Global Inclusive Prosperity Forum 2026

The Global Inclusive Prosperity Forum (GIPF) 2026, is a landmark international thought leadership summit, organized by CIF
About this Event

The Global Inclusive Prosperity Forum (GIPF) 2026, is a landmark international thought leadership summit, organized by Canada India Foundation (CIF) to discuss and propose actionable solutions towards building a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable society for the future. GIPF will bring leaders from government, business, academia, civil society and the innovation ecosystem in a day-long event to present ideas through keynote addresses and panel sessions, highlight today’s most pressing geopolitical, economic, technological and social challenges and engage in collaborative dialogue on themes critical to inclusive prosperity.

GIPF is being positioned as an annual event, quite appropriately set in Canada, known for its inclusion, diversity, democratic governance and leadership in technological innovation. For Canada India Foundation, already known for its many thematic forums promoting Canada India relations, this is their first forum addressing a theme of global significance.

PROGRAM

September 11, 2026

Registration and Networking for Delegates

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Opening Session

8:30 am – 9:10 am

Welcome Remarks Mr. Ritesh Malik

Chair, Canada India Foundation

Conference Chair’s Address Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan O.C.

Forum Chair; Past-Chair, Canada India Foundation; Chair, Ore2Metal Inc

Inaugural Address Shri Dinesh Patnaik

High Commissioner of India to Canada

Keynote Session

9:15 am – 10:35 am

Moderator Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan O.C.

Forum Chair; Past-Chair, Canada India Foundation; Chair, Ore2Metal Inc

Speaker 1 Mr. T.S. Krishnamurthy

Former Chief Election Commissioner, Government of India

Speaker 2 Prof. Rene van Acker

President, University of Guelph

Speaker 3 Dr. Soumya Swaminathan (Virtual)

Chair, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF)

Speaker 4 Mr. Stephen Ibaraki

Founder, AI for Good - ITU

10:35 am – 10:50 am Coffee Break

Panel Session I Policy Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity

10:55 am – 11:55 am

Moderator Mr. Gary Comerford

Board Member, Novelisr

Speaker Prof. M.B. Athreya (Virtual)

Mentor to NGOs

Panelist 1 Mr. Craig Brown

Senior Counsel, Cassel

Panelist 2 Mr. Girish Menon

President, Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge University

Panelist 3 Mr. Ritesh Kotak

Principal, Ritesh Kotak Consulting

Panelist 4 Mr. Jacques NdoutouMve

Vice-President, Canada-Africa Chamber of Business

Panel Session II Enablers – Food Security, Healthcare, Skill Development

11:55 am – 12:55 pm

Moderator Prof. Arun Chockalingam

Professor, Global/Public Health and Medicine, University of Toronto

Panelist 1 Mr. Ravi Ramachandran

R&D Head, Crop Protection Development, Syngenta Canada Inc.

Panelist 2 Prof. Evan Fraser

Professor of Geography, University of Guelph

Panelist 3 Dr. Milos Popovic

Prof. Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto; Director, Toronto Rehab

Panelist 4 Mr. Paul Clipsham

Director, Stakeholder Engagement, Skills Ontario

Lunch Session

1:05 pm – 1:25 pm

Lunch Address The Honourable Michael Tibollo

Associate Attorney General, Government of Ontario

1:25 pm – 2:00 pm Lunch

Panel Session III Technology Leadership and Artificial Intelligence

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Moderator Mr. Shirish Shukla

Principal, Enterprise AI, North America & Country Head, AIONOS

Panelist 1 Mr. Bill Inman

Entrepreneur and Advisor to High Growth Companies

Panelist 2 Mr. Barun Gorain

CEO, Ore2Metal Inc.

Panelist 3 Mr. Atul Tyagi

Chief Strategy Officer, Alpha Global-IT

Panelist 4 Dr. Mamata Bhat

Scientist, University Health Network Research, Toronto

Panelist 5 Dr. Venkat Bhat

Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Panel Session IV Learning as Engine of Change

2:15 pm – 3:15 pm

Moderator Dr. Poornima Tyagi

Director, Health and Social Innovation Research, Centennial College

Panelist 1 Prof. Kumar Murty C.M

Professor of Mathematics, University of Toronto

Panelist 2 Prof. Guneet Kaur

Associate Professor, School of engineering, University of Guelph

Panelist 3 Dr. Gayathri Srinivasan

Executive Director, Corporate Relations, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Panelist 4 Dr. R.H. Narendra

Mentor – Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras

Panelist 5 Mr. Suchit Ahuja

Associate Professor, Supply Chain Management, Concordia University

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Wellness Break

Panel Session V Social Persuasion and Community Engagement

3:35 pm – 4:35 pm

Moderator Ms. Manu Pant

Senior Manager, UNICEF Canada

Speaker Mr. Nachiket Mor (Virtual)

Former National Director, Gates Foundation India

Panelist 1 Prof. Sundar Bharadwaj

Professor of Marketing, University of Georgia

Panelist 2 Dr. Richard Olumide Oyefeso

Consultant Pediatrician with focus on empowering underserved communities

Panelist 3 Prof. Venkatesh Athreya

Adjunct Professor, Asian College of Journalism

Panel Session VI Philanthropy and Compassionate Entrepreneurship

3:35 pm – 4:40 pm

Moderator Mr. Alex Vaccari

Vice-President, Colonial House Capital

Panelist 1 Mr. Chocko Valliappa

CEO, Vee Technologies

Panelist 2 Dr. A.R. Raghupathi

Director, Liaison & Strategic Growth, Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences

Panelist 3 Dr. Sankar Das Gupta

Chair, Electrovaya

Panelist 4 Mr. Huston Loke

Chief Strategy Officer, Bespoke Metrics

Panelist 5 Mr. Ray Sharma

Founder, Extreme Venture Partners

Panelist 6 Dr. Surjit Babra

CEO, Skylink Capital Group

Closing Remarks Mr. Sanjay Makkar

Co-National Convener, Canada India Foundation

4:45 pm – 4:55 pm

Dinner Session

5:30 pm – 6:15 pm

Networking

6:20 pm – 6:40 pm

Going Forward Dr. V.I. Lakshmanan O.C.

Introduction of Speaker Mr. Pankaj Dave

National Convener, Canada India Foundation

6:40 pm – 7:10 pm

Dinner Address TBC

7:15 pm – 8:15 pm Dinner

Agenda

🕑: 08:30 AM - 08:30 PM
Global Inclusive Prosperity Forum 2026