IGF to spotlight UK-India ties as bridge between polls in both countries

The annual India Global Forum (IGF) in London is set to spotlight UK-India strategic ties bridged between general elections in both countries next month, with a line up of senior ministers, entrepreneurs and analysts weighing up the future trajectory of bilateral ties under newly elected governments.

IGF London, confirmed this week to be held between June 24 and 28, will cover the full spectrum of the partnership including the course of the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations. The India-UK FTA talks began in January 2022 and are now stalled in the fourteenth round of talks as both countries stepped into their general election cycles this year.

Regardless of which governments come to power, a series of opportunities, and certainly challenges, await them; that's why IGF London 2024 is set to be a crucial event in the diary, serving as a major economic and geopolitical stocktake, offering vital insights and informing the strategic direction for any new administration, said Manoj Ladwa, Founder and Chairman of UK-headquartered strategic events platform India Global Forum.
 

As the world looks to India and vice versa, IGF London will be instrumental in shaping perspectives and strategies on both sides. It will not only analyse the current geopolitical climate but also create the essential pathways for collaborations and innovations, far into the future, he said.

The week-long event now in its sixth year, addressed by both British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Opposition Leader Keir Starmer in the past, will look ahead to the UK general election on July 4 and analyse the results of the Indian elections out on June 4.

It is conceived as a platform for evaluating and course-setting for future UK-India relations and review the progress of the 2030 Roadmap, with thousands of high-level speakers and participants across 15 events at iconic venues in London and nearby in Windsor. IGF London will culminate in the annual UK-India Awards, which celebrate individuals and organisations driving the bilateral partnership forward.