GLOBAL IMPACT FORUM – EDITION II

CIVILISATIONAL LEGACY

The Forum in Conversation

Explore two days of thoughtfully curated programme of conversations around business,
policy and global collaboration.

Opening Ceremony

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

National and state leadership open the summit

Welcome Note
Janhavi Pawar
Janhavi Pawar Director, Sakal Media Group
Opening Address
Shri Piyush Goyal
Shri Piyush Goyal Minister of Commerce and Industry of India
Inauguration
Shri Devendra Fadnavis
Shri Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister of Maharashtra
Vote of Thanks
Dr. Vinod Bidwaik
Dr. Vinod Bidwaik CHRO & Group Director – HR, People & Culture, AP Globale & Sakal Media Group

India × Brazil

10:45 AM – 01:00 PM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Movement as Memory

Exploring rhythm and dance across Indian, Brazilian traditions

Speakers
Smt Ananda Shankar Jayant
Smt Ananda Shankar Jayant Indian dancer and choreographer
Professor Reza Baba
Professor Reza Baba India's first Capoeira Master and a fitness educator
Moderator
Radhika Warikoo
Radhika Warikoo Academician, Digital Content Creator & Professional Dancer

The Face of a Nation

Two titleholders on beauty's platform and purpose

Speakers
Sadhvi Sail
Sadhvi Sail Miss India World 2026
Luana Cavalcante
Luana Cavalcante Model, Founder, Miss Universe Brazil 2024
Moderator
Rishika Bhargava
Rishika Bhargava Founder & CEO, Pali Beauty

The Nation on the Field

Sport as a stand-in for national pride

Speakers
Bhaichung Bhutia
Bhaichung Bhutia Indian former footballer
Cafu
Cafu Brazilian Football Legend
Moderator
Jose Costa
Jose Costa Portuguese Retired Footballer
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

India × China

2:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

The Disciplined Body

Two combat lineages sharing centuries of discipline

Speakers
Tuhon Shifu Kanishka Sharma
Tuhon Shifu Kanishka Sharma India's First Shaolin Master
Shinto Mathew
Shinto Mathew Indian martial arts expert
Shifu Sahil
Shifu Sahil 35th-Generation Shaolin Warrior & Founder, Mumbai Shaolin Centre
Moderator
Rajvardhan Kadam
Rajvardhan Kadam Kalaripayattu Practitioner & Visual Artist

Ink, Line and Meaning

The written word as civilisational art form

Speakers
Abhishek Vardhan Singh
Abhishek Vardhan Singh Calligrapher, Researcher, and Academician
Achyut Palav
Achyut Palav Indian calligrapher and educator
Moderator
Raghunita Gupta
Raghunita Gupta Calligraphy Expert

Ancient Systems of Healing

Chinese and Indian medicine's shared ancient truths

Speakers
Priya Samwani
Priya Samwani Founder of Balance Point Chinese Med Clinic
Prateek Samwani
Prateek Samwani Chinese Medicine Practitioner and India's youngest licensed acupuncturist
Prof. Dr. Brijesh Mishra
Prof. Dr. Brijesh Mishra Dean, Shri Ayurved Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur
Moderator
Leema Malla
Leema Malla TCM Practitioner
04:20pm – 05:00pm
HIGH TEA

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Keynote Address

Keynote Speaker
Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Tourism of India

Cultural Evening

7:00 PM onwards

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Percussion, dance, and performance across four continents

Opening & Cultural Icon of the Year Award

RJ Tarun opens Gala Night. Cultural Icon of the Year Award presented by Ashish Shelkar to Suniel Shetty.

Cultural Performances featuring
Capoeira Ensemble
Capoeira Ensemble
Shikhar Naad Qureshi
Shikhar Naad Qureshi
The Cultural Soul of China
The Cultural Soul of China Presented by Yin Yang Centre
International Cultural Delegations
International Cultural Delegations
9:30 PM onwards
GALA DINNER

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Evening of celebration closing out Day 1

Opening Address

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Welcome note opening the second day

Speakers
Janhavi Pawar
Janhavi Pawar Director, Sakal Media Group

India × Russia

10:30 AM – 1:00 PM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Words That Outlive Empires

Exploring the friendship between Tagore and Tolstoy

Speakers
Uma Dasgupta
Uma Dasgupta Indian actress and historian
Matvei Fetisov
Matvei Fetisov Vice Consul at the Consulate General of Russia in Mumbai
Moderator
Omkar Bhatkar
Omkar Bhatkar Sociologist, Playwright & Theater Director

Frames of a Civilisation

Indian filmmaking's growing impact on cinema's future

Speakers
Sanjay Rodrigues
Sanjay Rodrigues Founder and CEO of Phenomenal AI
Ivan Fetisov
Ivan Fetisov Consul General of the Russian Federation
Moderator
Narendra Bandabe
Narendra Bandabe Film Scholar & Author

The Sound of the Soul

Sitar tradition's global reach, from Herbie Hancock to Amazon Prime

Speakers
Purbayan Chatterjee
Purbayan Chatterjee Indian Sitar Maestro
Aleksandr Fursov
Aleksandr Fursov Deputy Consul General of the Russian Federation
Moderator
Narendra Kusnur
Narendra Kusnur Senior Music Journalist
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

India × South Africa

2:00 PM – 4:15 PM

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Guardians of the Wild

Shared India-South Africa conservation battles, from the ground

Speakers
Shri Anand Shinde
Shri Anand Shinde Founder of Trunk Call The Wildlife Foundation
Sibusiso Mpungose
Sibusiso Mpungose Speaker, Global Impact Forum
Moderator
Pooja R Bhale
Pooja R Bhale Founder & Director, Protecterra Ecological Foundation

Voices Carried Forward

Deep, overlooked history connecting India and Africa

Speakers
Dr. Neelima Sona
Dr. Neelima Sona Emotional intelligence expert, author, and leadership coach
Mr. Mashudubele Sedula Mamabolo
Mr. Mashudubele Sedula Mamabolo Counsellor, South African High Commission
Moderator
Yogesh Gokhale
Yogesh Gokhale Professor, AIPRIS, MSU Baroda

The Long Walk to Selfhood

Diplomacy meets philosophy on freedom and identity

Speakers
Manish Karmwar
Manish Karmwar Department of African Studies
Gideon Labane
Gideon Labane Consulate General of South Africa
Moderator
Hemant Rajopadhye
Hemant Rajopadhye Indologist, Sanskrit Scholar & Public Policy Researcher
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM
HIGH TEA

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Founders Track

04:45 PM onwards

Crystal Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Opening Remarks

Founders building enterprises meant to outlast generations

Speakers
Shreya Hegde
Shreya Hegde Indian content creator, entrepreneur, and soft skills trainer

The Legacy Hour

A curated session exploring what it takes to build enterprises designed to outlast generations

Ministerial Keynote

Keynote on India's current investment moment

Speakers
Shri Piyush Goyal
Shri Piyush Goyal Minister of Commerce and Industry of India

The Capital Council

VC dealmaking track for founders and investors

8:00 PM onwards
NETWORKING RECEPTION & CLOSING DINNER

Ballroom – The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai

Closing reception to continue the day's conversations