The Darbar Festival is back, from 24 Oct-1 Nov in London. Now in its 21st edition, this five-day festival of Indian classical music brings together leading artists, late-night performances and a programme of talks and participatory events across our centre. Scroll down for more.

Member Amit Puri says HMRC has scrapped its Dishonest Conduct regime and replaced it with the new Sanctionable Conduct regime for tax advisers, from April 2026. This gives HMRC new powers to tackle UK Tax Advisers failing in their duties. The threshold for arguing misconduct is lower, yet penalties for failures are higher. HMRC can access tax advisers’ information, and publicly name and shame them. Read the article here.

Rita Kakati-Shah presented last week at the 48th European Higher Education Society Annual Forum, in Vilnius in Lithuania on Cultivating Trustworthy Leadership in Indian Higher Education: Cross-cultural, Practice-Based Multi-Institutional Programme Design, sharing findings from her work in Assam, and exploring the potential of cross-cultural, practice-based learning to develop leadership capabilities.

Non-profit trusteeship opportunity: Are you a qualified or part-qualified accountant keen to get some real-world experience? Are you passionate about giving back to society? Would you like to help an organisation that saves the sight of thousands of people in Asia and Africa, giving them dignity, purpose and the means to a livelihood?

If "Yes", then check out the volunteer bookkeeper role for Operation Eyesight UK. Find out more on our Member Narmada Guruswamy’s LinkedIn here.

India has made tremendous advances in the Global Innovation Index in recent years, rising from 81st position (2015) to 38th (2025). It now ranks 1st among Central and South Asia states and all lower-middle-income countries.

But India’s funding for R&D has stagnated - gross expenditure on R&D averaged just 0.65% of GDP over the last decade, the same level as Greenland, Argentina, Morocco and Namibia (by comparison, Pakistan is 0.16%, China 2.58%, UK 2.68%, United States 3.45%). The Indian government’s own numbers are a little more generous. Only a third of this is from the private sector.

So when the government’s announces a ₹1 lakh crore (£7.7bn) Research, Development and Innovation Fund (RDIF) to promote R&D in the private sector, it’s welcomed. But then, if those funds mostly get channelled to companies run by the gatekeepers of those funds, questions are asked. This week’s Substack by Tom Jillians explores this further.

About Artium Academy

At Artium Academy, technology meets world-class music education through personalised LIVE 1:1 online classes, industry-led mentorship, and an internationally aligned curriculum. Recognised by TIME Magazine & Statista as one of the Top 350 EdTech Companies in the World, Artium is the only music education institution on the list offering this format of learning at scale, and is today one of the preferred destinations for music learning for Indians worldwide.

Under the patronage of legends like Sonu Nigam, K. S. Chithra, Shubha Mudgal, and Aruna Sairam, learners gain access to exclusive masterclasses, weekly global showcases, artist development initiatives, and flagship IPs like Artium Unmute, Artium Superstar, Artium Originals, and many more.

Today, Artium powers a thriving community of 43,000+ learners globally with the support of 400+ educators and 1000+ classes conducted every day.

Visit artiumacademy.com to book your free trial class and begin your musical journey.

Become a Member

Like what you see? Check out our Membership options.

Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

Don’t forget, our Corporate Member NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download here to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details soon

***Last chance*** Threads of Imagination: A ‘string art’ gathering (11am, Fri 4 Sept, Covent Garden)

Whether you’re a curious first-timer or a seasoned string artist, this hands-on workshop invites you to weave patterns, explore texture, and watch simple pins and threads transform into stunning geometric art. Your ticket includes complimentary vegetarian food and all the materials you’ll need.

Where: Keep Chaating, 63 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PJ

Who: Max eight participants

Tickets: Tickets £40 (discounts for BI Members) | Click here

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept)

550 guests. A net worth of over £35bn in the room. This is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Tickets: Click here

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner (6pm, Fri 23 Oct)

A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi. In partnership with Network Tree.

When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close

Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)

Dress code: Formal attire or ethnic wear encouraged

Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £100 Non-Members | Details here

Darbar Festival (24 Oct-1 Nov, Barbican Centre)

Darbar aims to celebrate the distinct strands of the Indian classical tradition in all their breadth and depth. And while we honour the masters who have shaped this tradition across generations, we have this year taken a deliberate, considered risk: to bring before some of the world’s most distinguished stages artists who are, for many audiences here, entirely unknown. Artists who are extraordinary. Artists who deserve to be heard.

When: 24 Oct - 1 Nov

Where: The Barbican Centre and elsewhere

How to book: Click here

Policy Watch: India’s R&D push hits conflicts of interest roadblocks

The RDIF is the flagship initiative of the Department of Science and Technology aimed at closing the R&D gap. It aims to encourage greater private sector involvement and promote strategic technologies vital for national development. The first year has Rs 20,000 crore allocated (£1.5bn).

Barriers to effective spending

Several structural obstacles have consistently weakened India’s R&D ecosystem, and the key policy question is whether the current institutional framework can translate higher spending into real impact.

Indian R&D funding has previously been highly concentrated, with 54% of its previous expenditure being channelled into just four organisations:

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (30.7%)

• Department of Space (18.4%)

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (12.4%)

• Department of Atomic Energy (11.4%)

Universities receive disproportionately small shares. Consequentially, Indian universities have struggled to keep pace, contributing to persistent challenges in producing pioneering research, cultivating national talent-pools, and stemming brain drain.

(Sidebar: A meme-fest ensued when, at India’s flagship AI Summit, Galgotias University claimed they had invented a robodog as an example of their exceptional R&D which, in fact, they had bought from China. Their academics were fact-checked by their own students.)

India’s historic reliance on public funding has also fostered a risk-averse innovation culture. Funding is largely state-backed and bureaucratically allocated; decision makers are incentivised to prioritise predictable, low-risk projects over experimental research where outcomes are uncertain. By aiming to minimise the risk of failure, potentially transformative advancements are missed.

Collectively, these structural bottlenecks have resulted in the repeated under-utilisation of R&D budgets. In 2022-23, the Department Of Biotechnology utilised 72% of its allocated budget, while the Department of Science and Technology used just 61%.

The conflicts of interest

In theory, the RDI Fund, offers to remedy some of these issues by giving the private sector greater leverage within India’s R&D ecosystem.

But an Indian Express investigation showed that 62% of the funding approved (₹2,192 crore, or £168m) went to 22 companies selected out of 124 applicants, but that 15 of these have ties to seven members out of the 12 in the investment committee. Specifically, the Chair of the Committee Dr Saurabh Srivastava (Former Chairman, NASSCOM) got investment into eight companies he has ties to and K.R.S. Jamwal (Executive Director, Tata Industries) seven of them.

The Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh said in a response to a Rajya Sabha question:

The recalibration

The government also outlined it had a “comprehensive and robust” conflict-of-interest policy is firmly in place. TDB Secretary Rajesh Kumar Pathak rejected any possibility of impropriety, stating that members who declare a conflict of interest “neither participate in discussions nor vote on the concerned proposal.”

He has since conceded that occasional conflicts of interest are “unavoidable”.

There does appear to have been implicit recognition of the potential reputational damage incurred. Of the 13 projects recommended for funding in the RDIF’s second cohort, only one had a connection to an investment committee member, suggesting that the scrutiny surrounding the first cohort may already be encouraging greater caution.

Tom Jillians is interning at Bridge India. He is a Politics and International Relations graduate from the University of Bristol, where he specialised in South Asian diplomatic relations. He worked at the Bangalore International Centre in Bengaluru, where he launched its ‘Forum’ focus group series. His interests centre on Kashmir and wider issues concerning India–Pakistan relations.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear all,

The Darbar Festival is back, from 24 Oct-1 Nov in London. Now in its 21st edition, this five-day festival of Indian classical music brings together leading artists, late-night performances and a programme of talks and participatory events across our centre. Scroll down for more.

Scroll down also for details of a jugalbandi of sitar and sarod, joined tabla and cello, on the evening of Fri 4 September; and a morning where string art, geometry and Gujarati food meet, on the same day.

Welcome to our newest Member Swati Bargale, director of QualitySolutions Ltd, a freight forwarding company based near London Heathrow. They are dedicated to providing top-notch shipping services. If you have any shipping requirements or simply want to explore possibilities, please reply to this email and we’ll connect you to her.

Non-profit trusteeship opportunity: Are you a qualified or part-qualified accountant keen to get some real-world experience? Are you passionate about giving back to society? Would you like to help an organisation that saves the sight of thousands of people in Asia and Africa, giving them dignity, purpose and the means to a livelihood?

If "Yes", then check out the volunteer bookkeeper role for Operation Eyesight UK. Find out more on our Member Narmada Guruswamy’s LinkedIn here.

This week’s Substack is by our intern Tom Jillians, about a specific area in the UK-India and Europe-India free trade agreements, which may make Europe a little less interesting for some Indian exporters.

In the UK-India CETA, Chapter 21 deals with the environmental protections. It says “The Parties recognise the sovereign right of each Party to establish its own levels of environmental protection and priorities”. It does not oblige the two countries to harmonise their environmental standards. It also says that if the laws get in the way of doing business, there might be some discretion applied:

But for exporting into the EU, Indian companies must demonstrate that their products do not originate from land deforested or degraded after 31 December 2020. The burden of proof lies on the Indian business, meaning more paperwork. Scroll down for more.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download here to get £20 off your first transfer.

About Artium Academy

At Artium Academy, technology meets world-class music education through personalised LIVE 1:1 online classes, industry-led mentorship, and an internationally aligned curriculum. Recognised by TIME Magazine & Statista as one of the Top 350 EdTech Companies in the World, Artium is the only music education institution on the list offering this format of learning at scale, and is today one of the preferred destinations for music learning for Indians worldwide.

Under the patronage of legends like Sonu Nigam, K. S. Chithra, Shubha Mudgal, and Aruna Sairam, learners gain access to exclusive masterclasses, weekly global showcases, artist development initiatives, and flagship IPs like Artium Unmute, Artium Superstar, Artium Originals, and many more.

Today, Artium powers a thriving community of 43,000+ learners globally with the support of 400+ educators and 1000+ classes conducted every day.

Visit artiumacademy.com to book your free trial class and begin your musical journey.

Become a Member

Like what you see? Check out our Membership options.

Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

Don’t forget, our Corporate Member NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download here to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details soon

Threads of Imagination: A ‘string art’ gathering (11am, Fri 4 Sept, Covent Garden)

Whether you’re a curious first-timer or a seasoned string artist, this hands-on workshop invites you to weave patterns, explore texture, and watch simple pins and threads transform into stunning geometric art. Each ticket includes a complimentary vegetarian food, and all the materials you’ll need for this session (pins, woodwork, string).

Where: Keep Chaating, 63 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PJ

Who: Max eight participants

Tickets: Tickets £40 (discounts for BI Members) | Click here

Invitation: An evening of Ragas & Reveries (7:30pm, Fri 4 Sept, Pimlico)

Watch the Jugalbandi tradition of Indian classical music unfold with the Mohan Brothers on sitar and sarod respectively, joined by Pandit Sanju Sahai on tabla and Aleksandra Pykacz on the cello.

When: 7:30pm, Friday 4 September

Where: St Saviour’s, Pimlico, St George’s Square, London SW1V 3QW

Tickets: Tickets £30 | Click here

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept)

550 guests. A net worth of over £35bn in the room. This is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Tickets: Click here

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner (6pm, Fri 23 Oct)

A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi. In partnership with Network Tree.

When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close

Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)

Dress code: Formal attire or ethnic wear encouraged

Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £100 Non-Members | Details here

Darbar Festival (24 Oct-1 Nov, Barbican Centre)

Darbar aims to celebrate the distinct strands of the Indian classical tradition in all their breadth and depth. And while we honour the masters who have shaped this tradition across generations, we have this year taken a deliberate, considered risk: to bring before some of the world’s most distinguished stages artists who are, for many audiences here, entirely unknown. Artists who are extraordinary. Artists who deserve to be heard.

When: 24 Oct - 1 Nov

Where: The Barbican Centre and elsewhere

How to book: Click here

Policy Watch: Impact of EU deforestation rules on India’s coffee exports

Since 2014, the EU has been ranked as the second-largest importer of goods linked to tropical deforestation, after China. Just Six out of the 160 agricultural products imported by the EU (beef, palm oil, soy, cocoa, coffee, and rubber, as covered by the EUDR) account for 58% of the estimated forest loss linked to EU imports.

The EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) is a landmark law aiming to boost Europe’s consumption of ‘deforestation-free’ products and reducing the EU’s impact on global deforestation and forest degradation. It is already in force but the rollout has faced delays. It will apply from 30 December 2026 to larger companies, and from 30 June 2027 to micro- and small-operators (MSMEs).

The impact will be on seven commodities associated with deforestation: cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, rubber, soy and wood, and derived products.

The delays were a combination of giving companies more time to comply in their supply chain and simplifying the legislation to categorise countries into “no risk” and low, medium and high. India is “low risk”, along with 139 other countries.

So the EUDR is a good thing.

It is one of the world’s toughest laws to curb tropical deforestation and offers the EU a major opportunity to limit its role in global biodiversity loss.

“Most of us don’t even know how to create GeoJSON files”

MSMEs could be most heavily penalised, because they may lack certification systems. The coffee industry provides an indication of the challenges ahead.

India is the sixth largest coffee exporter, with the sector integral to the livelihoods of approximately two million people. India exports more than 70% of its coffee production, and nearly 60% of those exports go to Europe, making it the top destination for Indian coffee.

According to World Coffee Research:

The biggest challenge therefore may not be changing how Indian coffee is grown, but navigating the new paperwork.

For smallholders, who produce 80% of India’s coffee, demonstrating their crops are sustainably produced will require geographical and supply-chain data that many lack the experience or infrastructure to manage.

For example, the Karnataka Grower’s Federation President said: “Most of us don’t even know how to create GeoJSON files.” A GeoJSON file is a standardised format for storing geolocation data.

What is India doing about it?

The Coffee Board of India (CBI) has rolled out a new India Coffee App to help small growers navigate the new data requirements. The CBI also estimates that only 15% of India’s coffee production is currently certified under recognised sustainability criteria, so a significant education process and registration assistance needs to follow.

Its Chairman MJ Dinesh said:

But compliance is likely to have been low so far. The CBI hasn’t released statistics on use, but reports show that over 30,000 coffee farmers in Wayanad in Kerala alone still need to do their registration.

Do the EU and India define “deforestation” the same?

The EU’s definition is easy: it is based on the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standard.

Deforestation is defined as the direct, human-induced or natural conversion of forest land to non-forest land use, with strict parameters regarding land size, canopy cover, and land use to determine exactly when land is classified as deforested.

In India, it’s not so simple.

Forest governance is spread across multiple laws, including the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and subsequent amendments to forest legislation.

Compliance with EUDR with clearly be a headache. But India’s coffee export industry has grown significantly over the last few years, so the government should ensure this is used as an opportunity to modernise the country’s supply chains and strengthen competitiveness. Because where the EUDR leads, inevitably others will follow.

Tom Jillians is interning at Bridge India. He is a Politics and International Relations graduate from the University of Bristol, where he specialised in South Asian diplomatic relations. He worked at the Bangalore International Centre in Bengaluru, where he launched its ‘Forum’ focus group series. His interests centre on Kashmir and wider issues concerning India–Pakistan relations.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear Members,

Watch the Jugalbandi tradition of Indian classical music unfold with the Mohan Brothers on sitar and sarod respectively, joined by Pandit Sanju Sahai on tabla and Aleksandra Pykacz on th…

Read more

Dear Members,

One of our team you may have met at Ideas for India, Nidhi Pancholi. She’s from Ahmedabad and has just finished a Masters at Glasgow Caledonian University. Now she wants to go back to he…

Read more

Dear all,

Happy Independence Day to everyone! To celebrate this, we thought we’d share some of our recent podcasts:

Filmed on the sidelines of Ideas for India with former actress Raajeshwari Loomba and Dharma Endowment Fund acting CEO Mitesh Sheth is our video (above) Is it cool to be Indian abroad?

Also filmed then is India’s Next Growth Chapter with Tim Willasey-Wilsey (Visiting Professor, King's College London; Former British diplomat) and our Member Vee Bharkhada (Insolvency Expert, Navigate Business Recovery). Scroll down for this episode, which has 88k views already.

We’re so grateful for the depth and breadth of the incredibly interesting work Bridge India Members do. Here’s a sample:

First, welcome to our newest Member Gaurav Gandhi, a tech founder based in West London. He says that beyond an unreasonable interest in all things India (food, books, philosophy, politics - usually all four in the same conversation), he cares a lot about mass education, philosophy and cultures.

Congratulations to Lavni Ventures a SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund that backs early-stage, deep-tech startups building science-led solutions and reviews more than 400 deep-tech opportunities annually. Quest Global Engineering Services Limited, one of the largest independent pure-play engineering services companies in India, has announced a strategic investment in Lavni Ventures Fund II. The commitment is among the fund’s largest to date, signalling a deepening partnership between two organisations committed to advancing deep-tech innovations in sectors that include climate, energy, and health.

Congratulations to our Board Member Sangeeta Waldron for being a Finalist for the Change and Sustainability category at the British Book Awards. Winners will be revealed on Wed 16th Sept in London, with one outstanding title being crowned Business Book of the Year 2026. Read more here.

On a film theme this week:

Thanks to everyone that came last week to the conversation between Member Anuj Radia and Nayanika Mahtani, writer of Main Vaapas Aaunga (currently in the Netflix Top 10 globally, and Number 1 for India and Pakistan), including Co-founder of Emmay Entertainment Monisha Advani.

Congratulations to Member Aman Dhillon for hosting her first international event, in New York last week, for her film and arts programming platform ReelN.

Congratulations to Member Rajiv Kumar Awasti, who has been acting for over 15 years, for shooting scenes last week for the upcoming Ragini 3 with Tamanna Bhatia, and the Sourav Gnaguly biopic Dada, with Rajkummar Rao.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) election in June delivered a historic diplomatic shockwave when Germany failed to secure a non-permanent seat, revealing critical lessons for India’s own global ambitions. Berlin’s bid collapsed in the first round of voting at the UN General Assembly. It secured a mere 104 votes, well short of the required 127 two-thirds majority. Instead, its competitors within the Western European and Others Group, Portugal and Austria, easily clinched the available seats, with 134 and 131 votes, respectively.

