On December 10, ORF America hosted its 2024 Annual Dinner in San Francisco with alumni, partners, and friends.

Every year, the ORF America Annual Dinner brings together high-profile leaders from the public and private sector to discuss contemporary global governance issues impacting the current world order. The 2024 edition of the Annual Dinner featured a conversation on the future of American engagement with the world, as well as, the implications of emerging technologies on geopolitics, business and international development priorities. 

Speakers:

• Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President, Emirates Policy Center, UAE

• Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sweden

• Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California

• Tadashi Maeda, Chairman of the Board, Japan Bank for International

  Cooperation

• Marise Payne, former Foreign and Defense Minister, Australia

• Moderator: Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

On December 10, ORF America and ORF launched the Global Diaspora Forum with a gathering between leading diaspora members of India and Armenia. At the inaugural meeting of the Global Diaspora Forum, Indian-American and Armenian-American technology leaders and practitioners discussed the role of emerging technologies as a catalyst for economic growth, shared and emerging geopolitical challenges, and how diaspora networks can be better leveraged for a more innovative and resilient future.

About the Global Diaspora Forum:

India is among many countries to enjoy a large and successful diaspora, including in the United States. Indian-Americans are among the wealthiest and most educated communities in the country, and have risen to leadership positions in business, politics, science, and the arts. Indian-Americans also serve as important bridges between India and the United States. Similar trends can be observed among Indian communities in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere. 

Creating a network of prominent members of the Indian diaspora from around the world with counterparts associated with like-minded countries represents a major opportunity. A Global Diaspora Forum - anchored by ORF and its affiliates - will help link members of the Indian diaspora to counterparts from other communities around the world. It will help create networks, identify shared areas of concern, and explore opportunities for business and policy collaboration. 

Speakers:

• Hakob Arshakyan, Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Science and Technology Development Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of Armenia and Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia

• Vinod Dham, Founder and Executive Managing Partner, IndoUS Venture Partners

• Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

• Khanderao Kand, President, Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies

• Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation

• Yervant Zorian, Chairman, APRI Armenia; Vice President, Armenian General Benevolent Union; President, Synopsys Armenia

On December 6, ORF America hosted a private roundtable titled “Bridging Perspectives: Shaping Development Priorities for the Global South”. The event facilitated an insightful conversation on the pressing challenges for economic development in the Global South with a select group of participants from multilateral development banks, think tanks, philanthropies, and the private sector.

The participants reflected on key milestones from 2024 including the IMF and World Bank meetings, the Summit of the Future, and COP29 among others. The discussion identified critical gaps and proposed key action points for Global South collaboration in 2025.

As the collective influence of the Global South grows through the consecutive G20 presidencies of Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa, the upcoming Financing for Development conference, and COP30 in Bélem in 2025, the discussion focused on three key priorities:

1. Examining the outcomes from significant convenings in 2024, such as the UN Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact, the World Bank’s enhanced lending capacity, the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty established during Brazil’s G20 presidency, and the financial commitment made during COP29 for climate action.

2. Exploring whether or not the ongoing global commitments adequately addressed the urgency of the Global South’s needs.

3. Assessing the available opportunities for the Global South to take action to drive effective and sustainable solutions in 2025.

The participants noted the importance of articulating clear priorities and course of action to sustain the momentum generated in 2024. However, questions were raised about the adequacy and effectiveness of development finance to address the needs of the Global South particularly in climate adaption and clean energy transition. The discussions also called into question whether the current strategy of private sector engagement is appropriate and whether countries of the Global South had the capacity to absorb increased flow of resources effectively.

The conversations emphasized that the Global South needs more institutional capacity to gain credibility and provide leadership in multilateral forums. Countries of the Global South should agree on a set of priorities, develop action plans, and develop coordination mechanisms to strengthen their bargaining power to drive the global development agenda in 2025.

Attendees:

• Magdi Amin, Managing Partner, African Renaissance Partners

• Pepukaye Bardouille, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Barbados and Director, Bridgetown Initiative

• Ridhika Batra, Vice President Corporate Affairs, Mahindra Group

• Udaibir Das, Distinguished Senior Fellow, ORF America, and Visiting Professor, National Council for Applied Economic Research

• Alan Gelb, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Center for Global Development

• Hemang Jani, Senior Advisor to Executive Director, World Bank

• Vikrum Mathur, Senior Director, Tata Sons - North America

• Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, ORF America

• Karen Rodriguez, Alternate Executive Director for Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Philippines, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, World Bank

• Jordan Sandman, Principal, Investments, Co-Develop

• Sharon Stirling, Chief Operating Officer, ORF America

• Fabio Veras Soares, Director of International Studies, Institute for Applied Economic Research, Brasilia

• Brian Webster, Research Associate, Center for Global Development

On December 5, Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of ORF America, launched his new book, "Vishwa Shastra: India and the World", at Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi.

Published by Penguin India, "Vishwa Shastra" is meant as an introduction to India in international affairs. It describes a long history of India's interactions with the world, from ancient times to the present day. Speaking to a wide audience that includes policymakers, scholars and especially students, the book offers both rich, historical context and forward-looking strategies for India.

The launch featured remarks by Samir Saran, President of ORF and Manasi Subramaniam, Editor-in-Chief of Penguin Random House India, as well as a panel discussion with Shamika Ravi of the PM's Economic Advisory Council, Indrani Bagchi, CEO of the Ananta Centre; C. Raja Mohan, Columnist with the Indian Express; and Ashok Malik, Partner at The Asia Group.

Watch the launch here.

Michael Newbill, Senior Advisor, Critical Mineral Supply chains, U.S Department of State, delivered keynote remarks on the importance of fostering U.S.-India climate cooperation and the active engagement of emerging leaders on climate and energy issues.

Following his remarks, the cohort presented the volume's nine chapters, covering critical topics like capacity building for climate action, green hydrogen, methane emissions, urban planning, electric vehicles, rooftop solar, mineral supply chains, digital public infrastructure, and the intersection of climate and health.

On November 14, ORF America hosted a roundtable with the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI), the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), and the Embassy of India in Brazil in advance of the meeting of the leaders of India, Brazil and South Africa during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro. The conversation identified common ground among the IBSA troika and recommended action plans reflecting the voice of the Global South in four areas:

(i) Agreeing on the pathway for the reform of global Institutions to achieve SDGs;
(ii) Strengthening the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty and Mission LiFE;
(iii) Accelerating energy transition with social justice; and
(iv) Promoting Inclusive and equitable digital transformation.

There was wide consensus that IBSA can play an important role to amplify voices of the Global South and focus on the development agenda both within G20 and in other multilateral groupings. The consecutive presidencies of India and Brazil followed by South Africa in 2025 is an opportune moment to delineate common positions on issues such as addressing the debt crisis, financing energy transition, addressing poverty and inequality, and accelerate the progress towards the SDGs. The roundtable participants also emphasized that IBSA is well positioned to guide the post-SDG development agenda and restructure the COP climate negotiation process, especially with Brazil hosting the COP30 in Bélem in 2025. 

Just over two decades after its formation, there is an opportunity to revive IBSA as a force for peace and development in an increasingly turbulent world. However, this would require increased political commitment among the leaders of the three countries than has been the case over the past decade. This needs to be backed by a commitment to invest resources and create concrete programs for collaboration among the three countries, something that has been an impediment to IBSA's influence until now.

Speakers:

• Marianna Albuquerque, Senior Fellow, CEBRI

• Pamla Gopaul, Senior Research Fellow, African Union Development Agency

  (AUDA-NEPAD)

• Feliciano Guimarães, Senior Fellow, CEBRI

• Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

• Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, India

• Matsosha Mnguni, G20 Coordinator, Director General of International Relations and

  Cooperation (DIRCO), Government of South Africa

• Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, ORF America

• Antonio Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom

• Suresh Reddy, Ambassador of India to Brazil

• Fabio Veras Soares, Director of International Studies, Instituto de Pesquisa

  Economia Aplicada (IPEA)

On November 12, ORF America hosted a discussion on the 2024 U.S. elections. The discussion explored the issues and trends that informed the outcome of the 2024 U.S. elections.

