Day 1: Thursday, March 10, 2022

1730 - 1800 hrs

Inaugural Session: A Roadmap for Indo-Pacific Regional Cooperation

Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region is critical for development-based, emerging world order. The existing issues pertaining to security, development, and environment must be addressed for a successful Indo-Pacific region. The objective of this session is to set the scene for deeper deliberations and come up with a roadmap for a stronger Indo-Pacific regional cooperation.

Jennifer Larson, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for India, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State

G V Prasad, Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories

Madan Pillutla, Dean, Indian School of Business

Joel Reifman, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad

1800 - 1845 hrs

In-Conversation Session: Shaping Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific

India and the U.S. play a critical role in shaping geopolitics and making it strategically more relevant through aligning with the countries based on consensus and cooperation emerging out of common concerns. The objective of the session is to deliberate on various issues and opportunities that are shaping the geopolitics of the region.

Happymon Jacob, Associate Professor, Centre for International Politics, Organisation and Disarmament, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University 

IN CONVERSATION WITH

Shivshankar Menon, IFS (Retd) Visiting Professor and Chair of Ashoka Centre for China Studies, Ashoka University

1850 - 1935 hrs

Security Dialogue: Negotiating Security Partnership in the Indo-Pacific Theatre

The Indo-Pacific is emerging as one of the most important theatres for the 21st century’s geopolitical affairs. The leaders in the region are striving to protect shared values and promote the security and prosperity of the region. As the foreign policy perspectives of countries vary and change based on diplomatic requirements, it is important to negotiate for a strong security partnership that incorporates not only military capabilities but also cyber capabilities, AI, quantum technology and undersea capabilities. The objective of this session is to discuss AUKUS and other developments in negotiating a stronger security partnership in the Indo-Pacific theatre.

Lt Gen (Dr) Prakash Menon, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Director, Strategic Studies Programme, The Takshashila Institution

Jagannath Panda, Head, Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) Sweden and Director, Europe-Asia for YCAPS

Air Vice Marshal (Dr) Arjun Subramaniam, AVSM (Retd), President’s Chair of Excellence, National Defence College

Moderator: Suhasini Haidar, National Editor, and Diplomatic Affairs Editor, The Hindu

1940 - 2030 hrs

Sagar Dialogue: Rules-Based Maritime Indo-Pacific Order

For common prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific region, there is a need to evolve through dialogue a common, rules-based order that respects sovereignty, territorial integrity, and equality of all nations. The objective of the session is to deliberate on the challenges in arriving at a rules-based maritime Indo-Pacific Order.

Sana Hashmi, Visiting Fellow, Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation

Manoj Kewalramani, Chairperson, Indo-Pacific Research Programme and Head, China Studies Programme, Takshashila Institution

Captain Sarabjit Singh Parmar (IN), Senior Fellow, National Maritime Foundation

Premesha Saha, Associate Fellow, Strategic Studies Programme, ORF

Moderator: Nayanima Basu, Diplomacy Editor, ThePrint

2035 - 2125hrs

Resilience Talks: Building Resilience in the Indo-Pacific: Climate Change and Disaster Response

The Indo-Pacific is home to more than half the world’s population, and seven of the 15 biggest economies which account for 60 per cent of the world economy, two-thirds of all economic growth over the last five years.  The region also faces major transnational challenges with the climate crisis being one that needs immediate attention.  Being home to 70% of the world’s natural disasters, it becomes imperative for partners to come together to reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation. This session will aim to focus on measures that promote resilience to these 21st-century transnational threats focusing on climate change and natural disasters.

Rachel Fleishman, Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific, Center for Climate and Security

Bronwyn Hayward, Director, Sustainability, Citizenship and Civic Imagination and Professor, Department of Political Science and IR, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Ulka Kelkar, Director - Climate, World Resources Institute, India

Ari Nathan, Indo-Pacific Coordinator, U.S. Embassy in Colombo

Moderator: Anjal Prakash, Research Director and Adjunct Professor, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business  

2125 – 2130 hrs

Sum-up & Closing

Day 2: Friday, March 11, 2022

1030 - 1125 hrs

Regional Dialogue: Modernizing Alliances, Strengthening Partnerships: Within and beyond the Indo-Pacific

For the last 75 years, the Indo-Pacific region has witnessed several regional alliances, organizations, and treaties.  These partnerships have the region generate 60% of the world’s GDP and two-thirds of the present global economic growth. This success has been attributed to a rules-based international order.  However, such alliances and coalitions need to be updated in response to constantly evolving geopolitics, while ensuring that all partners and allies gain the benefits of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is more connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient.  Advancement in technology and greater interconnectedness has meant that our societies are more integrated. Organizations like the European Union, which is one of the top investors in the region, now seek increased engagement with the Indo-Pacific. The objective of this session is to explore the synergy between these groupings with the larger developmental objectives of the Indo-Pacific region.

Shyam Saran, IFS (Retd), Former Foreign Secretary of India and Senior Fellow and Member of the Governing Board, Centre for Policy Research (CPR)

The Hon. Lisa Singh, CEO, Australia India Institute

Moderator: Sanjaya Baru, Distinguished Fellow, United Service Institution of India

1130 - 1220 hrs

Economic Dialogue: Building Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific

As one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, the Indo-Pacific region has the capacity to elevate close to 1.5 billion people to the middle-income category. Despite COVID-19 impeding the pace of economic growth in the region, Indo-Pacific remains the epicentre of the world economy.  That said, the focus needs to be on improving trade facilitation, promoting the digital economy and technology, rebuilding resilient supply chains, pushing for more decarbonization and clean energy, and equipping emerging economies of the region with high-standard infrastructure. The objective of the session is to talk about the aspects which would collectively enhance prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

Mohan Kumar, IFS (Retd), Chairman, Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi and Professor of Diplomatic Practice, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P Jindal Global University

Amitendu Palit, Senior Research Fellow and Research Lead, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore

Sanjay Pulipaka, Independent Research on International Politics and Security Issues (Formerly Senior Fellow, Delhi Policy Group and ICRIER)

Sanushka Seomangal, National Vice-Chair, Australia India Business Council

Moderator: Shekhar Tomar, Assistant Professor, Economics and Public Policy, Indian School of Business

1225 - 1320 hrs

Diplomats’ Roundtable: Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: Focus on Education, Healthcare, Technology and People-to-People Connect

Cooperation within and beyond the Indo-Pacific region is critical to aspire for inclusive and resilient world order. There are multiple issues and challenges which needed networked cooperation and engagement like – education, healthcare, climate change, technology, manpower, besides others, that is needed to be discussed for arriving at a development-oriented Indo-Pacific region. The objective of this panel is to discuss and explore these areas of cooperation which would aim to strengthen the region’s collective soft power.

Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India and Bhutan

Kunihiko Kawazu, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Japan, New Delhi

Patricia A. Lacina, Chargé D’ Affaires, a.i. U.S. Embassy New Delhi

Moderator: Madan Pillutla, Dean, Indian School of Business

1320 - 1340 hrs