This marks the first time since 1977 that Germany has lost an UNSC election, as fellow partners in the G4 coalition (India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan) advocate for text-based negotiations to expand permanent council seats. It’s important for India to examine Germany’s defeat closely as it starts the campaign for elections for its candidature of UNSC in 2028-29. The election outcome serves as a stark reminder that monetary contributions alone do not buy diplomatic loyalty, and structural shifts in aid paradigms can trigger a massive backlash among voting nations. Scroll down to reach this week’s Substack for more, developed in partnership with the South Asian Herald.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download here to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Like what you see? Check out our Membership options.

Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

Don’t forget, our Corporate Member NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download here to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details soon

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

This is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. Book your tickets here.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner (6pm, Fri 23 October | Find out more)

A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi, an Indian NGO that aims to socially uplift and economically empower girls and women in Uttar Pradesh through education, health and hygiene, community development and economic empowerment. In partnership with Network Tree.

What: Bridge India Diwali Dinner x Kanishka by Atul Kochhar

When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close

Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)

Dress code: Formal attire or ethnic wear encouraged

Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £100 Non-Members | Details here

What India needs to learn from Germany’s UN Security Council loss

For decades, Berlin operated under the assumption that its status as a top-tier financial contributor coupled with its massive foreign aid machinery guaranteed automatic entry into the UNSC.

The General Assembly thoroughly dismantled this assumption. The election proved that when the ballots are secret, developing nations will not hesitate to humiliate a wealthy Western donor.

And so this has lessons for India.

India can’t rely solely on its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, its contribution to UN peacekeeping, or its expanding financial pledges to global initiatives. While New Delhi’s financial aid, digital public infrastructure partnerships, and vaccine diplomacy have built goodwill across the Global South, the German defeat proves that structural influence requires active, reciprocal, and localised diplomatic engagement rather than transactional expectations.

A pivotal factor in Germany’s diplomatic erosion was the sudden unwinding of its premier international development apparatus. Berlin cut its development budget by 20%, pivoting from grants to loans, and completely phasing out high-demand academic and development networks with the Global South.

This sudden retrenchment created a severe global backlash. When Election Day arrived, affected nations retaliated at the ballot box.

Germany’s problems: Israel at any cost, and Ukraine above all

Beyond aid cuts, Germany’s defeat was accelerated by its rigid foreign policy alignment on contemporary global conflicts. Berlin’s uncompromising defence of Israel alienated crucial voting blocs across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Concurrently, its hyper-fixation on the Ukraine war was perceived by non-aligned states as Eurocentric, leading to a severe diplomatic backlash.

Diplomats noted that Russia capitalised on these frustrations, actively lobbying African and Global South delegations to deny Germany their votes. By contrast, Portugal and Austria positioned themselves effectively. Portugal leveraged its extensive diplomatic relationships across Lusophone African nations and maintained a highly balanced, nuanced stance on international conflicts. Austria capitalised heavily on its traditional, constitutional reputation for neutrality and its history as a trusted, non-aligned UN headquarters hub in Vienna.

India’s long-standing strategy of strategic autonomy is its greatest asset and must be fiercely guarded. If India veers too close to Western-centric security frameworks or fails to articulate a balanced position on volatile global issues, it risks alienating the very Global South nations whose collective votes are essential for structural UN reform.

Why should India have a permanent seat?

India’s claim to a permanent seat rests on entirely different pillars than Germany’s: India represents nearly 1.4 billion people, is the world’s largest democracy, and serves as an indispensable voice for developing nations.

New Delhi must ensure that its bilateral campaigns remain distinct, highlighting its unique identity rather than tying its fate unconditionally to a rigid G4 four-nation package.

India’s current external aid strategy

Amit Deshmukh from the South Asian Herald says, India’s Development Partnership Administration (DPA) must double down on its demand-driven, grant-heavy model that strictly respects recipient sovereignty.

Additionally, it should also outpace Western agencies by exporting high-utility, low-cost assets like Digital Public Infrastructure, such as Unified Payments Interface (UPI) stacks and digital identity frameworks, which yield immediate domestic dividends for partner nations.

And India must insulate its development funding from domestic economic fluctuations - not just Germany, but the UK and US have lost significant goodwill and trust in the Global South from their recent culls.

The learnings from Germany’s missteps as India launches its campaign

Austria and Portugal launched their UNSC campaigns years earlier than Germany. Berlin relied heavily on a late, high-intensity blitz led by its foreign ministry, assuming its international profile would carry it across the finish line. It didn’t work. Voting decisions were made quietly much before its blitz.

India must guard against this. It must systematically implement an aggressive, multi-year, omni-directional campaign that leaves no region overlooked.

Amit Deshmukh says the roadmap requires India to generously fund its development assistance and ensure it is demand-driven, maintain strategic autonomy by resisting pressure to join rigid security alliances and run its individual candidacy on a standalone platform that emphasises its distinct global credentials (as bureaucrats in today’s Delhi enclaves might say “determining what Indian or bharatiya flavour is”).

Special diplomatic focus must also be directed toward microstates and small island nations across the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Africa. In the UN General Assembly, the secret ballet vote of the smallest Pacific island nation carries the exact same weight as that of a global superpower, and these relationships must be nurtured well in advance.

This is an edited version of the original article in South Asian Herald. Read the original article here.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear Members,

Once again this year, we’re offering Bridge India Members complimentary tickets to the Darbar Festival, from 24 October - 1 November at The Barbican Centre and Guildhall School of Music.

Read more

Thank you to everyone that came our Member meetup with Dr Keshav Kumar, from the Indian Police Service 1986 Batch, Gujarat cadre, last week.

“I want to have clones of me around the world” - that’s what one of our speakers from Ideas for India, Vee Bharkhada said in this exclusive podcast with journalist Loveena Tandon.

And in this podcast from the sidelines of Ideas for India, John Hemmings from the Henry Jackson Society discusses whether India really remain neutral in a fragmented world.

The Shortlist for the Asian Achievers Awards on Fri 18 Sept is out. Click here to check it out. It includes US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, leading property developer and entrepreneur Kamal Pankhania, President of King’s College London Prof Shitij Kapur, iconic restauranteurs Karan Gokani (Hoppers), Subodh Joshi and Sujay Sohani (Shree Krishna Vada Pav), model Neelam Gill and human rights champion Prof Sunita Toor.

Film and arts programming director Aman Dhillon will be hosting her meetup in New York for her programming and PR company ReelN 7-9pm on Thurs 13 August, with film makers and commissioners. If you’d like to be invited, get in touch with her on LinkedIn here.

Donald Trump’s administration has moved to significantly tighten immigration to the US through stricter visa screening, expanded travel restrictions and tougher scrutiny of foreign students and skilled workers. But South Asians still continue to seek entry to the country in large numbers, with India overwhelmingly dominating visa issuances across almost every major category. This week’s Policy Watch comes courtesy of the South Asian Herald. Scroll down to read more.

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Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details soon

Anuj Radia in conversation with Nayanika Mahtani (6:30pm, Thursday 13th August, King’s College London)

Bridge India Member and radio presenter on LycaRadio Anuj Radia will be discussing Nayanika’s journey from investment banking to becoming an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, her collaboration with Imtiaz Ali on Diljit Dosanjh’s new film Main Vaapas Aaunga, and the role of storytelling, history and cinema in preserving memory and identity.

When: 6:30-7:30pm | Thurs 13 August

Where: Lecture Theatre 1, Bush House, Strand Campus, King’s College London

RSVP: Register here

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

This is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. Book your tickets here.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner (6pm, Fri 23 October | Find out more)

A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi, an Indian NGO that aims to socially uplift and economically empower girls and women in Uttar Pradesh through education, health and hygiene, community development and economic empowerment. In partnership with Network Tree.

What: Bridge India Diwali Dinner x Kanishka by Atul Kochhar

When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close

Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)

Dress code: Formal attire or ethnic wear encouraged

Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £100 Non-Members | Details here

Despite visa curbs, Indian interest in US undimmed

Newly released US State Department data for September 2025 show that India remained the region’s largest source of visitors, students, professionals and business travellers to the United States, underscoring the depth of economic, educational and family ties that continue to bind the two countries despite an increasingly restrictive immigration environment.

The figures come as the Trump administration has stepped up efforts to curb both legal and illegal immigration, including enhanced vetting of visa applicants, expanded social media screening, tighter enforcement against visa overstays, increased scrutiny of employment-based visas such as the H-1B program and new restrictions affecting international students. The measures have sparked concerns among universities, technology companies and immigrant communities that obtaining U.S. visas could become more difficult even for legitimate travellers and skilled professionals.

Against this backdrop, India accounted for by far the largest share of U.S. non-immigrant visas issued in South Asia.

Indian nationals received 70,903 B1/B2 visitor visas in September 2025, more than 14 times the number issued to Pakistan, the region’s second-largest recipient. Indians also secured 6,890 H-1B visas for specialty occupations, 5,192 H-4 visas for accompanying spouses and dependents, 706 F-1 student visas and 2,872 L-category visas for intracompany transfers and their families, reaffirming India’s position as the principal supplier of skilled professionals to the US economy. The country also recorded 3,179 C1/D crew visas, reflecting its significant presence in global aviation and maritime industries.

