Ananda: An Exploration of Cannabis in India

By Karan Madhok (Aleph, 2024)

Discussants: Sh. Omair Ahmad, acclaimed novelist and journalist; Dr Khagesh Gautam, Professor, Jindal Global Law School, Sh. Karan Madhok, author of the book

Moderator: Sh. Saurabh Sharma, Freelance Journalist and Culture Critic

The exhibition is a pen-and-ink journey spanning over two decades, capturing Delhi’s grandeur, grit, and timeless chaos alongside Mussoorie’s serene Himalayan charm. From Lutyens’ elegance and Old Delhi’s tangled tales to New Delhi’s urban pulse and Mussoorie’s colonial quietude, each work is drawn from lived experience.

Manoj Kumar is a pen-and-ink artist who captures urban dynamism and natural serenity with precision and depth, drawing on his experience as a former civil servant and IIT Delhi alumnus.

Preview on 19th September at 18:30 hrs

An expert panel debating the policy choices that will shape how India safeguards digital sovereignty in Free Trade Agreements and National Security Strategy

Speakers: Shri Parminder Jeet Singh, Digital Society Researcher and Activist; Dr Ashwani Mahajan, National Convenor, Swadeshi Jagran Manch; Dr. Sasmit Patra, Member of Parliament; Shri Abhishek Bhatt, Secretary General, Bharath Digital Infrastructure Association; and Shri Ashish Sonal, co-Chair, SITARA and CEO, Orkash

Chair: Ambassador Ashok Kantha

Vote of Thanks: Ambassador Smita Purushottam, Chair, SITARA

(Collaboration: SITARA, Bharath Digital Infrastructure Association (BDIA)

Navigating Complexity: The Future of Economic Multilateralism

10:30 to 11:00

Opening Remarks: Amb. (retd.) Gautam Bambawale, Convenor, Asia Economic Dialogue

Welcome Remarks: Amb. Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Keynote Address: Amb. Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, Government of India

11:00 to 12:45

Panel Discussion

Trump’s Tariffs – Wither Global Trade?

Panelists: Dr. Ajit Ranade, Senior Fellow, PIC (Chair); H.E. May-Elin Stener, Ambassador of Norway to India; H.E. Prof. Anil Sooklal, High Commissioner of South Africa; Amb. (retd.) J.S. Deepak, Group Director, International Strategy and Public Policy; and Dr. Amita Batra, Professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.

14:00 to 16:30

Panel Discussion

Reconfiguring Global Supply Chains in a Fragmenting World: Opportunities and Risks

Panelists: Prashant Girbane, Director General, MCCIA, and General Secretary, PIC (Chair); H.E. Lindy Cameron, UK High Commissioner; H.E. ONO Keiichi, Ambassador of Japan; L. Srinivas, Special Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; and Dr. Saon Ray, Professor, ICRIER.

Valedictory Session: Shri BVR Subrahmanyam, CEO, Niti Ayog

Closing Remarks: Maj. Gen. (retd.) Nitin Gadkari, Director PIC

(Collaboration: Pune International Centre)

An Exhibition on Architectural Epigraphy of Kashmir (14th -19th CE)

This exhibition showcases the surviving heritage of architectural epigraphy in Kashmir from the 14th to 19th centuries, tracing its evolution from the Sultanate period to later Afghan and Sikh rule. Featuring inscriptions in Persian, Arabic, and rare Sanskrit, it highlights the region’s rich calligraphic traditions, their cultural significance, and their role in shaping a distinct Persianate landscape. Drawn from a detailed documentation project, the display preserves what remains of this unique fusion of art, language, and architecture.

The detailed documentation, study and translation of architectural epigraphic material in Kashmir was undertaken by Sameer Hamdani, Mehran Qureshi, Tabish Haider Gazi, Umar Farooq, Zoya Mehraj Khan, Ta-Ha Mughal

Preview on 16th September at 18:30 hrs

(90 minutes;2022; English Subtitles)

Directors: Phil Grabsky & Shoaib Sharifi

Winners of Best Documentary at the BAFTA Television Awards, Best Documentary at the Tiburon Film Festival (Golden Reel); Best International Documentary at the DC Independent Film Festival 2022; and Best Feature Documentary at the Titan International Film Festival and Bali International Film Festival 2022

Spanning two decades in the life of one boy—growing up in a cave beside the Bamyan Buddhas—this film journeys through war, hope, and transformation in Afghanistan. My Childhood, My Country is an intimate, soul-stirring portrait of resilience that invites us to reflect on innocence, loss, and the enduring human spirit. A must-see.

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

Democracy’s Heartland: Inside the Battle for Power in South Asia

By S Y Quraishi (Juggernaut, 2025)

Discussants: Amb. Shiv Shankar Menon, Former National Security Advisor and Foreign Secretary (Guest of Honour) ; Prof. Kavita Sharma, Educationist, Former Director IIC, Former President, South Asia University; and Dr S. Y. Quraishi, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India and Author of the Book

Chair: Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC

Moderator: Prof. Pushpesh Pant, Academic, Historian and Food Critic

The Present Colonises our Past : the Future Forsaken

Speaker: Romila Thapar, a pre-eminent historian and Professor Emerita, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Opening Remarks: Suhas Borker, Convener, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Closing Remarks: Dr. Aditya Malik, Member, Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee

Chair: Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, Life Trustee, IIC (tbc*)

(Collaboration: Kapila Vatsyayan Memorial Committee)

Outdoor facility for lunches and dinners for about 300-350 persons.

Event Timing Slots: 12noon - 4pm/ 5pm - 9pm/ 7pm - 11pm

One Event Tariff: Rs.32,450/-

Booking

Members are required to ensure that Booking Guidelines for IIC venues and catering are strictly followed. Appropriate action will be taken in case of any deviation.

Indian Political Theory: Possibilities and Challenges

The Inaugural Session and Panel Discussion

Debating Indian Political Theory: Political Theory in India

Coordinators: Prof. Savita Singh and Manindra Nath Thakur

Discussants: Prof. Rajeev Bhargava, Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Yogendra Yadav, Prof. Gopal Guru, Prof Gurpreet Mahajan

Chair: Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty

Followed by an Open Discussion with the audience

(Collaboration: Association of Creative Theory & Foundation for Creative Social Research; International Herbert Marcuse Society, USA; The Raza Foundation; and Shanti Sahyog)