18:30 - 19:30
Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, India
Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation
Samir Saran, Vice President, Observer Research Foundation
19:30 - 20:00
20:00 - 21:30
S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary, India
Konstantin Kosachev, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council,Russia
Hans Dahlgren, State Secretary for International and EU Affairs to Prime Minister, Sweden
20:00 - 21:30
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will dramatically alter the employer-employee dynamic and usher in the Chrome Age – an era that will be marked by the increasing proliferation of machines, automation and augmented reality. The new status quo may be increas- ingly contractual, as employers reach out to the “human cloud” for labour rather than hire individual employees to work in traditional offices. As with any major technological change, automated labour will render some 20th Century industries redundant and simultaneously create new, productive sectors of the economy. However, this meta- morphosis of employment and of work itself will present unprecedented challenges to policymakers, companies and workers. This panel will explore the implications of the changing nature of the workforce - on regulation, on skilling and on the hiring process.
Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, India
Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20
Yao Zhang, Founder & CEO, Roboterra
Joseph Lubin, Co-Founder, Ethereum and Founder, ConsenSys
Manish Sabharwal, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, TeamLease
Stavros N. Yiannouka, Chief Executive Officer, World Innovation Summit for Education
20:00 - 21:30
Peter Swire, Professor of Law and Ethics, Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology
20:00 - 21:30
The global infrastructure investment needs of the world are USD 6.3 trillion per year over the period 2016-30 to support growth and development, per estimates. India itself requires at least half the estimated amount. At the same forum last year, a great deal of attention was placed on connecting institutional investors with projects that need their capital as well as creating an expanded role for public-private part- nerships. This year’s panel will discuss solutions to capital deficit and will explore how to incentivise institutional investor funds to direct their funds to the emerging markets.
21:30 - 22:00
22:00 - 23:00
In March, Russians will go to the polls to vote for their next president and it appears that President Putin is all but assured of a fourth term. Now, the global community must consider what to expect from the next iteration of Putin. In Europe, it is unclear whether Russia will opt for reconciliation or a hardening of posture. In Asia, regional powers are waiting to see if Putin will seek to establish Russia as an Indo-Pacific Power. And within Russia, citizens are anxious about how the Russian economy will perform under pressure in 2018. This panel will explore Russia’s decisive role in the emerging world order and discuss what we can expect from Putin’s next term.
Alexander Gabuev, Senior Fellow and the Chair of the Russia in the Asia- Pacific Program, Carnegie Moscow Center
Thomas Gomart, Director, IFRI (French Institute of International Relations)
Heather Hurlburt, Director, New Models of Policy Change, New America
Timofei Bordachev, Director, Centre for Comprehensive European and International Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics
Tatiana Seliverstova, Deputy Chairman, Russian Union of Youth
Nandan Unnikrishnan, Vice President & Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
22:00 - 23:00
It is a truism that gender plays an unavoidable role in matters of peace and security. Against this backdrop, this conversation reflects on how men and women are differently targeted and affected by conflict situations; the link between gender inequality, political- ly motivated violence and resultant security politics and conflict resolution mechanisms; why women are underrepresented in leadership positions in academia and policymak- ing; and what objectives implementing a gender bias serves.
Houda Cherif, President, Connecting Group Tunisia
Rachel Rizzo, Research Associate, Transatlantic Security Program, Center for a New American Security
Bi-Khim Hsiao, Senior Adviser, The Prospect Foundation, Taiwan
Li Li, Deputy Director, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania Institute, CICIR
Lucy Shule, Lecturer and Director of Studies, National Defence College, Tanzania
Riina Kaljurand, Research Fellow, International Centre for Defence and Security
Ritika Passi, Project Editor & Associate Fellow, Observer Research Foundation
09:15 - 10:30
As non-state actors increasingly have access to the benefits of sovereignty and statehood, existing conceptions of the threat from terror are challenged. The emerging structure of actors, networks and organisations call for a reimagining of anti-terror tactics. However, the widespread and pervasive nature of radicalisation today complicates this challenge. This panel will explore the threats that such ‘terror-states’ pose and how the international order can respond to the terror groups of a Digital Century.
General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff, India
General Chris Deverell, Joint Forces Commander, U.K.