While India dominated every major employment and travel category, other South Asian countries continued to register steady demand despite the uncertain policy climate.

Pakistan received 4,826 B1/B2 visitor visas during the month, along with 109 F-1 student visas, 93 H-1B visas and 95 H-4 dependent visas. The figures suggest that family reunification, higher education and skilled migration remain important drivers of Pakistan-U.S. mobility despite tighter immigration controls.

Bangladesh was issued 1,541 visitor visas, 78 F-1 student visas and 16 H-1B visas. A notable feature of the data was the issuance of 141 F-2 visas for dependents of international students, indicating continued family-based educational migration. Nepal received 1,020 B1/B2 visas, 31 H-1B visas and 28 F-1 student visas, while also recording 14 G4 visas for employees of international organizations.

Sri Lanka’s non-immigrant visa volumes were more modest, although the country continued to record travel across visitor and employment categories. Bhutan and the Maldives saw relatively limited movement, receiving 23 and 15 B1/B2 visitor visas respectively, reflecting their smaller populations and lower migration volumes.

The employment-based figures underscore India’s continued dominance in supplying skilled workers to the United States. Indian nationals accounted for the overwhelming majority of H-1B visas issued in South Asia, receiving nearly 74x the approvals of Bangladesh and more than double the combined total of Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Corporate mobility also remained concentrated in India. Indian executives and professionals obtained 1,390 L-1 visas for intracompany transfers, while 1,482 L-2 visas were issued to accompanying family members, highlighting the extensive operations of Indian multinational companies and global technology firms.

Educational mobility, though seasonally lower than during the May-August admissions period, also remained robust. India received 706 F-1 student visas, followed by Pakistan (109), Bangladesh (78) and Nepal (28), reinforcing South Asia’s status as one of the largest source regions for international students in the United States.

On the immigrant visa side, Sri Lanka continued to record steady permanent migration, with the US Embassy in Colombo issuing 102 Diversity Visas, 22 F4 family-preference visas for siblings of U.S. citizens and 22 IR5 visas for parents of American citizens during the month.

The September statistics provide only a snapshot of visas issued and do not reflect applications, refusal rates or future demand. However, they illustrate that despite increasingly restrictive U.S. immigration policies, South Asia—and India in particular—remains a critical source of visitors, international students, skilled professionals and business travelers.

Immigration experts say the coming months will determine whether the Trump administration’s tighter visa regime translates into a sustained decline in issuances. For South Asia, where remittances, higher education and technology-sector employment have long been linked to access to the United States, any prolonged tightening of legal immigration pathways could have significant economic and social consequences extending well beyond the region’s borders.

This is an edited version of the original article. Read the original article here.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear Members,

When we asked you on the Bridge India WhatsApp group, the most popular choice for a Diwali Dinner was Friday 23 October, so that’s what we are going for:

We’ll have a five-course tasting …

Read more

Dear all,

Diwali is fast approaching and details of our Diwali Dinner are out. Join us for a 5-course menu at Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s Kanishka. Scroll down for more.

This Wednesday evening, we’re hosting an informal get-together for our Members with Dr Keshav Kumar, from the Indian Police Service 1986 Batch, Gujarat cadre. He has 35 years of Police service in experience, with over a decade in Anti-Corruption and Vigilance. He was transferred 27 times in his career, usually the best indication of an honest officer that got on the wrong side of local political masters.

He was with Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as Joint Director CBI, Delhi and Joint Director CBI Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Mumbai and Special Director ACB Gujarat. He was the first Joint Director of the CBI for the Interpol Technical, Forensic and Co-ordination wing.

If you’d like to join, reply to this email to request a space or become a Member.

The list of performers for the Asian Achievers Awards on Fri 18 Sept is out: hosted by actor Nitin Ganatra OBE; Indian pioneer of Asian-R&B fusion Rishi Rich will be joined by Pakistan’s classical music royalty Ustad Rafaqat Ali Khan - the voice behind Krrish, Dhokha and that unforgettable Coke Studio moment - on stage; with stand-up comedy by the BBC’s Man Like Mobeen star Tez Ilyas; and the red carpet hosted by Bridge India’s very own Raya Mahmood. Scroll down for more.

Film and arts programming director Aman Dhillon will be hosting her meetup in New York for her programming and PR company ReelN 7-9pm on Thurs 13 August, with film makers and commissioners. If you’d like to be invited, get in touch with her on LinkedIn here.

Over the past few weeks, young people in India and their parents have seen the Cockroach Janata Party protests from very different perspectives. Young people made memes about it and flooded Instagram with first-person accounts including of Police abuses, and older people that consumed traditional media found stories that claimed a “Pakistan angle,” a “CIA angle” or a “George Soros angle” (see here or a shorter version here). There are reports of social media posts critical of the government being removed by platforms.

Some of these trends aren’t unique to India. Nepal’s new Prime Minister Balendra Shah has been following some of the same playbook, according to new reports. Shah is structural engineer and rapper who swept to power in this year’s general election, becoming the world's youngest serving state leader, at 36 years old.

This week’s Policy Watch comes from ground reporting by Newslaundry. Scroll down to read more.

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Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

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Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details coming soon

Anuj Radia in conversation with Nayanika Mahtani (6:30pm, Thursday 13th August, King’s College London)

Bridge India Member and radio presenter on LycaRadio Anuj Radia will be discussing Nayanika’s journey from investment banking to becoming an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, her collaboration with Imtiaz Ali on Diljit Dosanjh’s new film Main Vaapas Aaunga, and the role of storytelling, history and cinema in preserving memory and identity.

When: 6:30-7:30pm | Thurs 13 August

Where: Lecture Theatre 1, Bush House, Strand Campus, King’s College London

RSVP: Register here

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 550 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner (6pm, Fri 23 October | Find out more)

A five-course tasting menu and welcome drink from Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar, inspirational speakers and an opportunity to hear about Pardada Pardadi, an Indian NGO that aims to socially uplift and economically empower girls and women in Uttar Pradesh through education, health and hygiene, community development and economic empowerment.

What: Bridge India Diwali Dinner x Kanishka by Atul Kochhar

When: 6pm arrivals and welcome drinks, 6:30pm speeches, sit-down dinner, 8:30pm close

Where: Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, 17-19 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 2QH (closest station Oxford Circus)

Tickets: £0 Corporate Members, £80 Members, £90 Non-Members (prices for the first 25 tickets, then increasing by £10pp) | Details here

Policy Watch: Nepal’s vs the free press

How did we get here

To understand the victory that brought Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party to power, it is important to first understand the political upheaval that led to the landslide:

Nepal saw massive youth-led protests which escalated into violent confrontations and culminated in then PM K. P. Sharma Oli’s resignation, followed by a 6-month Interim Government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, and an intense feeling amongst the country’s young people that corruption, entrenched party politics, unemployment, and a growing distance between an establishment seen as self-serving and a generation that saw existing institutions as incapable of meeting its aspirations.

The government banned of 26 social media platforms on 4 September 2025 because they were not registering with the government. Nevertheless, #NepoBabies and #NepoKids trended across the major platforms and helped mobilise young people.

The movement was leaderless and organic, much like the CJP protests in Delhi, led by young people without a political agenda but pent-up frustration.

Protestors were dismissed as ‘misled’ or ‘ungrateful’ by the mainstream media, with many outlets acting as a mouthpiece for the government.

Did Shah change everything?

He’s certainly brought some stability.

Nepal recently concluded an economic program with the IMF, who said the new government’s performance has been “broadly adequate.” The appointment of Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, a former UNDP and World Bank economist, was seen positively for an otherwise inexperienced government. Forbes reckons the government is focused on reforms.

The Iran war and higher airfare prices leave a looming shadow over its tourism industry and remittance flows. But Nepal’s foreign reserves are a comfortable 12 months of imports (pretty good for a low-income country).

And what about the media?

Since taking office as Mayor in 2022 and transitioning to the top post in March 2026, Shah has not held a single press conference or given an interview to the national media. Official information flows one-way through his personal social media, says Newslaundry.

As Shah completes 100 days in office, The Kathmandu Post says:

Journalists have increasingly faced cyberbullying and cyber intimidation, and power is becoming centralised.

Kanak Mani Dixit, writer and founding editor of Himal Southasian, told Newslaundry:

Himalaya Television editor Madhusudan Panthi argued that Shah’s approach marks a genuine departure from past practice.

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) issued a statement to say the PM “misbehaved with Himalaya Television journalist Prince Mishra and cameraperson Abhisht Lama, who had visited the Teku-based environment department to gather news.”

There are several other examples of this too.

The government is still new and even before Shah’s election there were some concerns about his heavy-handed approach.

Read more on Newslaundry

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

This is an informal get-together at The Conduit with Dr Keshav Kumar, from the Indian Police Service (IPS) 1986 Batch, Gujarat cadre. He has 35 years of Police service in experience, wit…

Read more

Details of our Diwali events coming soon, including a 5-course menu at a Michelin-starred chef’s central London restaurant. Watch this space for more.

Thank you to Rahul Kale for facilitating the visit to Lords Cricket Ground of India’s Sports, Youth Affairs and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, along with the High Commissioner of India to the UK. The Minister emphasised India’s interest is pursuing an ambitious bid to host India’s first ever Olympics and Para Olympics in 2036. Read the story in Deccan Herald here.