This was the tenth convening of the Briefings & Beer series, which is organized by ORF America for young professionals in Washington, D.C. The series offers young professionals the opportunity to informally engage with distinguished foreign policy experts, as well as a platform to network with peers. This discussion was attended by journalists, think tank analysts, and embassy officials.

Speakers: 

• Clifford Young, President, Ipsos U.S. Public Affairs

• Kristin Davison, Partner, Axiom Strategies

• Moderator: Natalie Boyse, Program Manager, Global Programs, ORF America

On October 23, ORF America hosted a discussion on the Quad with members of the FourSight task force. FourSight: A Task Force on China's Strategic Futures works to promote academic and professional cooperation among emerging China scholars from Quad countries, while offering new perspectives and assessments to policymakers.

The speakers shared their experiences from the FourSight workshop so far, including what surprised them the most in their meetings with China experts in the U.S. government and think tank spaces. They also discussed differences between the Quad countries’ perspectives and challenges when dealing with China, as well as how they became interested in China.

This was the ninth convening of the Briefings & Beer series, which is organized by ORF America for young professionals in Washington, D.C. The series offers young professionals the opportunity to informally engage with distinguished foreign policy experts, as well as a platform to network with peers. This discussion was attended by journalists, think tank analysts, and embassy officials.

Speakers: 

• Shikha Aggarawal, Visiting Fellow, India Foundation

• Takuya Matsuda, Adjunct Lecturer, Aoyama Gakuin University

• Philip Rogers, Senior Manager, China, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

• Neil Thomas, Fellow on Chinese Politics, Center for China Analysis, Asia Society Policy Institute

• Moderator: Medha Prasanna, Junior Fellow and Program Assistant, ORF America

On October 16, ORF America hosted a private lunch with Nihal Chauhan, Non-Resident Fellow at ORF America and the Chief Executive Officer of Indo-Pacific Advisory, a Singapore-based strategic consultancy firm. The conversation explored business and commercial perspectives on India’s engagement with Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

As India attempts to strengthen strategic and economic ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific, a number of trends are emerging — the significance of industrial policy in the aftermath of global financial crises and the Covid-19 pandemic, increasing alignment between government priorities and business interests, and re-alignments of supply chains. Participants discussed the potential implications of U.S.-China competition and the upcoming U.S. presidential election on India’s relations with the Indo-Pacific.

The lunch was attended by U.S. government officials from the White House and Congress, along with representatives from the diplomatic corps, business groups, think tanks, and strategic consultancy firms.

Speakers:

• Nihal Chauhan, Non-Resident Fellow, ORF America

• Moderator: Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

On October 16, ORF America hosted the fifth Chips for Breakfast, a private roundtable to facilitate frank conversations among a select group of U.S. and foreign government officials, industry representatives, and policy experts about the current state of U.S. semiconductor policy,  technology leadership, and collaboration with like-minded partners.

With numerous companies seeking to develop, train, and operationalize large language models and other applied AI uses, the workhorses of artificial intelligence - particularly advanced graphics processing units and advanced compute hyperscalers - are crucial. Yet the bottleneck of data centers and ultimately, hardware, remains a key limitation for AI researchers and the private sector, as parallel processing remains essential. At the same time, the United States and its partners and allies are also wrestling with regulatory and governance considerations on a host of issues tied to AI. Differences in preferred regulatory approaches are starting to become more salient, but are not yet institutionalized.

Against the backdrop of more than two years since the passage of the CHIPS & Science Act, this meeting focused on advanced compute and artificial intelligence. It sought to address key questions along three lines of inquiry. First, what is the current landscape in the United States for advanced compute and applied artificial intelligence research? Second, it analyzed whether there are crucial breakthroughs or challenges in AI that are expected to change the status quo? Third, it assessed how hardware specific issues affect regulatory concerns emerging at the national and multilateral levels. The discussion also assessed differences in sovereign versus private sector advanced compute capacity and the hurdles facing smaller states and middle powers in their efforts to formulate AI-related policies. 

