India - Regions - Center for Emerging Markets

Summits

Each fall, the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Summit brings together founders, policymakers, and academics around a single theme — startups, U.S.-India innovation, sustainability, family business — drawing hundreds of attendees to Northeastern's campus.

2026

Can India become a global manufacturing hub? Fifth India Summit weighs policy and partnerships

Policymakers, executives, and Northeastern faculty spent a day examining whether India can turn a decade of manufacturing growth into a larger share of global trade on October 5, 2026.

2025

Can Indian family businesses compete?

More than 270 students, faculty, and business leaders gathered for a day-long exploration of whether family businesses, in India and elsewhere, can sustain success across generations while competing in an increasingly complex world on October 27, 2025.

2024

Global Sustainability Summit

Five leading experts joined CEM on Saturday, October 5, 2024, for a thought-provoking discussion on how they are tackling the pressing sustainability challenges of today, especially in India and emerging markets across Southeast Asia.

2023

India: The next startup nation?

On Saturday, October 28, 2023, the Center for Emerging Markets at Northeastern University held the second annual India summit: India – The Next Startup Nation? to explore India's vibrant startup ecosystem.

Taranjit S. Sandhu inaugurates India-U.S. Partnership for Innovation summit

2022

2India-U.S. summit brings top policymakers, CEOs to Northeastern

Commemorating 75 years of independence in India, the Center for Emerging Markets teamed up with the Consulate General of India, New York to host a series of high-level talks on India-U.S. partnerships for innovation. Among the esteemed attendees: India's ambassador to the U.S., Hon. Taranjit S. Sandhu.

India Lecture Series

View all

Launched in 2017, this event series is free and open to the public. It was endowed in 2021 and is now known as the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Lecture Series.

Mar 26

Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Lecture | A Sixth of Humanity: Independent India's Development Odyssey

Oct 2

Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Lecture: Can India Compete in AI and Related Technologies?

India

Oct 30

Exploring the Future of Global Business with Devika Bulchandani

Digital

SmartIDEAthon

Since 2022, CEM has co-sponsored SmartIDEAthon, an annual startup pitch competition run out of GITAM University in India; the 2025 edition drew more than 2,200 student teams from 29 states, up from around 1,200 in its first year.

2025

Through the Vivek and Vandana Sharma Initiative, CEM supported the sixth edition of SmartIDEAthon, one of India's largest student social innovation competitions, held on December 12, 2025, at GITAM University in Visakhapatnam

2024

The Center for Emerging Markets was proud to support the fifth edition of SmartIDEAthon, one of India's largest social innovation pitchfests, held on December 13, 2024 in Bangalore, India. This event was supported by the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative at CEM.

2023

The Center for Emerging Markets was thrilled to participate in India's dynamic startup scene by supporting SmartIDEAthon 2023, one of the country's largest social innovation pitchfests.

2022

The Center for Emerging Markets is proud to be part of India's buzzing startup scene by supporting and strengthening SmartIDEAthon—which may well be one of India's biggest social innovation pitchfests.

Related news

View all

The other 7 billion: Ravi Ramamurti's global vision

For nearly five decades, Ravi Ramamurti has expanded the lens of global business — challenging institutions to recognize the power and potential of emerging markets. As a scholar, teacher, and founder of Northeastern's Center for Emerging Markets, he has turned overlooked economies into central conversations in classrooms and boardrooms alike. By shaping research, influencing policy, and preparing students to lead in a shifting global landscape, Ramamurti exemplifies what it means to be an impact maker.

Can Indian firms compete in the age of AI? Frank D'Souza offers a roadmap

Can India compete in today's rapidly evolving technology sector? Frank D'Souza, former CEO of Cognizant and current co-founder and Managing Partner of Recognize, believes the answer is yes, but India's competitive advantage will look different from America's or China's.

Exploring the Future of Global Business: fireside chat with Global CEO Devika Bulchandani

“Human motivations haven't changed, but how we engage with content has,” says Bulchandani. “Today, consumers have the control, and our challenge is to create content that captures attention amid overwhelming information.”

Programming in this region is largely supported by the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initative.