Husain Haqqani, Senior Fellow and Director for South and Central Asia, Hudson Institute
Vyacheslav Nikonov, Member of the State Duma, Russia
Major General (Retd.) Amos Gilead, Executive Director, Institute for Policy and Strategy IPS), Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya
Virginia Comolli, Senior Fellow for Security & Development, The International Institute for Strategic Studies
10:30 - 11:00
11:00 - 11:30
Plenary Address by Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs, India
Introduction by Sunjoy Joshi, Chairman, Observer Research Foundation, India
11:30 - 12:00
M.J. Akbar, Minister of State External Affairs, India with Zalmay Khalilzad, Former Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations and Counsellor, Center for Strategic and International Studies
12:00 - 12:30
12:30 - 13:30
The Fourth Industrial Revolution will dramatically alter the employer-employee dynamic and usher in the Chrome Age – an era that will be marked by the increasing proliferation of machines, automation and augmented reality. The new status quo may be increas- ingly contractual, as employers reach out to the “human cloud” for labour rather than hire individual employees to work in traditional offices. As with any major technological change, automated labour will render some 20th Century industries redundant and simultaneously create new, productive sectors of the economy. However, this meta- morphosis of employment and of work itself will present unprecedented challenges to policymakers, companies and workers. This panel will explore the implications of the changing nature of the workforce - on regulation, on skilling and on the hiring process.
Smriti Irani, Minister for Textiles and Information and Broadcasting, India
Robin Gorna, Global Co-Lead, SheDecides
Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20
Wendy Ruth Sherman, Senior Counselor, Albright Stonebridge Group
Pascale Fung, Professor, Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Ankhi Das, Director of Public Policy (India, South & Central Asia), Facebook
13:30 - 15:00
13:30 - 15:00
Fostering innovation is increasingly the core of developing countries’ strategies for their economic futures. In a world of smartphones, smart wallets and smart cities, the solutions of the future will be based on innovative and unconventional propositions. Economic growth will be dependent on how countries incubate new ideas and incentivise innovation. Prominent democracies have experienced simultaneous, yet differentiated, innovation trajectories – for example, Israel’s agricultural advances, Japan’s high-end infrastructure programs, America’s Silicon Valley and the Digital India initiative. This panel will explore how an innovation-driven geo-economic strategy can inform foreign policy as well as how countries can form strategic partnerships that energise this process.
Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Commerce and Industry, India
Kenneth Juster, U.S. Ambassador to India
Esther Ndichu, Vice President of Public Affairs, UPS (Indian Subcontinent, Middle East and Africa)
Saad Mohseni, Chairman and CEO, Moby Group
Kavita Gupta, Founding Managing Partner, ConsenSys Ventures
Patrick Kilbride, Vice President (IIP), Global Innovation Policy Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
13:30 - 15:00
Fostering innovation is increasingly the core of developing countries’ strategies for their economic futures. In a world of smartphones, smart wallets and smart cities, the solutions of the future will be based on innovative and unconventional propositions. Economic growth will be dependent on how countries incubate new ideas and incentivise innovation. Prominent democracies have experienced simultaneous, yet differentiated, innovation trajectories – for example, Israel’s agricultural advances, Japan’s high-end infrastructure programs, America’s Silicon Valley and the Digital India initiative. This panel will explore how an innovation-driven geo-economic strategy can inform foreign policy as well as how countries can form strategic partnerships that energise this process.
Ivo Veenkamp, Deputy Executive Director, Hedayah Centre
Brian Fishman, Counterterrorism Policy Manager, Facebook
Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President, Emirates Policy Centre
Alexander Klimburg, Director, The Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace
Fauziya Abdi Ali, President of WIIS Kenya and Chair, Sisters Without Borders
Shiv Sahai, Joint Secretary, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), India
13:30 - 15:00
Interaction with Premdut Koonjoo, Minister of Ocean Econ- omy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Republic of Mauritius
13:30 - 15:00
Across the vast Indo-Pacific – a geography seemingly destined for greater growth and connectivity in the 21st century – lies a vexing paradox: In a region with so much potential, the private capital flows and private sector partnerships fundamental to fund the roughly $25 trillion in vital, regional infrastructure projects throughout the next decade are in short supply. In an era where competition is great and sources of capital seem to be cloistered within states, the region needs to rethink how it leverages private industry and private capital, linking the region with sustainable capital inflows. What will these partnerships look like and how will they more effectively use the operational efficiency that business brings to the table? Will the 21st century’s single greatest development opportunity be realized – or instead will a region with unmet expectations and economic tension prevail?
