India takes centre stage at CNBC-TV18 summit

MUMBAI: When the world talks business, India is clearly in the conversation. CNBC-TV18’s Global Leadership Summit 2025 turned the spotlight on The India Advantage, bringing together the world’s most influential minds to explore how the country is shaping the next wave of global growth.

Hosted at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, the second edition of the flagship summit saw a dynamic mix of policymakers, CEOs, economists, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons discuss everything from capital markets and artificial intelligence to real estate, trade, and innovation.

Opening the summit, CNBC-TV18 managing editor Shereen Bhan, celebrated 26 years of the channel’s leadership in business journalism, noting its digital reach that now spans millions across Youtube, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

The day began with a keynote from SEBI chairperson Tuhin Kanta Pandey, who described India’s capital markets as “central to the aspirations of Viksit Bharat”, emphasising that policy must evolve through dialogue and inclusion.

From there, conversations spanned the economic spectrum. Ridham Desai, Sankaran Naren, and Ashishkumar Chauhan discussed India’s rise as a global investment magnet. OpenAI’s Oliver Jay explored how businesses are turning artificial intelligence into opportunity, while ISRO chairman V. Narayanan spoke about India’s growing presence in space exploration.

Chief economic advisor Anantha Nageshwaran underlined how reforms and resilience are steering India toward global indispensability, while ministry of electronics and information technology’s S. Krishnan shared the government’s vision of responsible AI innovation.

As the day progressed, sessions with historian Niall Ferguson, NITI Aayog CEO B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, and Jio Financial Services chairman K. V. Kamath delved into geopolitics, policy, and financial transformation. Industry leaders from HSBC, Brookfield, DLF, and Google India added their insights on building a resilient, tech-driven economy.

Cultural and creative India also had its moment. Deepika Padukone and Sabyasachi Mukherjee discussed the power of heritage and storytelling on the global stage, while women’s cricket stars Sneh Rana and Shafali Verma reflected on redefining victory for a new generation.

The evening closed with Visa CEO Ryan McInerney’s keynote on global commerce and consumption trends, followed by music and celebration, fitting for a day that captured India’s confidence, creativity, and momentum on the world stage.

Presented by HSBC India, co-presented by Embassy Group, powered by Google, and supported by Associate Partners ITC, WeWork India, Embassy REIT, and Reliance Industries Limited. The CNBC-TV18 Global Leadership Summit 2025 was more than a meeting of minds, it was a masterclass in how The India Advantage is becoming the world’s opportunity.