China’s Grand Strategy: India’s Long-Term Response in an Asymmetric Strategic Environment

Chair: Amb. Shivshankar Menon, former NSA and Foreign Secretary

Discussants: Rear Admiral K. Raja Menon (Retd.), former Indian Navy. Author and Expert on Maritime and Nuclear Strategy, and on defining Emerging Geostrategic Scenarios; Amb. Ashok Kantha, former Indian Ambassador to China and former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor of Chinese Studies, Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Dean, School of International Studies.

The discussion examines the concept of grand strategy in circumstances where war is not the preferred instrument of national policy. Drawing upon official Chinese documents and strategic writings, it explores the long-term objectives that underpin China’s grand strategy and assesses their implications for India.
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

Design your thinking
By Pavan Soni (‎Penguin Portfolio, 2020)

Discussants: Manjima Misra, Educator, Author, and Literary Commentator; Dr. Pavan Soni, Author of the book

Life and Legacy of Kazi Nazrul Islam

Chair: Dr Mujibur Rehman, faculty, Jamia Millia Central University, New Delhi

Discussants: Ashok Vajpeyi, Hindi poet-critic and art lover; Prof. Amitava Chakraborty, Prof of Bengali and Comparative Indian Literature, Department of Indian Languages and Literary Studies, DU; Dr. Gautam Choubey, academic, novelist and the host of Likhawat

Discussion will be followed by a musical presentation of Nazrul Sangeet at 19:00 hrs

Performers: Bidisha Roy Das, semi-classical artist and renowned Nazrul Sangeet performer, disciple of Late Smt Meera Deshpande (Gwalior Gharana) and Prabir Mazumdar, classical vocalist, disciple of Late Amal Kanti Roy and Pt Ajoy Chakraborty

A tribute to Kazi Nazrul Islam, one of the foremost literary and musical voices of the Indian subcontinent, whose poetry and songs continue to inspire generations with their message of compassion, resistance to oppression and harmony across faiths.

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)
 

A Symphony of Discordant Notes: Navigating Evolving Technologies, Copyright Law, and Age-Old Indian Music

Moderator: Saikrishna Rajagopal, Managing Partner, Saikrishna & Associates

Discussants: Justice (Dr.) S. Muralidhar, Former Chief Justice (Orissa High Court) and Sr. Counsel, Supreme Court of India; Swathi Sukumar, Sr. Counsel, Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India; Neel Mason, Counsel, Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India; Adarsh Ramanujan, Counsel, Delhi High Court and Supreme Court of India; Gayatri Balasubramanian, Indian Carnatic Vocalist & Padma Shri Awardee, 2026 (on-line)

This session fosters a cross-disciplinary dialogue involving Indian music and legal experts to deconstruct the friction between modern studio practices and the demands of the evolving copyright framework. The panel will attempt to identify, simplify, and possibly solve the complexities of copyright law when dealing with the uniqueness and centuries-old heritage of Indian music.

(Collaboration: Saikrishna & Associates)
 

ART MATTERS

Protest and the Arts

Discussants: Ananya Vajpeyi, Veer Munshi, Aditi Mangaldas (TBC)
 

(Collaboration: Raza Foundation)

Decoding Bangladesh

Inaugural Remarks: Anindita Ghoshal, Professor of History at Diamond Harbour Women’s University, Kolkata

Moderator: Rajarshi Dasgupta, Assistant Professor, Centre for Political Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Discussants: Smruti Pattanaik, Research Fellow, MP-IDSA; Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS); Subhajyoti Ghosh, Senior Journalist and head, BBC Bangla

The discussion covers a long period in the prehistory and evolution of Bangladesh, from the 1947 partition of India to present times. Examining the country’s evolution through the lenses of political transitions, institutional change, democratic aspirations, economic reforms, governance challenges, and rising radicalism. Exploring how socio-economic realities continue to shape Bangladesh's political trajectory and regional geopolitics

(Collaboration: @Crossroads)
 

18TH GIRI DESHINGKAR MEMORIAL LECTURE
Was Nehru an Englishman?

Speaker: Professor Madhavan K. Palat, distinguished historian and former Professor at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU

The speaker explores the debates surrounding Jawaharlal Nehru's cultural and political identity, examining how perceptions of him reflected wider geopolitical strategies in the postcolonial world. The lecture considers Nehru's response through his vision of nationalism, internationalism and cosmopolitanism, and how these shaped his idea of a free India.

This lecture series is a tribute to the work and contributions of Prof. Giri Deshingkar, an eminent social scientist, China scholar and one of the founders of the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), and former Director of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS)

(Collaboration: Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS); Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS)

IIC/MEDIA DIALOGUES
Easy to Launch, Difficult to Sustain? The Future of Independent Digital Media

Moderator: Shuma Raha, Journalist. Author

Discussants: Ritu Kapur, Co-founder & Managing Director, The Quint; Ashutosh, Co-founder, Satya Hindi; M.K. Venu, Founding Editor, The Wire; Rahul Kotiyal, Founder Editor, Baramasa.in

(Collaboration: The Media Foundation)

IIC MONSOON FESTIVAL OF MUSIC

Hindustani Vocal Recital 
By Siddharth Sahai from Delhi, disciple of Guru Sanjeev Jha
Accompanist: Roman Das (Pakhawaj)

Dhrupad Bandhu 
By Sanjeev Jha and Manish Kumar from Bihar, disciple of Gundecha Brothers.
Accompanists: Pandit Dalchand Sharma (Pakhawaj)

IIC MONSOON FESTIVAL OF DANCE: 20 & 21 AUGUST 2026

Odissi Recital
By Geetanjali Acharya from Gurugram, disciple of Late Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra & Guru Sujata Mohapatra

At 19:00

Bharatanatyam Recital
By Apeksha Kamath from Bangalore, disciple of Acharya Smt. Indira Kadambi