Join entertainment journalist Anuj Radia in conversation with the screenwriter of Diljit Dosanjh’s new film Main Vaapis Aaunga, Nayanika Mahtani, on Thurs 13 August.

Congratulations to Member Aman Dhillon that her new radio show on Breathe Radio in Letchworth Garden City has become the most listened to on the station within just a few weeks.

Film and arts programming director Aman Dhillon will be hosting a her meetup in New York for her programming and PR company ReelN 7-9pm on Thurs 13 August, with film makers and commissioners. If you’d like to be invited, get in touch with her on LinkedIn here.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is organising the 4th Edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show from 25–29 September 2026 in Noida. If you’re a foreign buyer, you can apply to be part of their Hosted Buyer program, which gives you: Visa support; Reimbursement of economy-class airfare up to $350 - $1,200; Complimentary five-star hotel accommodation for approved buyers for 2/3 days; Airport transfers and local transport; focused on sectors: Agri, Textile, Engineering, construction, plastic, chemicals and all industrial sectors to AI, IT and all service sectors. To register, fill in this form: Foreign Buyer Registration Link. In Question 7 (“Reference”), please add Bridge India.

Anyone with experience of a private hospital in India can tell you how medical professionals frequently try and upsell services. An information asymmetry between the consumer and the doctor means unnecessary tests are often encouraged.

In maternal health, the problem is particularly acute.

Following Independence in 1947, the Indian Nursing Council merged nursing and midwifery, so midwifery was not seen as a specialist discipline in its own right. It is only in 2018 that the government initiated midwifery services guidelines to improve the quality of care for pregnant women and newborns.

This is sorely needed:

In public hospitals, 14.3% of births are caesarean sections (behind the WHO threshold of 15% is considered a series public health risk). In private hospitals, that figure has shot up to 47.3% (2019-20) and 57.5% (urban; 2023-24).

This rampant overmedicalisation is bad for mothers and for babies. Scroll down to read more.

Become a Member

Like what you see? Check out our Membership options.

Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download at https://link.aspora.com/DYot/9lbkljd7 to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Bridge India’s Diwali Reception - details coming soon

Bridge India’s Diwali Dinner - coming soon

A five-course tasting menu with a Michelin-star chef, in a take-over of a fabulous Indian restaurant in central London. To enquire about sponsorship opportunities for this, please get in touch.

Entertainment journalist Anuj Radia in conversation with author and screenwriter Nayanika Mahtani (6:30pm, Thursday 13th August, King’s College London)

Bridge India Member and radio presenter on LycaRadio will be discussing Nayanika’s journey from investment banking to becoming an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, her collaboration with Imtiaz Ali on Diljit Dosanjh’s new film Main Vaapas Aaunga, and the role of storytelling, history and cinema in preserving memory and identity.

When: 6:30-7:30pm | Thurs 13 August

Where: Lecture Theatre 1, Bush House, Strand Campus, King’s College London

RSVP: Register here

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here. Special prices for BI Members.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 600 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

India’s rampant overmedicalisation of C-sections

A Caesarean section is a major life-saving surgical obstetric procedure. However, it is recommended only for medically indicated causes.

But India’s National Family Health Survey doesn’t present data on antenatal visits. These would be an important parameter to detect a high-risk pregnancy and influence the decision for a C-section.

According to podcaster Sarthak Ahuja, unnecessary C-sections “lead to higher recorded risk of asthma, breathing issues, type 2 diabetes, allergies, and ADHD among kids.”

The difference between nurses and midwives

Midwifery is a specialised field dedicated to the care of women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, as well as newborn care. While the UK treats midwifery as a specialised qualification, India historically has not.

So midwifes are often confused with traditionally untrained birth attendants (a ‘dai’). There is a perception midwives would be not as good as doctors, and therefore less qualified relative to nurses and obstetricians. The role is also seen as subordinate to an obstetrician, which leads to the confusion of what the difference between a nurse and a midwife is.

Midwives have a perception, brand awareness and demand problem.

A review that included 15 trials involving 17,674 women from high-income countries shows a range of positive outcomes for women who receive midwife-led care compared to the alternative. The same applied to low and mid income countries.

Since the new 2018 midwifery guidelines, three national midwifery training institutes have been established in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, alongside one state midwifery training institute in Patna.

The government aims to train 90,000 midwives. A Nurse Practitioner in Midwifery cadre would be built at the state level, that can lead the care of women with low-risk pregnancies in public sector hospitals.

Why are C-sections preferred by hospitals?

Globally, 19.1% of deliveries are by C-section, up from just 7% in 1990. They account for just 7.3% of deliveries in Africa, but 40.5% in Latin America and the Caribbean. The figures in India have seen a dramatic increase: 3% (1992-93), 17% (2015-16) to 21.5% (2019-21) (but in private hospitals 47.3% (2019-20) and 57.5% (urban; 2023-24)).

The number has gone up because of social and educational advancements, increase an obstetrician’s preference for it.

Financial incentives also play a role (it’s more profitable for a hospital to deliver via C-section than natural birth), as well as more requests from women for a C-section, women deferring pregnancy until they reach the end of their reproductive years, and inadequate training of physicians in vaginal delivery (because they aren’t midwives).

Some of these factors are seen as more important in a recent in-depth article in The Ken, which wrote “Several mothers, particularly urban, educated ones, are loath to feeling helpless when giving birth”, because male doctors are treating them instead of empathetic women. The article said of one of their interviewees:

One study from 2020 found that if private hospitals had adopted the WHO’s 15% C-section delivery rate standard, the number of preventable C-sections deliveries would have been 1.83 million, with potential cost savings of $320.60 million.

Let’s talk money

Sarthak Ahuja says a C-section delivery “typically costs double that of a normal delivery”, as well as then requiring additional days of stay at the hospital.

But he says that because nowadays private insurance and Ayushman Bharat (the government’s medical insurance scheme) cover an additional payout for C-section deliveries, the consumer also doesn’t feel the full cost of the procedure.

But some centres in India are marketing themselves on the basis of low C-section rates. Aastrika Midwifery Centre’s 2024 C-section rate was 27.6% in Bangalore.

The trend for C-sections is heading in only one direction, but healthcare professional, consumers and policy makers need to collectively understand the negative impact this may be having on India’s mothers and babies.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear all,

Congratulations to the London Indian Film Festival for reaffirming its status as the pre-eminent South Asian film festival in the UK. Last week saw Aamir Khan attending a screening of Lagaan, then again an exclusive Q&A with him, with Neha Dhupia and the cast of 52 Blue a few days earlier, the cast of Goodness Gracious Me, Arundhati Roy and the screening of cult classic In Which Annie Gives It Those, and the unveiling of a new AI-shorts series.

In this week’s episode of Founders Office with Sarthak Ahuja (pictured above), Sarthak sits down with Pratik Dattani to unpack the India–UK trade relationship and what it means for Indian businesses and entrepreneurs. If you're interested in international trade, exports, global expansion, and cross-border business opportunities, this episode offers a practical guide to understanding one of India's most important economic partnerships.

Sarthak has 3.7m followers on Instagram, 321k followers on LinkedIn and 294k on YouTube, and is one the most trusted finance, tax and trade related podcast voices in India. Full episode here and LinkedIn teaser here.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is organising the 4th Edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show from 25–29 September 2026 in Noida. If you’re a foreign buyer, you can apply to be part of their Hosted Buyer program, which gives you: Visa support; Reimbursement of economy-class airfare up to $350 - $1,200; Complimentary five-star hotel accommodation for approved buyers for 2/3 days; Airport transfers and local transport; focused on sectors: Agri, Textile, Engineering, construction, plastic, chemicals and all industrial sectors to AI, IT and all service sectors. To register, fill in this form: Foreign Buyer Registration Link. In Question 7 (“Reference”), please add Bridge India.

Pratik also wrote exclusively for Times Now about the UK-India CETA, which is now in effect, and says it will cement a long-term strategic partnership that benefits both nations. Scroll down for more.

Become a Member

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Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download at https://link.aspora.com/DYot/9lbkljd7 to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here. Special prices for BI Members.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 600 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

The wins, misses and opportunities of the UK-India CETA

Sir Keir Starmer has left Number 10 and Britain has a new Prime Minister today.

But last week, one of Starmer’s biggest accomplishments as PM came to fruition – the comprehensive economic and trade agreement (CETA) between the UK and India came into being.

Considered alongside India’s FTA with Europe (coming in force early next year), it will likely to be biggest economic achievements of the Modi administration’s current term. Holding out for a more balanced FTA with the US may well trump both (Reuters says India is holding out for something better than what the US is offering right now).

The readout from UK government at the time of agreeing the CETA says “This ambitious and comprehensive deal is expected to increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion ... each year”. Read between the lines and you’ll find it is the upper bound figure and to be realised sometime within ten years. Bear in mind: the £4.8bn versus the UK’s GDP of £3 trillion.

The CETA delivers tariff reductions on 90% of Indian tariff lines, while the UK will end tariffs on 99% of Indian exports. India’s trade weighted average tariff falls from 15% to 3% over the next decade.

The House of Lords released a report in February scrutinising the CETA saying, “Only a few years ago, the prospect of concluding an FTA was considered remote; India sits behind high tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and is a formidable negotiating partner.”

