saba Hasan, drawn from an international project shaped by her travels and walks through cities, rivers, lakes, and natural landscapes. Through abstract photography and award-winning videos, Hasan explores the ephemeral nature of time, the quiet power of the natural world.

Saba Hasan is a leading contemporary multimedia artist whose works have been exhibited internationally, including at the 55th Venice Biennale, Bilbao Arte Foundation, National Gallery of Art Colombo, and the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, New Delhi.

The exhibition will be inaugurated on 8th January 2026 at 18:30 hrs.

India-Brazil-South Africa: Strengthening Global South Agenda
 

It is not always cliched to say that “you cannot stop an idea whose time has come”. The time for IBSA (India-Brazil-South America) has arrived to strengthen the multipolar world order. The emerging economies including India, Brazil and South Africa are making their presence felt globally but without dictating the agenda and rather being consultative. The recently concluded IBSA Summit in South Africa could not have been timed. The discussion will lay out an agenda for IBSA in the coming years.

Chair: Prof. Sanjay Bhattacharyya, former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and currently Professor of Diplomatic Practice at JSIA and Director, Jindal Global Centre for G20 Studies

Introductory Remarks: Dipanjan Roy Chaudhury, Senior Assistant Editor (Foreign Affairs), The Economic Times 
Discussants: Amb Kenneth H. da Nobrega, Ambassador of Brazil to India; and Amb Dr. Anil Sooklal, South African High Commissioner
 

THE IIC DOUBLE BILL: MUSIC AND DANCE RECITALS

Kathak Recital
By Neelakshi Khandker-Saxena from Delhi, disciple of Pt. Rajendra Gangani    

At 18:30

Odissi Recital
By Krishnendu Saha from Udaipur, disciple of Sharmila Biswas