Agenda

Sustainable development and biodiversity conservation are closely related. In order to provide basic resources like food, clean water, and climate regulation, ecosystems must remain resilient and healthy over the long term, which is ensured by biodiversity conservation. In turn, sustainable development calls for the preservation of biodiversity as well as the prudent use of natural resources to satisfy the demands of both the current and future generations.

Biodiversity as the Foundation for Sustainable Development:

• ✓ Provision of Ecosystem Services: Biodiversity supports essential ecosystem services such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation, which are crucial for human well-being and economic activities.

• ✓ Resource Sustainability: The sustainable use of natural resources, such as food, water, and raw materials, is ensured by biodiversity conservation. These resources areessential for supplying human needs and fostering economic progress.

• ✓ Resilience and Stability: Diverse ecosystems are better able to sustain human cultures over the long term and are more adaptable to environmental changes, particularly climatechange.

Sustainable Development as a Driver for Biodiversity Conservation:

• ✓ Promoting Responsible Use: Sustainable development places a strong emphasis on using resources—including biodiversity—responsibly in order to prevent overexploitation and guarantee their availability for future generations.

• ✓ Addressing Environmental Challenges: Ecosystems can be protected and biodiversity risks can be lessened with the use of sustainable development techniques including pollution reduction and sustainable land management.

• ✓ Integrating Biodiversity into Policies: Frameworks for sustainable development acknowledge the value of biodiversity and include it into decisions and policies to guarantee that social and economic development objectives are taken into account in addition to biodiversity preservation.

Global Collaboration forum’s (GCF) flagship event, IndiSetu 2025, a two day thought Leadership summit aims to address the urgent need to protect biodiversity while ensuring sustainable development practices. The event will bring together experts, researchers, and policymakers to share knowledge, discuss challenges, and explore solutions for preserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable economic and social growth.

The Key highlights of the program will be as follows:

• ✓ A series of presentations on biodiversity conservation with focus on India’sProject Tiger: a flagship conservationinitiative aimed at protecting theBengal tiger and its habitat has significantly impacted biodiversity conservation, leading to a substantial increase in tiger populations and a broader positive effect on the ecosystem.

• ✓ A deep-dive into the work of David Attenborough: the greatest conversation storyteller of all time whose extensive work and advocacy play a crucial role in promoting biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Attenborough's consistent message emphasizes the urgency of protecting nature, transitioning to renewable energy, and promoting sustainable practices.

• ✓ Global Vision Start-Up Challenge: The Global Vision Start-Up Challenge is a unique platform provided by GCF designed to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs from Indian universities. This initiative aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and global outreach among young minds, offering them an unparalleled opportunity to pitch transformative ideas centred on sustainable development & biodiversity conservation and connect with world-class mentors, incubators, and investors.

The collaboration between India and the UK is complex and dynamic, involving shared history, ongoing partnerships, and the influence of the Indian diaspora on UK culture. Recent agreements and initiatives focus on strengthening this connection through cultural exchange, arts and heritage promotion, and fostering partnerships between institutions.

Historical Ties and Shared Heritage:

• ✓ ColonialHistory:TheUKandIndiasharealongandcomplexhistory,includingtheperiodof British rule in India, known as the British Raj.

• ✓ SharedCulturalInfluences:Thishistoricalconnectionhasresultedinmutualinfluence,with Indian cuisine, fashion, and other cultural elements becoming part of UK culture.

• ✓ IndianDiaspora:TheIndiandiasporaintheUKsignificantlycontributestothecountry's cultural landscape, enriching it with diverse traditions and perspectives.

Global Collaboration forum’s (GCF) flagship event, Indisetu, a two day thought Leadership summit, is aimed at enhancing two-way cultural exchanges through the arts and heritage and encouraging long-term partnerships between creative businesses and cultural institutions in both these countries.

Keeping the above objective in mind, GCF proposes a 3 point plan to drive up fresh opportunities for collaboration, innovation and economic growth for our artists, cultural institutions and creative businesses.

• ✓ CREATING INDIA –UK DIRECTORY: This directory will list Indian and UK artists, researchers, and institutions making it a one stop access point for future projects aiming to promote cultural exchanges by bringing together Indian and UK partners.

Arts and Culture: Including music, dance, theatre, film, literature, and visual arts.

Education and Academic Collaboration: Through initiatives like the ICCR's scholarship programs and joint research projects.

Creative Industries: The UK is actively working with India to foster collaboration in areas like film, television, and digital media.

Heritage and Museums: Preserving and promoting cultural heritage through joint projects and exhibitions.

Food and Culinary Traditions: Celebrating Indian cuisine in the UK and sharing culinary experiences.

• ✓ REDEFINING THE FUTURE TRAJECTORY OF INDIA - UK COLLABORATION : A keynote lecture along with a panel discussion on how UK and India can revive their historical ties and their current position in the economic and cultural landscape of the world, involving industrialists, public intellectuals and sports personalities from India and the UK to be showcased at the Indisetu event in BMA House on October 11, 2025.

• ✓ INDO-UK RESEARCH & PUBLICATION FESTIVAL:Event will focus on showcasing research findings and encouraging scholarly publication. The festival will involve workshops, presentations, and discussions aimed at fostering research collaboration, cultural exchanges and knowledge dissemination.

Key Aspects:

ShowcasingResearch: Participants will present their research findings through various formats like posters, talks, and workshops.

Publication Focus: The festival will include sessions on research publication strategies, journal submission, and writing for academic audiences.

NetworkingandCollaboration: The event will provide opportunities for researchers to connect, share ideas, and potentially collaborate on future projects.

SkillsDevelopment: Workshops and training sessions will focus on research methodology, writing skill and other topics relevant to research and publication.