During Climate Week NYC, ORF America partnered with Sequoia Climate Foundation and the Council on Foreign Relations to convene experts and practitioners for a dialogue on global decarbonization and its role in advancing a wide range of policy objectives.

Speakers:

• Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for the United Kingdom’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

• Mari Elka Pangestu, Indonesia’s Special Envoy for Climate Finance

• John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy and Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation

During the 2024 edition of India Day @ UNGA, Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America, moderated a session titled “To the Lighthouse? Promises and Pathways for the Rising South."  The discussion explored how countries in the Global South are helping to craft a collective South-led vision for sustainable development. 

Speakers:

• Aude Darnal, Research Analyst and Project Manager, Stimson Center 

• Udaibir Saran Das, Distinguished Fellow, ORF America

• Gargee Ghosh, President, Global Policy & Advocacy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

• Daniel Seymour, Director, Strategic Partnerships, UN Women

• Moderator: Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

On September 18, ORF America hosted a discussion on U.S. elections and their future implications for transatlantic security with Kori Schake, Max Bergmann, and Constanze Stelzenmuller. The event was part of ORF America’s Briefings & Beer series.

The discussion revolved around three themes: ongoing foreign policy debates within the Democratic and Republican parties, possible changes to the U.S. and Europe’s strategy towards the Ukraine war, and future scenarios of NATO and Europe’s collective defense.

Participants highlighted how party perspectives are changing in both the United States and Europe on issues such as China, Russia, military interventions, and alliances. They also described how these issues are viewed in rural and suburban regions beyond D.C., Berlin, and Brussels. Participants also discussed U.S. strategy towards Ukraine and how policymakers are wrestling with budgetary constraints and other priorities including in the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific regions. Finally, the session concluded with suggestions for different ways in which European countries can take more responsibility within NATO and possible outcomes for U.S.-Europe transatlantic security.

This was the eighth convening of the Briefings & Beer series, which is organized by ORF America for young professionals in Washington, D.C. The series offers young professionals the opportunity to informally engage with distinguished foreign policy experts, as well as a platform to network with peers. This discussion was attended by graduate students, journalists, think tank analysts, embassy officials, and military officers.

Speakers: 

• Max Bergmann, Director of Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies

• Kori Schake, Senior Fellow & Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute

• Constanze Stelzenmuller, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe & Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic Relations, Brookings Institution

• Moderator: Ammar Nainar, Junior Fellow and Program Assistant, ORF America

On September 16, ORF America hosted a conversation with Smriti Zubin Irani, a notable Indian public figure who served as a Cabinet Minister from 2014 to 2024. During this time, she oversaw various portfolios including Women and Child Development; Education; Minority Affairs; Textiles; and Information and Broadcasting. She was the first woman to hold office as Cabinet Minister for Education and as Minister of Textiles.

The conversation revolved around the changing nature of politics in India, focusing on the role of women in India’s economy and society. How are more women integral to India’s political discourse today? How are women participating in India’s competitive democracy after the unanimous passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023, which required that the Lok Sabha reserve at least 33 percent of seats for women?

Many women working in informal sectors are not recognized for their economic contributions. The 15.5 million women-owned businesses in India generate significant employment, but their impact is often undercounted. Irani, however, mentioned that there is a growing recognition of women's importance in the workforce. Introducing financial inclusion initiatives, such as opening bank accounts for women, has led to significant economic benefits, with women generating 12% higher revenue than men.

Yet challenges remain. Access to technology needs to be more affordable and accessible, especially given language barriers in India, which sometimes make access to innovative payment methods and other technological tools challenging. While the number of women pursuing STEM degrees and PhDs has increased by 100 percent, there needs to be a greater focus on helping them monetize their education, as well as increasing women's leadership roles in academia and beyond.