But Trump has brought India and the UK closer to getting on with things: “We conclude that an FTA in this context is as much about providing stability for businesses and a platform for continued strategic cooperation as it is about offering new market access.” India has historically had the “highest applied tariff of any G20 country.”

The report says India will gain immediate access to the UK market. Some of those goods could be those rerouted from the US (given India faces higher and possibly rising tariffs there) and others like dairy will open competition in the UK without the offsetting benefit of access to a new market for British companies. By contrast, India will only lower incremental barriers to trade over 15 years.

Whisky and the automotive sector will not realise the full benefits for many years. But with India’s domestic market growing substantially, the benefits will still be meaningful even in the interim.

UK-originating vehicles, parts and components will still face a largely closed market and while the trade deal’s terms are complex, in theory India could become the fourth-largest export market for the UK automotive sector in the coming years. Given India’s initial request to entirely exclude electric vehicles from the Agreement, a tariff quota being introduced from Year 6 was seen as a major win for the UK.

On food, the Agreement is hugely beneficial for Indian exporters – no staging or quotas have been introduced for Indian food products coming in the UK, so India benefits from Day 1, while the reserve is not true. But as a large Indian spices importer told me recently, delays at customs because of inefficiency mean checks take weeks more than they should, which increases prices for UK consumers.

On textiles, the CETA will make it easier and cheaper for UK producers in the ready to wear sector move operations from China to India. For some textiles imports into the UK, because India is more cost competitive, there is a real risk of job losses in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Scotland (seats crucial for Labour). Some of the Indian imports may be displaced trade from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which are trading under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

The SMMT said the Agreement contains “some of the most liberal rules of origin ever agreed by the UK, with the exception of the deals with Australia and New Zealand.” 35%, Passenger cars qualify for preferential tariff treatment if they have added British or Indian value content of 35%, below other similar agreements.

The CETA is an important antithesis to the Washington view of the trade being a zero-sum game …

Read the full article

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The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
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About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

From bringing a long-running international saga against Nirav Modi to an end, to meeting the Pope, to launching new business wins at Michelin-star restaurants - it’s been a busy week for some of our Members. Scroll down to read more.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is organising the 4th Edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show from 25–29 September 2026 in Noida. If you’re a foreign buyer, you can apply to be part of their Hosted Buyer program, which gives you: Visa support; Reimbursement of economy-class airfare up to $350 - $1,200; Complimentary five-star hotel accommodation for approved buyers for 2/3 days; Airport transfers and local transport; focused on sectors: Agri, Textile, Engineering, construction, plastic, chemicals and all industrial sectors to AI, IT and all service sectors. To register, fill in this form: Foreign Buyer Registration Link. In Question 7 (“Reference”), please add Bridge India.

“90% judges in Lower Courts judiciary are corrupt. 10% who are honest are suffering.” Those were the words of Delhi High Court Senior Advocate KK Manan, to Republic TV over a year ago.

The statement came after a fire broke out at Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma's official residence, where the fire brigade personnel discovered around Rs. 10 crore (£800k) in cash. The three-member committee that investigated the incident found “strong evidence” that the judge and his family had “tacit or active control” of the storeroom where wads of cash were found.

How pervasive is the corruption really in India’s judiciary? Scroll down for more.

Recent Member news

Congratulations to our Corporate Member Fladgate LLP and the case team led by Milan Kapadia in particular, for successfully representing the Bank of India in a high-profile banking fraud claim, Bank of India v Firestar Diamond FZE & Ors [2026] EWHC 1565, bringing a long-running international saga to an end.

The High Court upheld the Bank’s claim against Nirav Modi, the well-known Indian diamond merchant and billionaire, addressing significant issues relating to cross-border banking litigation, personal guarantees, Indian law, FEMA, conflict of laws, commercial contracts, and enforcement of international financial obligations. Read more here.

Ragasudha Vinjamuri was invited to The Vatican to present at a leading Inter-Religious Conference recently. She presented a roadmap for strengthening interfaith dialogue and collaboration among dharmic traditions in Europe; and also presented a classical dance on the theme of harmony at this unique setting. She was also able to meet and shake hands with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

Congratulations to Subha Balakrishnan, founder of Bodha Drinks - her non-alcoholic drinks range is now proudly serving at Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar’s restaurants in London.

If you live in Birmingham, please take a look at this petition from West Midlands Lead Member for Police & Crime, and Birmingham Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Member, Councillor Dr Nagu Penakacherla (Reform UK) about protecting green spaces in West Harborne in Quinton Ward.

Entertainment journalist Anuj Radia was the European premiere of 52 Blue last week at the London Indian Film Festival, and before that interviewed Bollywood star Neha Dhupia on Lionel Messi-inspired first international project.

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Upcoming events

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here. Special prices for BI Members.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 600 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

How pervasive is corruption in India’s judiciary?

When asked about Advocate KK Manan’s comments that 90% of judges were corrupt, Ved Prakash Sharma, Co-Chairman of the Bar Council of India, said in a podcast last year (33min onwards):

He went on to talk about the evidence:

Manan and Sharma aren’t alone in their lamentation.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) in 2002, S.P. Bharucha,J admitted that:

In June 2010, former law minister Shanti Bhushan (a member of the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement) moved an application accusing eight former Chief Justices of India of corruption.

Writing in Fair Observer in 2011, Commodore C Uday Bhaskar, then Senior Fellow at the National Maritime Foundation said that Ruma Pal, a former judge of the Supreme Court opined institutional integrity in the judiciary had been compromised. But this was part of a wider point around favouritism, nepotism and judicial exceptionalism.

MN Venkatachaliah (CJI 1993-94) and JS Verma (1997-98) also said corruption had seeped into the Supreme Court. “There are just 25 judges in the Supreme Court in a country with a population of a billion-plus. And even there, some of them turn out corrupt,” Venkatachaliah said in an interview in 2011.

Justice Katju (who was also Chairman of the Press Council of India 2011-14) said in the past that the Supreme Court is “subservient”, “spineless” and “servile” with its judges prone to “doing [the government’s] bidding.” He said:

Katju’s quotes are from Government of lndia v. Nirav Deepak Modi, [2021] 1 UKWMC 55 as quoted in a research paper from the University of Portsmouth.

Maybe that was all in the past. What about the present day?

Delhi HC judge Yashwant Varma’s cash haul was of course just last year.

Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma recused himself from a case in August 2025 claiming pressure from a senior figure in the judiciary who wanted to influence the outcome of a hearing involving an insolvency petition regarding Byju's founder Byju Raveendran.

Speaking at the Supreme Court in London last month, India’s current CJI BR Gavai said: “Sadly, there have been instances of corruption and misconduct that have surfaced even within the judiciary.”

Data presented in the Lok Sabha in February this year by Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal shows over 8,000 complaints filed against sitting judges over from 2016-2025. The last four years have seen a considerable uplift in complaints. The data doesn’t specifically identify corruption-related complaints.

But when a social science textbook for 13–14-year-old students, released by the he National Council of Educational Research and Training, included a brief section on corruption in the judiciary, including quoting the current CJI’s own comments, India’s Supreme Court banned it, saying its content were “extremely contemptuous” and “reckless”. This seemed particularly thin-skinned given the sitting CJI had accepted there was corruption in public comments.

Maybe there is some cause of optimism:

The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business metrics for the ease of enforcing contracts in India includes a one-third weighting for ‘Quality of judicial processes index’ (with the rest of the weighting for time and cost). India has improved from 186th in the world (2014) to 163rd (2020), according to the Indian government (the equivalent World Bank data is here).

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The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear all,

Thank you to everyone who came to our frank and open discussion on economic growth, taxation and trade with India last week, with Shadow Minister for Business and Trade Andrew Griffith, hosted by hotelier Tony Matharu and our Board Member Harprit Suri.

Thank you also to everyone that came to the reception with Dubai-based real estate developer Binghatti, right next to Harrods (pictured above). You can see some photos here: LinkedIn | Instagram. The event coincided with the end of nominations for the Asian Achievers Awards, for which Bridge India is a Community Partner.

Last week, Pratik Dattani wrote exclusively for Times Now on expectations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara. He says yesterday’s NATO was built for a world with predictable deterrence. In today’s world, threats are diffused and national interests are diverging. The threats it faces are not traditional Article 5 scenarios, but asymmetric, interdependent, hybrid and fought in the cloud, requiring calculated pre-emption, forward deployment and a coherent industrial plan.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, is organising the 4th Edition of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show from 25–29 September 2026 in Noida. If you’re a foreign buyer, you can apply to be part of their Hosted Buyer program, which gives you: Visa support; Reimbursement of economy-class airfare up to $350 - $1,200; Complimentary five-star hotel accommodation for approved buyers for 2/3 days; Airport transfers and local transport; focused on sectors: Agri, Textile, Engineering, construction, plastic, chemicals and all industrial sectors to AI, IT and all service sectors. To register, fill in this form: Foreign Buyer Registration Link. In Question 7 (“Reference”), please add Bridge India.

There isn’t a week that goes by with a political donation bombshell about Nigel Farage, the right-wing Reform UK leader. Foreign dark money and crypto seem to dominate such stories. The Sunday Times reports failed to register political support supplied by a man who had been convicted of fraud in the US.

