• 23 years since the first ICH, in 2004
  • 800+ speakers hosted at Harvard
  • 1000+ attendees last year
  • 25+ curated panels every year

Since 2004, ICH has brought leaders, changemakers, and students together.

Our 2027 theme · Realizing India’s Aspirations

Steering India’s growth momentum towards progress for all.

To spark honest conversations on India’s geopolitical, economic, and social transition and catalyze action through collaborations between stakeholders: students, audience, and speakers.

We bring together voices from across identities of India and the diaspora to explore how the country’s unconquered spirit and capabilities are helping answer the world’s hardest questions.

The hardest questions

  1. Climate change
  2. Urban development
  3. Public health
  4. Social mobility
  5. Equitable technology
  6. Geopolitical stability

Who has stood on this stage

Founders, investors, policymakers, and global leaders

A few of the 800+ speakers ICH has hosted, from the 2025 and 2026 editions. The 2027 lineup is announced in stages.

Also on this stage

  • Azim Premji
  • Nitin Gadkari
  • R. Madhavan
  • Piyush Goyal
  • Ashish Chauhan
  • Radhika Gupta
  • P. Chidambaram
  • Aroon Purie
  • Rohit Jawa
  • Adwaita Nayar
  • Harish Salve
  • Ananya Birla
  • Vinod Rai
  • Deedy Das
  • Nandita Sinha
  • Rajat Sharma
  • Kitty Agarwal
  • Chef Vijay Kumar
  • Ani Sanyal
  • Nikhil Taneja

Last year · 23rd edition · 14–15 February 2026

The India We Imagine

Two days at Harvard: 105 speakers across 30+ sessions, and more than 1,000 people in the room.

A large group gathered on stage beneath a screen reading The India We Imagine
The India We Imagine: the 23rd edition on its main stage
A packed, tiered auditorium facing a two-person conversation on stage
A full house for The Fabric of Influence, with Sabyasachi Mukherjee
Two speakers in armchairs on stage, the Indian flag behind them
Dr. Shashi Tharoor in conversation
Panellists at a long table beneath a screen showing the session title
India at the Fault Lines of a Changing World
A founder at a podium pitching to a seated audience beneath a large screen
The Startup Pitch Competition final

From the 2026 programme

  • Keynote

    India’s democratic vision and its place in the world

    Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament

  • Fireside chat

    Identity, ambition and a global India

    Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Actor & Producer

  • Panel

    India at the Fault Lines of a Changing World

  • Panel

    At the Frontier of Possibility: Deep Technology

    With Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria (Retd), former Chief of the Air Staff

  • Panel

    The making of India’s sports ecosystem

    PV Sindhu with Satyam Trivedi, CEO, GMR Sports

  • Policy Hackathon

    Climate and sustainability challenges set by state governments

    Briefs from Jammu & Kashmir and Chhattisgarh, with GDi Partners

The programme

Two days, eight tracks, eight ways to take part

ICH 2027 explores the complexities and possibilities shaping India’s future. Every session sits in one track and uses one format.

  • 01

    Business & Capital

    Who funds India’s growth and who it reaches.

  • 02

    Entrepreneurship, Tech & Innovation

    From metros to small towns.

  • 03

    Government & Leadership

    In the world’s most diverse democracy.

  • 04

    National Security & Geopolitics

    India’s place in a shifting world order.

  • 05

    Sustainability & Infrastructure

    Building for a billion and a warming planet.

  • 06

    Health, Equity & Human Development

    Progress measured in lives, not only in growth.

  • 07

    Culture, Art & Expression

    Voices between the margins and the mainstream.

  • 08

    Sports & Entertainment

    The industries that move a billion people.

Session formats, from keynote to mentorship hours

Plenary Keynote
Full-delegation address by a marquee leader. Vision-setting.
Action Panel
Multi-expert debate on one sector. Trade-offs and direction.
Startup Pitch
Live venture competition before a VC jury.
Policy Hackathon
Applied policy sprint on real governance bottlenecks.
Learning Circle
Small-group, off-the-record peer roundtable.
Workshop / Masterclass
Instructor-led capability building. Frameworks and playbooks.
AMA
Script-free, question-driven interview with a marquee leader.
Mentorship Hours
1:1 or small-pod advisory with speakers and operators.

Compete and create

Three ways onto the stage without a speaking invitation

Startup Pitch

Startup Pitch Competition

Founders pitch to industry leaders, mentors, and investors before a VC jury. Capital access, venture validation, a commercial launchpad.

  • 200+ applications
  • 7 finalists selected
  • Raised from Lightspeed, Peak XV, Titan Capital

Applications coming soon

Policy Hackathon

Policy Hackathon

Teams deliver evidence-based solutions to key issues facing India. Academic theory, translated into feasible action.

Applications coming soon

Art + Culture Showcase

Art + Culture Showcase

Exhibitions and experiences of contemporary and traditional arts, across the conference.

Submissions coming soon

Who’s in the room

Present and future leaders, united by an interest in India

  • %University students from Harvard, MIT, and other schools
  • %Business professionals from consulting, tech, finance, media, and other fields
  • %Leaders from government, academia, social impact, and culture

Block size shows each group’s share of attendees. 1000+ came last year.

Reach and press

combined following of speakers who repost ICH, led by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nita Ambani and Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Covered by leading media

  • Shashi Tharoor & Priyanka Chopra: Harvard reunion
  • Nita Ambani at the India Conference at Harvard
  • Priyanka’s message on identity, ambition & global India

Partners

Backed by the companies building India

  • Tata
  • Godrej
  • Hindustan Unilever
  • Kotak
  • JSW
  • Piramal
  • Accel
  • Info Edge
  • Hotstar
  • Rakuten
  • Zydus
  • Indiaspora