Speaker:

• Smriti Irani, former Indian Cabinet Minister for Education; Women & Child Development; Information and Broadcasting; Textiles; and Minority Affairs

• Moderator: Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

On Wednesday, July 17th, ORF America hosted a group of young professionals for an after-hours discussion with Valentina Namé, Nitansha Bansal, and Shreya Lad. Ms. Namé is a Cybersecurity Program Officer within the Organization of American States’ cybersecurity program, where she co-leads the implementation of the project “Addressing the Gender Gap in the Cybersecurity Agenda in the Americas and the Caribbean Region”. Ms. Bansal is an Assistant Director with the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, part of the Atlantic Council’s Tech Programs. Ms. Lad is a Research Assistant with the Cyber Program at the Stimson Center and recently co-authored the report "Advancing Accountability in Cyberspace: Models, Mechanisms, and Multistakeholder Approaches." 

This edition of Briefings & Beer focused on Digital Threats. Setting aside technical jargon, the discussion explored the various socioeconomic factors that intersect with challenges in the digital world. Questions from the audience covered children's exposure to cyber threats, the impact of cryptocurrencies, and the role of disinformation in elections, among other topics. 

This was the seventh convening of the Briefings & Beer series, which is organized by ORF America for young professionals in Washington, DC. The series offers young professionals an opportunity to informally engage with distinguished foreign policy experts, as well as a platform to network with peers. Participants come from the U.S. Government, Congress, think tanks, graduate programs, and the private sector.

ORF America, in collaboration with the City Government of Belém, launched the Rede Belém Aberta on the sidelines of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting held in the city. The event was attended by the Mayor of Belém, Mr. Edmilson Rodriguez, senior members of his cabinet, and other policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from the government, academia, civil society, and the private sector.

Rede Belém Aberta, or Open Belém Network, is a city-wide digital public infrastructure (DPI) based on the philosophy of an open, protocol-based network that is designed to be inclusive and support innovation in the digital economy. The project is an outcome of a year-long collaborative effort between technology pioneers in Brazil and India, especially Jambu Tecnologia and the Foundation for Interoperability in the Digital Economy (FIDE), facilitated by ORF America and supported by the local government. In the lead up to COP30, which will be held in Belém in 2025, the Rede Belém Aberta will focus on human resource needs such as skilling and employment, access to clean energy, delivery of digital public services and creating the digital backbone for nature-based solutions and the bioeconomy.

With Brazil and India supporting the DPI approach within the G20 and through bilateral engagements, there is an opportunity to shape the future course of digital transformation to one that reflects the priorities of the Global South, tailored to national, regional, and local needs such as job creation, upgrading of skills, clean energy and nature-based solutions, that in turn will support sustainable economic development over the long run. The event featured the following speakers:

Speakers

• Antônio Abelém, Professor, Department of Computer Science, Federal University of Para, Belém

• João Arroyo, Secretary of Planning and Management, City Government of Belém

• Julia Gorayeb, Secretary of Tourism, City Government of Belém

• Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, ORF America

• Marcelo Sá, Founder and President, Jambu Tecnologia, Belém

ORF America, in partnership with ClimateWorks Foundation, hosted a workshop to explore the current scope, role, and impacts of green technology and finance in the Global South. The event emphasized the role of the G20, particularly India's 2023 G20 presidency, and the potential for partnerships between the Global North and Global South to create secure, diversified clean energy supply chains. The Indian G20 presidency emphasized the need to boost emerging climate and clean energy technologies, expand energy manufacturing and supply chains, and attract private investment for climate change mitigation. The workshop addressed how partnerships with India, the Global North, and the Global South could overcome challenges identified during the G20 presidency amid geopolitical and geo-economic fragmentation. Discussions focused on the relevance of Indian G20 outcomes, the role of future G20 presidencies in climate finance and technology priorities, and the implications of partnerships on green technology, finance, and manufacturing in the Global South.

The workshop began with a discussion of outcomes of the Indian G20 presidency and their relevance for India’s role in diversifying clean energy supply chains in the hydrogen, solar and battery sectors. Discussions focused on the challenges of policy continuity between G20 presidencies and the need for mechanisms to track G20 declarations. In clean hydrogen energy, India needs a multipronged approach to reduce its green hydrogen production costs. In the area of battery and solar manufacturing discussions centered on the need for more concessional financing for capital-intensive facilities. Lastly, emphasis was placed on the varying levels of technology and experience among countries and the necessity for large-scale financing initiatives, highlighting differences in focus between the Global North and South.