But given anti-immigration policies are the central plank of Reform’s policies, surely Indians and other South Asians wouldn’t support Reform? Or would they? That’s the focus of this week’s Substack, by Raya Mahmood. Scroll down for more.

London Indian Film Festival returns (9-16 July)

The London Indian Film Festival returns for its 17th year, with a rich array of cutting-edge new cinema premieres from India and around South Asia, many of them cherry-picked from the finest film festivals around the world, plus restorations of magnificent classics of Indian cinema. It features a sold-out In Conversation With Aamir Khan, as well as showcasing the best of emerging British Asian film talent, and celebrating the cast of the landmark British comedy show Goodness Gracious Me. Check out the full program here.

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Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download at https://link.aspora.com/DYot/9lbkljd7 to get £20 off your first transfer.

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Upcoming events

Asian Achievers Awards (6pm, Fri 18 Sept | Find out more)

Established in 2000, it is consistently recognised by the South Asian community as the most prestigious and highly respected such Awards. Bridge India is Community Partner for the event. Sir Keir Starmer said of the last event “It is wonderful to see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight by the team” where a net worth of over £30bn was amongst the guests. You can submit a nomination or book your table here. Special prices for BI Members.

When: 6pm-1am | Fri 18 September

Where: London Hilton on Park Lane

Who: 600 business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with world-class entertainment and drinks flowing the while night

Book here: Click here | Get in touch for BI Member-only prices

Where Britain’s South Asian donors are placing their political bets

Political donations offer an early indication of where influence is being built. While they do not predict election outcomes, they reveal which parties’ business leaders are choosing to engage with and where relationships are developing.

Our analysis of Electoral Commission data between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026 suggests that Britain’s South Asian business community is becoming increasingly politically diverse. Rather than concentrating donations with one party, support is now spread across much of the political spectrum.

Source: Electoral Commission Data

The Conservatives remain the largest recipient of identified South Asian linked donations, receiving just over £1 million during the period. Labour follows with £644,000, while the Liberal Democrats received more than £328,000. Together, these figures suggest that established parties continue to command strong support from prominent South Asian donors.

Property developer Kamal Pankhania gave £250,000 to the Conservatives last quarter, founder of Fenchurch Advisory Malik Karim gave £69,000, while Labour’s biggest Asian backer was travel businessman Harish Sodha, who gave £120,000 across two donations last quarter. Lord Wahed Ali still ranks among Labour’s most significant donors, having contributed over £700,000 over time.

However, the most notable development comes from Reform UK.

A notable quarter for Reform UK

For much of the last year, Reform attracted relatively limited support from identified South Asian donors. That changed dramatically in Q1 2026, when donations surged to almost £300,000, driven largely by a £250,000 contribution from businessman Navroz Udwadia. He is an Indian investor and cofounder of Alpha Wave Global, an alternative asset manager with investments in SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI.

Real estate firm Goodcare Ltd, led by Dr Arujuna Sivananthanan and Karthika Sivananthanan, donated £25,000 to Reform last quarter. Mohamed Amersi and Bassim Haidar, who each gave £25,000. Amersi had given around £500,000 to the Conservatives since 2018.

Source: Electoral Commission Data

It would be premature to describe this as a long-term shift. Nevertheless, the size of the donations places Reform firmly within a conversation from which it has previously been absent.

The question is no longer whether Reform can attract support from Britain’s South Asian business community. It is whether this represents an isolated case or the beginning of a broader realignment.

Remember that key planks of Reform’s policy are to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain; bar foreign nationals from accessing UK public funds and welfare payments; and setting up a mass deportation agency (like ICE in the US).

For many business leaders, contributions are not simply expressions of ideological support. They are investments in access, dialogue and long-term relationships with policymakers. As Britain’s political landscape becomes more fragmented, donors appear to be diversifying their engagement in much the same way they would diversify an investment portfolio, building relationships across parties rather than placing all their influence in one.

Reform is no longer viewed solely as a protest movement. Its strong performance in the 2026 local elections, where it gained over a dozen councils across England (including many new Indian-origin councillors), demonstrated that the party is building an electoral base as well as organisational capacity.

Should this trend continue, it could reshape competition for political funding on the centre right. The Conservatives would no longer be the default destination for centre-right business donations, but one of several competing options, including the even more right-wing Restore.

Why this matters

While the Conservatives continue to attract the largest share of identified donations, support is now distributed across Labour, the Liberal Democrats and, increasingly, Reform UK. Political influence appears to be diversifying, reflecting a community that engages with multiple centres of power rather than investing exclusively in one party.

The emergence of Reform UK is particularly significant. If future quarters show similar patterns, it may signal the beginning of greater competition for South Asian political capital on the centre right.

Raya Mahmood is a graduate of UCL and Cornell. She is an emerging policy analyst, with an interest in climate governance and global development.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Dear Members,

You may remember that the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) was a partner for Ideas for India in May.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh, in association with the FIEO, is orga…

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Dear Members,

Join Members Adam RV Jacob and Ipe Jacob from Maharaja Drinks us for an evening of discovery at Indian Brews Night, hosted at Cinnamon Bazaar.

India has a craft drinks scene unlike anythi…

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Dear all,

The two-minute summary video (Instagram | LinkedIn) of India Week encapsulates the scale and breadth of a bilateral program that is now the pre-eminent, independent UK-India forum.

This is a busy week: our Dinner with Shadow Minister for Business and Trade Andrew Griffith MP tomorrow is full, as is the Asian Achievers Awards reception with Binghatti on Wednesday (to request a last-minute space, scroll down).

The London Indian Film Festival returns for its 17th year, from 9-16 July, with a rich array of cutting-edge new cinema premieres from India and around South Asia, many of them cherry-picked from the finest film festivals around the world, plus restorations of magnificent classics of Indian cinema. It features a sold-out In Conversation With Aamir Khan, as well as showcasing the best of emerging British Asian film talent, and celebrating the cast of the landmark British comedy show Goodness Gracious Me.

During India Week, we worked with AI-driven market research company Lorefully, interviewing participants at Ideas for India and a drinks reception with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). We asked them their impressions of the Indian economy, doing business with India, as well as questions about their identity - how does it feel to be Indian amongst anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK?

We also did a deep dive into responses from LCCI members. Thank you in particular to former LCCI Asian Business Association Chair Tony Matharu OBE for facilitating this relationship.

Scroll down for that exclusive data.

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Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download at https://link.aspora.com/DYot/9lbkljd7 to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

***Last chance to attend*** Binghatti reception (6pm, Wed 1 July, Knightsbridge | Request to attend)

Bridge India is a Community Partner for the upcoming Asian Achievers Awards on Friday 18 September. Before that event, Dubai-based luxury real estate developer Binghatti and EPG are hosting a (non-alcoholic) drinks and canapes reception in Knightsbridge to bring together entrepreneurs, company builders and change-makers from across South Asian communities in London.

When: 6-9pm | Wednesday 1 July

Where: Binghatti, 201 Brompton Road, London SW3 1LA (in between Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and South Kensington stations)

Who: 100+ business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with inspirational speeches from senior business leaders

Request a space: Fill in this form (please note preference given to existing AAA ticket-holders or Bridge India Members)

Results from exclusive survey of UK-India leaders

Lorefully asked 297 participants at India Week about where they see UK-India relations and captured more than 42,000 words of data, with the median contribution being around 110 words.

The graph below shows the strongest qualified signals from participants i.e. the keywords that came up most often in substantive responses within the relevant question set.

The headlines

India was seen as a major growth opportunity, but not a frictionless one. Optimism came with concerns about bureaucracy, uneven regional development, unemployment and AI disruption.​

UK-India collaboration was framed practically: education, technology, talent, trade, law, healthcare, culture and clean energy came up repeatedly.​

The diaspora sees itself as abridge, but wants more formal recognition, consultation and representation in the rooms where decisions are made.​

Where can the UK and India collaborate?

Key findings:

• 47% mentioned education, universities, research, students or youth exchange as key areas of collaboration

• 40% mentioned trade, business, investment, law, manufacturing or market-entry

• 33% mentioned technology, IT or AI

• Several respondents saw the diaspora as the operating layer: people with cultural fluency, trust and networks on both sides.

How do you view the Indian economy?

Key findings:

• The dominant sentiment was strongly positive: India was described as growing, attractive, investable and globally central.

• Optimism was caveated by concerns about bureaucracy, uneven development, governance, unemployment and over-dependence on IT.

• Growth was seen as sector-specific rather than uniform, with references to services, travel, pharma, infrastructure, manufacturing, AI and climate.

• 89% of substantive economy responses were positive or growth-oriented. But 44% also raised structural concerns or caveats.

• 58% cited political concerns in India.

Do you feel more Indian or British?

Key findings:

• Most thoughtful answers rejected a binary choice. Identity was described as layered, hybrid, messy, contextual and generational.

• British-leaning respondents often linked this to where they grew up, worked or felt socially formed, while still retaining pride in heritage.

• Indian-leaning or global Indian responses framed Indianness as cultural, emotional or civilisational, often alongside appreciation for British opportunity.

• 57% described identity as hybrid, layered, both or context-dependent.

Are you worried about UK political sentiment, including the rise of the right-wing?

