PAFI 13th Annual Forum 2026 — Day 2

09:43 AM · Before the opening

Day 2 opening announcements

• Wear badges at all times and cooperate with security checks.
• The forum is on record.
• Network with fellow public-affairs professionals.

09:48 AM · Session 17 · Leadership Dialogue

Awaken the Leader in You

Address: Jaya Row, Founder, Vedanta Vision · Welcome: Vinita Sethi, Past President, PAFI

• Speaker 2 presented 11 Vedanta-based leadership qualities centred on service, character, discipline, and purpose.
• Ethical conviction and high-quality work were presented as the response to difficult operating environments.
• Merit was described as the best protection against job insecurity.

10:40 AM · Session 18 · Leadership Dialogue

India's Green Growth Story: Sustainability, Competitiveness and Global Leadership

Chief Guest: Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change · Moderator: Navika Kumar (Times Network) · Welcome: Rajat Prakash · Closing remarks: Daulata Chakraborty

• Ecological safeguards and economic growth were presented as compatible objectives.
• Industry, citizens and government were all identified as responsible for green growth.
• Technology and parallel processing were cited as ways to accelerate environmental clearances.

11:32 AM · Session 19 · Partner State: Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu: Vetri Tamizhagam – Building a Global Growth and Investment Powerhouse

Address: Deepak Jacob, Managing Director and CEO, Guidance Tamil Nadu · Recorded message from Tamil Nadu's Minister of Industries · Moderator: Harish Krishnan · Welcome: Rishi Chawla · Closing remarks: Lovneesh Chanana

• Tamil Nadu is targeting a $1,500,000,000,000 economy by 2036.
• A revised industrial policy is expected to be drafted by year-end and rolled out in early 2027.
• The state cited 21-day approvals, deemed approval for delays and an Investment Promotion Commission.

11:30 AM · Session 20 · PAFI@Varq parallel session (panel)

Public Affairs Reimagined: The Leaders We Need Next

Panellists: Nneka Chiazor (Public Affairs Council, USA), Shubhashis Gangopadhyay (India Development Foundation), Ishteyaque Amjad (Abbott; Past President, PAFI), Neha Karnik (Godrej Industries Group) · Moderator: Smriti Sharma (Apple India) · Welcome: Vaishali Chopra (YARA International) · Closing remarks: Saurabh Singh (Optum India)

• AI use in public affairs is widespread, but strategic adoption was described as limited.
• Human judgment, trust and stakeholder relationships remain central to public policy and public affairs.
• Leaders should develop discernment, empathy, curiosity and courageous-conversation skills in AI-enabled teams.

12:26 PM · Session 21 · Leadership Dialogue

India's Next Growth Decade: Navigating Geoeconomics in a Disrupted World

Chief Guest: Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India · Moderator: Gautam Aggarwal (Mastercard) · Welcome: T.S. Vishwanath · Closing remarks: Shipra Tripathi

• Speaker 2 said global conditions have shifted to a supply-constrained, geopolitically fragmented environment.
• India should strengthen manufacturing, strategic buffers, exports, FDI, niche-IP partnerships and AI-resilient skills.
• Macro stability, fiscal prudence, investor protection and tax certainty are key signals for investment.

12:45 PM · Session 22 · PAFI@Varq parallel session · PAFI Conversation

Beyond Access: The Future of Public Affairs in India

Subho Ray, President, Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI); Past President, PAFI, in conversation with Shivnath Thukral, President, PAFI; PhonePe

• Speaker 2 said public policymaking is more consultative and industry-engaged than before.
• India’s digital opportunity includes credit, AI applications, semiconductors and API-enabled government processes.
• Trust and business fluency are the core future differentiators for public-affairs professionals.

01:57 PM · Session 23 · Secretaries' Dialogue (panel)

Building India's Competitive Advantage

Panellists: K. Srinivas (Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region), Rajesh Kumar Singh (Defence Secretary; Chairman, DRDO), Bhuvnesh Kumar (Secretary, Ministry of Tourism) · Moderator: Ishteyaque Amjad (Abbott) · Welcome: Aman Jain (Meta) · Closing remarks: Vasudevan Rangarajan

• Tanks remain relevant, but drones, air defence and counter-UAS systems are increasingly central to modern warfare.
• Defence policy is focused on domestic procurement, multiple producers and expanded private-sector participation.
• The Northeast was presented as a major opportunity in organic products, luxury inputs, tourism and bespoke manufacturing.

02:00 PM · Session 24 · PAFI@Varq parallel session (panel)

Delhi 3.0: Reimagining India's Capital Region

Panellists: Nipun Sahni (Urban Land Institute, NCR), Luis Miranda (Indian School of Public Policy), Manisha Bhartia (BDP India), Vivek Narain (Quorum Club) · Fireside chat: Sahil Vachani (Max Estates) · Welcome and moderator: Anupam Yog (XDG Labs; Urban Land Institute) · In collaboration with the Urban Land Institute (ULI)

• Air and water were identified as Delhi/NCR’s most urgent urban challenges.
• Participants emphasized coordination, municipal capacity and execution over capital availability.
• The Delhi master plan supports regeneration and densification but needs detailed local implementation.

02:54 PM · Session 25 · India and United States (panel)

Shared Values, Evolving Dynamics: The Future of India–US Cooperation

Panellists: Amb. Arun Singh (former Ambassador of India to the US, France and Israel), Manish Tewari (Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha), Shivnath Thukral (PhonePe; President, PAFI) · Moderator: Rahul Sharma (US India Business Council) · Welcome: Saurabh Singh (Optum India) · Closing remarks and vote of thanks: Sandeep Aurora (Microsoft)

• The panel saw India–US ties as resilient but strategically unsettled.
• US policy shifts may be structural, though future reversals remain possible.
• Defense cooperation continues, but the relationship is broader than defense.