In the second session, the focus shifted to sustainable economic development and climate resilience, highlighting the overlap between sustainable development goals and climate change mitigation. The importance of leveraging finance for infrastructure and integrating new technologies in emerging markets was addressed. The discussion touched on Brazil's renewable energy sectors and potential collaboration with India in green hydrogen efforts. Key takeaways included the necessity for affordable long-term financing and developing local capital markets to support climate initiatives.

The final session explored the dynamics of partnerships with the Global North. It focused on critical minerals and their development for extraction, highlighting the necessity of effective implementation, trust-building, and using the G20 as a platform. The importance of mobilizing investments through various mechanisms, including African countries, and addressing knowledge gaps in mineral extraction were addressed. The discussion also emphasized better regional representation in global supply chains, particularly in Southeast Asia and Latin America, and leveraging existing partnerships to drive investments in key areas such as infrastructure and technology in the Global South.

Overall, the workshop offered an overview of the current landscape of partnerships in green technology and finance in the Global South, outlining the challenges and opportunities to fostering greater cooperation and investment across diverse regions and sectors.

Speakers: 

• Siddarthan Balasubramania, Principal Strategist & Senior Director, International Engagement, ClimateWorks Foundation (Keynote Speaker)

• Pepukaye Bardouille, Director of Bridgetown Initiative and Special Advisor on Climate Resilience, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Barbados

• Saliem Fakir, Executive Director, African Climate Foundation

• Mahnaz Khan, Vice President of Policy, Silverado Policy Accelerator

• Roberto Kishinami, Specialist Leader in Climate and Energy, Instituto Clima e Sociedade

• Anit Mukherjee, Senior Fellow, Global Economics & Development, ORF America

• Danae Pauli, Senior Advisor, Partnership of Global Infrastructure Investment, The White House

• Diego Rivera Rivota, Senior Research Associate, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University

• Raj Sawhney, Chief Executive Officer, Clearview Strategic Partners

• Bella Tonkogony, Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury

• Prabhat Upadhyaya, Former Senior Policy Specialist, G20 Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs, India

• Gregory Wischer, Principal, Dei Gratia Minerals

• Moderator: Shayak Sengupta, Fellow, Energy & Climate, ORF America

On Tuesday, June 4th, ORF America hosted a panel discussion on the results of the 2024 Indian general election with the following experts:

• Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director, ORF America

• Prashant Jha, Washington DC-based U.S. correspondent of The Hindustan Times and author of How the BJP Wins: Inside India's Greatest Election Machine

• Rithika Kumar, Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Notre Dame and incoming Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rice University

• Moderator: Medha Prasanna, Junior Fellow and Program Assistant, ORF America

In a year characterized by pivotal worldwide elections, India’s general elections have left pollsters stunned and many observers confused. Leaving future predictions of the incoming government to future analysis, the panel analyzed many of the political dynamics at play during the election, including the unity of the opposition India Alliance and the use of identity-based politics concerning caste and gender, among other issues, to appeal to voters. A core feature the panel emphasized was the dynamic and complex nature of Indian democracy, which often results in unpredictable elections at both the national and statewide levels. 

The panel also discussed foreign perspectives on the election, underscoring the need for nuanced and multifaceted foreign coverage of Indian politics and the subdued role India’s foreign policy plays in electoral politics. When asked to give their major takeaways, the speakers emphasized the major parties’ competing visions for India in the form of identity politics and nationwide centralization. They also highlighted the fact that Indian politics will continue to surprise pollsters and analysts. Finally, they underscored the essential gravity of the 2024 elections, which have the potential to fundamentally alter the trajectory of the Indian political landscape.

On May 21, ORF America hosted a private, invite-only dinner to brief a select group of DC-based young professionals on the U.S.-India relationship: past, present, and future. The dinner featured:

• Vance Serchuk, Executive Director, KKR Global Institute

• Dhruva Jaishankar, President, Observer Research Foundation America

• Moderator: Alex Titus, former Raisina Young Fellow

On the sidelines of the SCSP AI Expo on May 7, 2024, ORF America hosted a roundtable on New Tech Alliances, bringing together technology policy experts to explore the evolving landscape of U.S.-led technology partnerships including the Quad, iCETs, TTC, Chip 4, and AUKUS. In recent years, the United States has engaged in a series of bilateral and minilateral negotiations with like-minded partners and allies that included technology as crucial agenda items.

Tarun Chhabra, Senior Director for Technology and National Security at the United States National Security Council, Ambassador Nathan Sales, former acting Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, along with ORF America’s Dhruva Jaishankar and Andreas Kuehn, provided opening remarks and analysis. This discussion put these partnerships into context for the private sector, policy-makers, academia, think-tanks, and the general public. 

The interactive conversation covered the strategic importance of arrangements such as AUKUS and the U.S.-EU TTC and the impact of geopolitical tech competition on the private sector. With participants’ insightful exchanges on semiconductor supply chains, export controls, cybersecurity, AI, and cooperative research and development, the event provided an overview on the evolution of recent U.S.-led technology cooperation with like-minded partners, assessed geopolitical and geoeconomic competition with China, and laid out some of the challenges and opportunities facing companies within key technology ecosystems.

On May 7-8, 2024, SCSP hosted its first-ever AI Expo for National Competitiveness – alongside the second Ash Carter Exchange on Innovation And National Security – at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington DC. The AI Expo served as a forum for industry, government, and academic research entities to exhibit some of the latest technological breakthroughs — in AI, biotech, energy, networks, compute, microelectronics, manufacturing, augmented reality, and beyond — and discuss their implications for U.S. and allied competitiveness.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | April 19, 2024

ORF America and ORF, in collaboration with the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, organized a one-day conference on Digital Inclusion: From Ideas to Action. The event brought together policy makers, researchers and practitioners from the government, academia, research institutions, civil society and the private sector to reflect on the challenges and outline strategies to bridge the inclusion gap in the Global South.

The discussions brought out clearly the need to focus on ‘meaningful inclusion’ in the context of the ongoing digital transformation. Even with the rapid diffusion of digital technologies such as cellphone networks and digital payments, gaps in connectivity, financial inclusion and digital skills still exist, both within countries and across much of the Global South. These gaps are strongly correlated with poverty, remoteness and social exclusion, and therefore need to be urgently addressed as a development challenge more broadly.

The speakers emphasized the importance of solutions to promote digital inclusion emerging from the Global South through effective exchange of knowledge and practice. This is especially critical in the context of new technologies such as artificial intelligence. Countries of the Global South are often passive consumers and not proactive participants in innovating and regulating these emerging technologies. With Brazil and India taking the lead within G20, there is an opportunity to shape the future course of digital transformation to one that reflects the priorities and addresses the needs of the Global South, and accelerates progress towards achieving the SDGs.  

Speakers:

• Ramiro Albreu, Principal Researcher, South American Network of Applied Economics (Rede Sur), Argentina

• Juliana Moura Bouno, Manager, Public Policy and Government Affairs, Google, Brazil

• Fabricio de Paula, Founder, AmazoniaLab, Brazil

• Denise Direito, Researcher, Institute of Applied Economic Research, Brazil

• Paula Guedes, Researcher, DataPrivacy.br, Brazil

• Luisa Cruz Lobato, Adjunct Professor and Coordinator of the Digital Humanities Laboratory, PUC-Rio

• Rajeesh Menon, Head of Strategy, Foundation for Interoperability in the Digital Economy (FIDE), India

• Cristina Kiomi Mori, Vice Minister, Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, Federal Government of Brazil

• Lucas Padilha, Head of International Relations and Cooperation, Rio de Janeiro City Hall

• Lorrayne Porciuncula, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Datasphere Initiative, Brazil/Europe

• Raphaël Pouyé, Lecturer, SciencePo, France