Key findings:

• 58% voiced concern about racism, right-wing rhetoric, media narratives, student/work visa barriers and the emotional safety of children and families— many drawing a sharp line between the skilled migration Britain depends on and the broader debate it gets wrongly swept into.

• Concern was real, particularly around racism, right-wing rhetoric, media narratives, visa barriers and the emotional safety of families.

• Several respondents separated skilled and legal immigration from illegal immigration, arguing that Indian migration is economically valuable.

• Some were not worried long term, arguing the UK repeatedly reopens the door because it needs Indian talent, skills and enterprise.

What could the UK government do better to engaged the diaspora?

Key findings:

• 44% asked for representation and a “seat at the table”.

• 41% positioned the diaspora as bridge-builders, ambassadors or connectors between the countries.

Are you interested in conducting detailed research about business with India, or gain insights into its policy environment. Get in touch with Bridge India today.

To find out more about Lorefully, click here and its co-founder Dr Amrit Chandan, visit his Substack here.

Read more

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The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
Follow us on LinkedIn | Instagram| Twitter | Facebook | Bluesky | YouTube

About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Check out all the videos from India Week here:

Ideas for India conference:

• Summary: Ideas for India confirms its status as pre-eminent, independent UK-India forum

• Summary videos: Instagram …

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Dear all,

The last day of India Week brought together some of the leading journalists in India, including Rajdeep Sardesai (pictured above) with Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene Robinson. Click on the image above to watch the live stream of the whole day.

Congratulations to Talk Journalism for putting together an incredible event, about which one of the participating British journalists said:

Here’s what our Black-tie Dinner the night before looked like: Instagram | LinkedIn.

And to watch the rest of the Ideas for India session videos, check out our YouTube here:

During India Week, we worked with AI-driven market research company Lorefully, interviewing more than 300 participants at Ideas for India and a drinks reception with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We asked them their impressions of the Indian economy, doing business with India, as well as questions about their identity - how does it feel to be Indian amongst anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK.

The results are in. And we’ll be publishing them in a few days.

Aaya Ram Gaya Ram was a phrase that became popular after a Haryana MLA Gaya Lal changed his party three times in the same day in 1967.

This week’s Policy Watch looks at India’s anti-defection law in Parliament. The changing of party allegiance by elected legislators is a well-known phenomenon in Indian politics and it may well mean that the BJP-led NDA majority of 293 vs 234 in the Lok Sabha may grow by 50+ soon, putting it in touching distance of the 362 level needed for a super-majority. Scroll down for more.

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Individual Membership is £150 annually, a Steering Member is £500, and Corporate Membership options start from £750. Corporate Membership is for businesses, non-profits, advocacy organisations and others, looking for bespoke services that meet their strategic goals. We can provide in-depth alignment with a series of networking opportunities, policy initiatives or curated programmes.

NRI remittance service Aspora has a special offer for you: use code BI20 or 📲 download at https://link.aspora.com/DYot/9lbkljd7 to get £20 off your first transfer.

Become a Member

Upcoming events

Binghatti reception (6pm, Wed 1 July, Knightsbridge | Request to attend)

Bridge India is a Community Partner for the upcoming Asian Achievers Awards on Friday 18 September. Before that event, Dubai-based luxury real estate developer Binghatti and EPG are hosting a (non-alcoholic) drinks and canapes reception in Knightsbridge to bring together entrepreneurs, company builders and change-makers from across South Asian communities in London.

When: 6-9pm | Wednesday 1 July

Where: Binghatti, 201 Brompton Road, London SW3 1LA (in between Knightsbridge, Sloane Square and South Kensington stations)

Who: 100+ business leaders, entrepreneurs and others, with inspirational speeches from senior business leaders

Request a space: Fill in this form (please note preference given to existing AAA ticket-holders or Bridge India Members)

‘Aaya Ram Gaya Ram’: The anti-defection law in practice

Anyone that follows Indian politics knows that politicians’ affiliations to their Party are rarely based on ideological conviction. If a MP disagrees with their party’s line of thinking, how often have you seen them resign and seek re-election as an Independent or on a different ticket?

Realistically, floor-walking is more casual, lured by money and the promise of power (or, whisper it softly, the magicking away of pending court cases).

What does the Constitution say?

In 1985, the 52nd Constitution (Amendment) Act added Schedule X and amended articles 101, 102, 190 and 191 of the Constitution, to give us what is known as the Anti-Defection Act.

Para 2 says, if an MP defects, they are disqualified from the House. If an MP voluntarily gives up their Membership of a party, they are disqualified from the House.

Unless two-thirds of that party (in the same legislative chamber) agrees to merge with another party, in which case the MP is not disqualified.

Where are the loopholes?

Plenty.

A legislator is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote. This latter could mean voting contrary to the whip or simply not voting when required. An action could undermine the true spirit of a representative democracy, by restricting the legislator from voting in line with his conscience, judgement or interests of his electorate. The law blurs the distinction between defection and dissent.

Article 93 does not require the Speaker of the House to relinquish their political ties upon assuming office. Since the Speaker is tasked with making the adjudication of disqualification, could the Speaker have the power the manoeuvre the situation to suit the political party they favour?

There is also no in-build expediency required in the decision-making. The Schedule does not stipulate a time period by when the Speaker (or other Presiding Officer) needs to reach a decision on disqualification. So defections may therefore drip-feed, ultimately leading to the two-thirds herd defection.

For example, the Telangana Speaker in March 2016 allowed the merger of the TDP Legislature Party in Telangana with the ruling TRS, citing that in total, 80% of the TDP MLAs (12 out of 15) had joined the TRS at the time of taking the decision.

And so the law is toothless in preventing mass defections. Democratically elected governments were brought down in Maharashtra (2022), Madhya Pradesh (2020), Manipur (2020), Arunachal Pradesh (2016), and Karnataka (2019), mostly due to orchestrated exits by large groups of legislators.

How have the Courts interpreted the law?

The law initially stated that the decision of the Presiding Officer is not subject to judicial review. This condition was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1992, thereby allowing appeals against the Presiding Officer’s decision in the High Court and Supreme Court. But, there may not be any judicial intervention until the Presiding Officer gives his order (which could deliberately take a long time).

In 2015, the Hyderabad High Court refused to intervene after hearing a petition which alleged that there had been delay by the Telangana Assembly Speaker in acting against a member under the anti-defection law.

The Kerala High Court in 2023 suggested the imposition of stringent financial penalties for defection, saying if the defector does not feel a monetary pinch, the practice will not be curbed.

How could the equation change in the Lok Sabha?

There has been in a drastic increase over time in the number of political parties in India, especially tiny unrecognised parties, so that defections can be explained away as ‘mergers’ instead. This has been the cause of bulk movement of legislators across state legislative assemblies.

The 2024 General Election gave the BJP another mandate to government, but with a reduced majority.

But lots has changed since then, which will bolster the BJP.

Up to 25 Samajwadi Party MPs may be considering defecting to the BJP.

Six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs are seeking to join the Eknath Shinde faction of the Sena, which emerged after an earlier split in the parent party.

After the BJP’s thumping win the recent West Bengal elections, a rebel Trinamool Congress group claiming the support of 20 of its outgoing 28 Lok Sabha MPs has aligned itself with the NDA, seeking a merger with the little-known Nationalist Citizen Party of India.

In April, seven out of ten (70%) AAP MPs in the Rajya Sabha joined the BJP.

How could the law be improved?

Former Lok Sabha Secretary General PDT Achary said that by voluntarily leaving AAP, the MPs were liable for disqualification from the legislature (under Paragraph 2(1)(a)).

Supreme Court lawyer and independent (ex-Indian National Congress) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal argued that a merger of the legislature party can only follow a merger of the original political party, not precede it. Since AAP continues to exist as a party and has not merged with BJP at an organisational level, he says the merger defence may be unconstitutional.

That may be, but the on-ground situation is that the MPs have still switched.

Paragraph 4 of the Schedule, which deals with the merger exception, could be deleted, according to the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil, while deciding the petition filed in the Janata Dal split between 1992-1993 asked if it was necessary to ask MPs and MLAs to vote in a particular manner in all cases. Patil recommended that Schedule X be modified to include a narrow list of matters in which MPs and MLAs can be directed to vote in a certain manner. So they can vote with their conscience for most matters.

The impartiality risk of the Speaker in deciding disqualification petitions could also be addressed, by giving more power to the President or a Governor. In 2020, the Supreme Court had recommended that matters of disqualification ought to be decided by an impartial tribunal instead of the Speaker.

In Jayant Patil v. The Speaker, Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, WP (Civil) No. 1077/2023 (Order dated 17 October 2023), a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for not laying down an appropriate time schedule, in the context of disqualification petitions filed against the Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar factions of the Shiv Sena and the NCP, respectively. The lack of a schedule actively enabled horse-trading in the background.

If you’ve read this article and don’t have the patience to read the legislative analysis in some of the links provided, you can check out Peek TV’s short Instagram video explainer here.

--
The Bridge India Team

contact@bridgeindia.org.uk | www.bridgeindia.org.uk
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About Bridge India: Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. Bridge India is a company limited by guarantee Companies House number 15283062.

Vee Bharkhada from Navigate Business Recovery, which specialises in insolvency-related disputes, director liabilities, and guiding businesses through complex financial challenges, is spo…

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