The inaugural edition of the India

ANANTA Center 6 February 2026

The inaugural edition of the India–EU Forum is being convened by the Ananta Centre in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, India. It will be held on 6–7 February 2026 in New Delhi. The India–EU partnership stands at a pivotal moment.

As two of the world’s largest democratic and economic actors, India and the EU bring complementary strengths to an increasingly complex global landscape. Together, they are shaping pathways for resilient supply chains, sustainable growth, and secure digital futures. From innovation ecosystems to climate action, maritime security, and critical technologies, the partnership is unlocking new opportunities for governments, industry, and citizens. The India–EU Forum offers a timely platform to build on this momentum, encourage fresh ideas, and chart the next phase of a strategic relationship essential for regional and global stability.

Participation: The Forum is held under the Chatham House Rule. Participation is by invitation only, with attendees drawn from senior leadership across government, industry, academia, and policy.

AGENDA

8:45 hrs · All delegates are requested to convene at the Chanakya Hall, Second Floor, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan

9:00 – 9:05

Welcome Remarks

Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ananta Centre; Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group

9:05 – 9:10

Recorded Remarks

Jozef Síkela, European Commissioner for International Partnerships

9:10 – 10:10

Inaugural Session: India and the EU: A Strategic Course for the Next Decade

S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India

Moderator: Indrani Bagchi, Chief Executive Officer, Ananta Centre

10:10 – 11:30

Session 2: Theatres of Contestation: How Strategic Challenges Determine our Response to the World

How shifts across key theatres of contestation determine strategy, risk, and response

Alexander Schallenberg, Former Federal Minister for European and International Affairs & Former Chancellor of Austria
Bilahari Kausikan, Former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore
Michael Pettis, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Laimonas Talat-Kelpša, Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania
C. Raja Mohan, Columnist and Visiting Professor, National University of Singapore
Freddy Svane, Former Danish Ambassador to India and Japan

Moderator: Arun K Singh, Former Indian Ambassador to the United States, France, and Israel

11:30 – 11:45 · Coffee Break

11:45 – 13:00

Session 3: After the FTA: Leveraging the India-EU Trade & Investment Architecture

With the completion of the FTA, looking forward to increasing bilateral investments, enhanced economic security, and trade in key sectors

Keynote Speaker: Rajesh Agrawal, Commerce Secretary, Government of India

Sanjiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv, India
Hervé Delphin, Ambassador, Delegation of European Union to India
Nilesh Shah, Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited
Piet De Munter, Chief Executive Officer, Flanders Investment & Trade
Ananth Narayan, Former Member, Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
Saugata Bhattacharya, Member of Monetary Policy Committee, Reserve Bank of India
Diwakar Mittal, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs, Novo Nordisk

Moderator: Govindraj Ethiraj, Editor, The Core

13:00 – 13:45 · Please join us for lunch at Shakuntalam and Nalanda Hall, Ground Floor, Sushma Swaraj Bhawan

14:00 – 14:20

Session 4

Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director (MD), Airbus India and South Asia in conversation with Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, India Practice Head, Eurasia Group

14:30 – 15:30

Session 5: Defending Homelands: Future Wars and Security Threats

Both India and the EU are facing increasingly challenging geopolitical environments even as the nature of warfare is changing rapidly, this session will explore shaping current and future conflicts and underscoring the need for enhanced military readiness.

Keynote Speaker: Oliver Burkhard, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, TKMS GmbH

Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski, Secretary of State, Poland
Air Chief Mshl NAK Browne, Former CAS and Ambassador to Norway and Director, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. India
Andrea Margelletti, Advisor to Minister of Defence, Italy & President of CeSI
Kristi Raik, Director, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Lt Gen Raj Shukla, Member, Union Public Service Commission; Former General Officer, Commanding-in-Chief, Army Training Command
Vinayak Dalmia, Founder & Managing Director of Bharat Semi & 3rdiTech
Roberto Pierdominici, Managing Director, Leonardo India

Moderator: Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, India Practice Head, Eurasia Group

15:30 – 16:15

Session 6: Talent Contest: Mobility, Skills, and the New Global Workforce

Redefining mobility as a pathway to work rather than citizenship

Arnab Bhattacharya, Chief Executive Officer, GATI Foundation
Lohit Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer, Quess Corp Limited
Constantino Xavier, Senior Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP)

Moderator: Henrik Chetan Aspengren, Acting Head of the Asia Programme, Swedish Institute of International Affairs

16:15 – 16:30 · Coffee break

16:30 – 17:30

Session 7: Is a Euro-Indo-Pacific Too Much?

Discussing India–EU Engagement in the Indo-Pacific. How China shapes trade, supply chains, security, and connectivity —and what this means for India–EU cooperation

Keynote Speaker: Sibi George, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India

Gunnar Wiegand, former Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific, EEAS (2016-2023)
Happymon Jacob, Founder, Council for Strategic and Defence Research (CSDR)
Agatha Kratz, Partner, Rhodium Group
Jamil Anderlini, Regional Director – Europe, POLITICO
Nicolas Kyriakides, Executive President, Cyprus Forum

Moderator: Amaia Sánchez-Cacicedo, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Asia Program, Institut Montaigne

17:30 – 18:15

Session 8

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry of India in Conversation with Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ananta Centre; Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group

19:00 – 21:30 · Dinner and Reception
By invitation only

All Section

ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ

The inaugural edition of the India–EU Forum