• 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 theme for the 24th edition

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

The 2027 lineup is announced in stages. Until then, a sample of who has spoken at ICH in 2025 and 2026.

A sample of who has spoken, 2025 and 2026

  • Business & Capital

    Nita AmbaniFounder Chairperson, Reliance Foundation

    Ajay BangaPresident, World Bank Group

    • Azim Premji
    • Rohit Jawa
    • Radhika Gupta
    • Nandita Sinha
    • Ananya Birla

  • Markets & Enterprise

    Kiran Mazumdar-ShawFounder & Exec. Chairperson, Biocon

    Madhabi Puri BuchChairperson, SEBI

    • Ashish Chauhan
    • Adwaita Nayar
    • Deedy Das
    • Kitty Agarwal
    • Ani Sanyal

  • Government & Policy

    Amartya SenNobel Laureate, Economist

    Dr. Shashi TharoorMember of Parliament & Author

    • Nitin Gadkari
    • Piyush Goyal
    • P. Chidambaram
    • Vinod Rai
    • Harish Salve

  • Culture & Media

    Priyanka Chopra JonasActor & Producer

    Sabyasachi MukherjeeFashion Designer

    • R. Madhavan
    • Aroon Purie
    • Rajat Sharma
    • Chef Vijay Kumar
    • Nikhil Taneja

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 India’s builders and Harvard’s centres

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

Academic partners at Harvard University

  • Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
  • Women and Public Policy Program
  • Center for Public Leadership
  • Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation