Creative Convergence Delhi Boosts India-UK Cultural Ties & Future Growth

The two-day gathering, Creative Convergence: Growth Reimagined at the British Council, New Delhi acrossJanuary 29-30, brought together policymakers, researchers, creative entrepreneurs and cultural leaders from India and the UK to reimagine the future of the creative economy.

Creative Convergence advances the objectives of the India-UK Programme of Cultural Cooperation (2025-2030) and reflects the British Council's long-standing commitment to strengthening international creative ecosystems, the British Council said in a statement.

The Delhi edition places a strong emphasis on policy dialogue, research and creative enterprise - exploring how aligned frameworks and cross-border collaboration can enable inclusive, sustainable and future-ready growth.

"With its combination of policy dialogue, research insights, and creative showcases, the Delhi edition of Creative Convergence reaffirmed the British Council's commitment to fostering long-term India-UK collaboration across the cultural and creative sectors, enabling inclusive and sustainable growth for the future," the Council said in the statement.

The event opened with the Plenary and Keynote session - 'Creative Convergence: Where Bold Ideas and Future-Ready Ecosystems Meet' - which set the strategic vision for the initiative and framed the role of the creative economy in policy, innovation and India-UK collaboration.

The session featured opening remarks by Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to India, followed by a panel discussion with Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia; and Ruth Mackenzie CBE, Global Director of Arts, British Council - moderated by Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council.

Addressing attendees at the event, Lindy Cameron CB OBE, British High Commissioner to India said during her keynote, described 2025 as the new era for UK-India relationship, one defined by ambition and partnership

"The creative economy plays a vital role in the UK-India relationship, sitting at the intersection of culture, technology, skills, and enterprise, and is increasingly recognised as a powerful driver of inclusive and sustainable growth for both countries. By combining pioneering expertise with local insight, India and the UK are well placed to champion the global creative economy," she said.

During the plenary session, Vivek Aggarwal (IAS), Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India appreciated the initiative by the British Council, in collaboration with the UK government

"India and the UK share a rich heritage and are working towards a shared India-UK Vision 2035. For India, the creative economy is not a niche sector. It is actually central to our overall policy for growth and economic development. Creative industries, for us, mean livelihoods," Aggarwal said.

Day 1 also featured the Policy Conference, 'Greater Together: India-UK Creative Dialogue', which examined pathways for strengthening bilateral cooperation through policy alignment, institutional frameworks, and market-led collaboration. Alongside this, the Immersive Pop-Up Space, 'Char by Char: An Exposition of Correlated Creatives', curated by The Design Village Foundation, was inaugurated and remained open across both days. The space showcases intersections of design, sustainability, and creative enterprise through scalable, collaborative practices. The day concluded with 'Doc-Exchange: Indo-UK Opportunities with the Documentary', a focused forum examining documentary co-production, co-financing, and distribution between India and the UK.

During the event, Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council, shared, "The creative economy is not just about cultural expression and exchange - it is a driver of innovation, sustainable livelihoods and global understanding and knowledge building. Platforms like the British Council's 'Creative Convergence' allow us to reimagine how policy, research, and enterprises intersect, creating integrated ecosystems where artists, institutions and industry can co-create socially impactful and economically viable solutions."

Day 2 advanced the dialogue with sessions foregrounding research, sustainability and creative ecosystems.

The day opened with 'Researching Our Creative Futures: How Data, Insight and Evidence Shape Cultural Change' - curated by Rashmi Dhanwani, Founder-Director, Art X Company, Festivals from India, Culture Con, followed by 'Dress Code: Sustainable! Co-Creating Fashion's Future', which builds on the British Council's New Landscapes initiative to examine how creative enterprise, research and enabling policy are reshaping the future of sustainable fashion. The Delhi edition culminated with 'Modulated Movements', an experimental live performance curated by W.I.P Labs, where technology, sound, movement and voice intersect to create new forms of artistic expression.

Alongside the on-ground programme, Creative Convergence was complemented by the 'Supporting the Creative Economy' online policy training initiative, which ran from November 2025 to January 2026, designed to strengthen professional capacity and creative networks between India and the UK.

- ANI