Rajiv Lall, MD and CEO, IDFC Bank
Sujoy Bose, CEO, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, India
Nisha Biswal, President, US-India Business Council
James Carafano, Vice President for the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, and the E.W. Richardson Fellow, International Centre for Defence and Security
15:00 - 16:00
The 21st Century has witnessed a dramatic shift in the concentration of global power – away from the Pacific-Atlantic and towards the Indo-Pacific. This new balance of power has sig- nificantly altered the economic, political and security landscapes in Indo-Pacific. In response, relevant stakeholders have reassessed their regional strategies, leading to new security partnerships and enhanced economic connectivity. This panel will discuss the new dynamics in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, how countries are responding to the changing geopolitical and security dynamics, as well as new partnerships that may drive regional cooperation.
Christopher Pyne, Minister for Defence Industry, Australia
Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Singapore
Ram Madhav, National General Secretary, BJP and Director, India Foundation
Nadia Schadlow, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Strategy, U.S. National Security Council
C. Raja Mohan, Director, Carnegie India
16:00 - 16:15
16:15 - 17:15
As India’s global profile grows, it will have to take on major responsibilities with regard to monitoring and securing the Indo-Pacific region. This will need India to step up its region- al security capabilities. The Indian government has begun to increasingly focus on an in- digenous defence industry as part of an attempt to become a global defence production hub, create jobs domestically, as well as reduce strategic dependence on the rest of the world. For this strategy to be successful, India will need to emphasize defence innova- tion and form global partnerships. This panel will discuss how India and partners like the United States can cooperate on defence production and innovation and help establish India as a net security provider.
Ajay Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence Production, India
Richard Verma, Vice Chairman, The Asia Group
Jeffrey Colman, Deputy Director, Policy and Government Affairs, AIPAC
Cara Abercrombie, Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Vice Admiral Bernard J McCullough (USN, Retd), Vice President - International Business Development, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems
Ashok Malik, Press Secretary to the President of India
17:15 - 18:15
As political and economic power is rapidly shifting towards Asia’s growing economies, the international order is being called into question. In fact, “global” values of democracy and free markets are increasingly under pressure evenin the West. While the economic advantages of Asia’s rise for the global system are clear, the effect of these expanding economies on the values underpinning global order is less certain. This panel will discuss the dynamics of the new global order and examine if the fundamentals ofliberalism and democracy can survive the Asian Century.
Stephen Harper, Former Prime Minister, Canada
James Carafano, Vice President, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, The Heritage Foundation
Igor Morgulov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Ina Lepel, Director-General on Asia and the Pacific, Federal Foreign Office, Germany
Theresa Fallon, Director, Centre for Russia Europe Asia Studies
Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, India
17:15 - 18:15
The G20 has for the first time ever made health a priority for action and a major topic for discussion. The Berlin Declaration of May 2017, issued by Chancellor Angela Merkel along with G20 health ministers, pledged for greater global cooperation on health. The agenda this year has focused on global health crisis management, strengthening health systems and tackling a transnational problem of antimicrobial resistance. The G20 will now face questions on how it can improve its commitment to health and go beyond last year’s mandate. This roundtable will explore how this expansion of G20 action can be made a reality and the areas of cooperation that will open up for this group during the 2018.
Andreas Schaal, Director, OECD Global Relations and OECD G20 Sous Sherpa
Helen Rees, Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute
F. Gray Handley, Associate Director, International Research Affairs, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Elena Dmitrieva, Director of Russian NGO Health and Development Foundation Wulf Reiners, Head, Managing Global Governance Programme, German Development Institute
Shamika Ravi, Senior Fellow, Brookings India
18:15 - 18:30
18:30 - 19:45
Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, India
18:30 - 19:45
The European Union is still dealing with the fallout of the 2008 financial crisis, which shook the core economic assumptions that underlay the Union. The fault-lines within European society too have been on full display following the rise of ISIS – terror attacks in France and Belgium have complicated the discussion about European values. This uncertainty has only been intensified by the popularity of nationalist, right wing governments in major European countries. The panel will discuss how EU members must respond to the growing Euro-scepticism, including in the context of Brexit.
Marek Magierowski, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
Pedro Serrano, Deputy Secretary General, European External Action Service
Charles Powell, Director, Elcano Royal Institute
Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister, Sweden
Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs, Chairman of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defence Policy and Research Director of the Valdai International Discussion Club
Geoffrey Van Orden, Member of the European Parliament for the East of England
Serena A. Chaudhry, TV News Producer, Reuters
19:45 - 20:15
For centuries, the Peace of Westphalia has been the basis for diplomatic and sovereign engagement between nation-states. Today, however, global conversations are re-cen- tring themselves - major cities as the hubs of technological innovation, social mobility and high economic growth, are challenging the primacy of the nation-state. They are increasingly pursuing independent global strategies and bypassing traditional foreign policy mechanisms. This panel will explore the role that such cities can play in scripting new paradigms for governance, finding new paths to cooperation and setting the agenda for international relations and the discourse of the future.
Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs, India
Daniel Andrews, Premier of Victoria, Australia
Nisha Desai Biswal, President, USIBC
20:15 - 20:30
20:30 - 22:00
Age-old power dynamics are shifting. Developing countries that played only a marginal role in establishing the global governance structure now have a seat at the high table. New institutions like BRICS and the G20 have arisen that give voice to these young economic powerhouses. This panel will discuss the role of these new organizations in the world order; specifically, it will explore how they can work towards a consensus around new norms that reflect the economic and social realities of the 21st Century.
Anil Sooklal, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa
Gustavo Martinez, Managing Director, Consejo Argentino para las Relaciones Internacionales
Dawisson Lopes, Professor of International and Comparative Politics, The Federal University of Minas Gerais
Gabriela Ramos, OECD Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20
Akshay Mathur, Director, Research and Analysis, Gateway House
20:30 - 22:00
As a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law has become a driving strategic concept, developing and emerging countries have demonstrated an insatiable appetite for investments, infrastructure and trade opportunities. In recognition of these imperatives, regional stakeholders are acknowledging the need to enhance connectivity and strengthen maritime cooperation. This panel will discuss how liberal democracies such as India, Japan and ASEAN can work together in the region to establish a rules-based order, and catalyse sustainable investment and infrastructure projects.
Kentaro Sonoura, Advisor to the Prime Minister (National Security), Japan Serge Segura, Ambassador for the Oceans, France
Shafiah Fifi Muhibat, Head of Department of International Relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Tsutomu Kikuchi, Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University
Ram Madhav, National General Secretary, BJP and Director, India Foundation
Kelly Magsamen, Vice President, National Security and International Policy, Centre for American Progress
Smita Prakash, Editor, ANI News
20:30 - 22:00
Book Discussion with Alyssa Ayres, Author of “Our Time has Come: How India is Making its Place in the World”
S. Paul Kapur, Professor, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School
Harsh V. Pant, Distinguished Fellow and Head, Strategic Studies Programme, Observer Research Foundation
20:30 - 22:00
22:00 - 22:30
22:30 - 23:30
A key clause in the 2015 Paris Agreement guaranteed the annual flow of $100 billion for low carbon transition to the developing world. Flows may in fact be half of the pledged amount. The developing world’s ability to conform to the Paris Accords will depend crucially upon the ability to mobilise funds. What are the barriers to increasing the cross-border financing of the fight against climate change? Have international banking regulations, black box rating methodologies and a lack of investor capacity made the problem worse? This panel will discuss the causes and consequences of inadequate climate funding to the developing world and examine alternative ways to energise private capital to ensure the Paris targets are reached.
Guy-Cedric Werlings, Country Representative, International Solar Alliance
Sean Kidney, CEO, Climate Bonds Initiative
Sanjeev Sanyal, Principal Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance, India
Cleo Paskal, Associate Fellow in the Energy, Environment and Resources Department, Chatham House
Sumant Sinha, CEO, ReNew Power
Shikha Bhasin, Programme Lead- Technology, Trade and Finance, Council on Energy, Environment & Water
22:30 - 23:30
Across the world, the rise of nationalist politics has placed the institutions and frameworks of the 20th Century under strain. The youth has, in part, been responsible for rising sentiments of nationalism and protectionism – nationalist rhetoric has young spokespersons, radicalisation has young volunteers and right- wing propaganda has a young audience. This panel will discuss how the youth can work to ensure that they inherit a world order where the core values of liberalism remain intact. Specifically, it will explore how young leaders in the foreign policy, security and academic communities can play an integral role in this endeavour.
Matthew Rojansky, Director, Kennan Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Julie B. Sheetz, Global Force Planner, Office of the Secretary of Defense, United States
Elena Lazarou, Senior Policy Analyst, European Parliamentary Research Service
Marian Vidaurri, Section Chief, Political Analysis, Organization of American States
Tanvi Madan, Director, India Project, Brookings Institution
Asle Toje, Director of Research, Nobel Peace Prize Research and Information, The Norwegian Nobel Institute