At Samudramanthan 2026, co-organized by Global Order and the National Maritime Foundation, Amb. Riva Ganguly Das (Retd.) spoke on the evolving geopolitical and economic significance of the Bay of Bengal, positioning the region as both a shared civilizational space and a strategic maritime commons central to India’s regional vision. Drawing on centuries-old cultural, historical, and civilizational linkages connecting India with Southeast Asia, Ambassador Das highlighted how the Bay of Bengal has historically functioned as a bridge of trade, connectivity, and people-to-people exchange. At the same time, she acknowledged the contemporary geopolitical realities shaping the region, including intensifying strategic competition and the desire of smaller states to avoid being drawn into great power rivalries. The address examined India’s evolving maritime and regional frameworks, including the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and the expanded MAHASAGAR vision, which broadens India’s approach from the Indian Ocean to the wider Global South. Ambassador Das explained how these frameworks seek to transform the Bay of Bengal into a cooperative maritime zone focused on trade, development, connectivity, sustainable growth, and non-traditional security cooperation. A major focus of the discussion was the role of BIMSTEC as a critical regional platform linking South Asia and Southeast Asia. Ambassador Das reflected on India’s leadership role within BIMSTEC, the organization’s growing connectivity agenda, and its importance in advancing regional integration through initiatives such as: • The BIMSTEC Master Plan for Transport Connectivity • The Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project • The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway • Regional energy cooperation and cross-border electricity trade • India’s Act East and Neighborhood First policies The conversation also explored the strategic importance of India’s northeastern states as gateways to Southeast Asia and the Bay of Bengal region, emphasizing how restoring connectivity can reshape economic opportunities and regional prosperity. In a broader reflection on diplomacy and public discourse, Ambassador Das discussed the challenges of communicating complex foreign policy realities in the age of social media and fast-moving digital narratives, while underscoring the growing public interest in international affairs and the importance of stakeholder engagement in policy-making. Chapters 00:00 - 03:03 - Cultural and Historical Links to Geopolitics 03:04 - 05:52 - India’s Vision for the Bay of Bengal 05:53 - 11:33 - BIMTEC and Regional Connectivity 11:34 - 14:40 - The Role of Culture in Security Discussions #Samudramanthan2026 #BayOfBengal #BIMSTEC #IndiaASEAN #ActEastPolicy #IndoPacific #MaritimeSecurity #Connectivity #Geopolitics #GlobalSouth #SAGAR #MAHASAGAR #NortheastIndia #RegionalCooperation #NationalMaritimeFoundation

In this insightful interview, Lakshmi Kaul, Contributing Editor, is in conversation with Manish Tiwari, Chairman & Managing Director of Here and Now 365, as part of the Common Ground India–UK series. The discussion explores key themes shaping today’s global media and marketing landscape, including the evolution of multicultural storytelling, the gaps in how brands perceive India and the UK, and the importance of moving beyond stereotypes to build more authentic, culturally aware narratives. He shares perspectives on the changing nature of cross-cultural communication, the challenges brands face when operating across diverse markets, and what it truly takes to create meaningful engagement in an increasingly interconnected world. The conversation also touches upon leadership, building a modern media vision, and the future of India–UK collaboration in business and storytelling. This episode offers a thoughtful look at how culture, media, and commerce intersect and what the next chapter of global storytelling might look like. Chapters - 0:00-1:21 Opening 1:42-5:19 The Invisible Struggles Behind Identity 5:33-12:12 What Drives Someone To Build Something Of Their Own? 12:21-21:52 The Problem With Stereotypes In Multicultural Marketing 22:26-28:59 Breaking The Western Lens on India 29:31-31:19 The Cultural Nuance That Can Make Or Break UK-India Campaigns 31:52-35:18 Where Multicultural Media Is Headed Next 35:58-37:48 How Setbacks Redefined The Journey 39:22-41:20 What Will Shape The Next Chapter Of UK-India Business 41:37-45:58 What’s Next For The Future? 46:00-46:49 Closing #CommonGround #IndiaUKSeries #HereAndNow365 #ManishTiwari #LakshmiKaul #MulticulturalMarketing #GlobalMedia #CrossCulturalCommunication

Payal Raina, Founder of the Fin.Tech Marketing Community, explains why one of the biggest mistakes FinTech companies make is assuming that success in one market can simply be replicated in another. She emphasizes that FinTech is built on trust, regulation, and consumer behavior — making localization, cultural understanding, and adapting to different mindsets essential for global growth. Watch the full interview here - https://youtu.be/TkoI77Tldic?si=CvmvhYd2qQ-vEW6c

Payal Raina, Founder of the Fin.Tech Marketing Community, shares how AI has evolved from being seen as a passing trend to becoming a game-changing opportunity for FinTechs. She highlights the urgent need for companies to become AI-ready, adapt quickly, and build the right talent to deliver seamless client experiences and stay competitive in the long run. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkoI77Tldic

Payal Raina, Founder of the Fin.Tech Marketing Community, highlights how many FinTech founders build exceptional products but often overlook the importance of go-to-market strategy. She explains that storytelling, PR, trust-building, and effectively communicating a product’s value are crucial for scaling and that many FinTechs fail not because of weak technology, but because they didn’t invest enough in getting their story out to the world. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkoI77Tldic

Payal Raina, Founder of the Fin.Tech Marketing Community, explains why narrative and storytelling are often more challenging and more important than building the product itself. In a crowded FinTech space, even great technology can fail if businesses cannot clearly communicate their value and connect with audiences emotionally and commercially. She also highlights how weak storytelling and poor go-to-market strategies remain key reasons why many FinTechs struggle to scale. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkoI77Tldic

In this episode, Lakshmi Kaul, Contributing Editor, is in conversation with Payal Raina, Founder of the Fin.Tech Marketing Community, on the changing landscape of global fintech, digital finance, and the future of financial storytelling in an increasingly borderless world. As fintech continues to reshape economies and consumer behaviour, this conversation explores the intersection of innovation, branding, trust, and technology and asks whether the industry is truly building better financial systems or simply better narratives. Payal Raina shares insights from her experience building a fintech marketing platform across the UK, India, and North America, offering a unique perspective on how different societies relate to money, digital payments, financial trust, and innovation. The discussion also examines London’s reputation as a global fintech hub, India’s rise as a leader in digital payments, and the emerging markets that could shape the next era of fintech growth. The interview further delves into the growing role of AI in fintech marketing, the challenges of scaling globally, the difference between product and perception in financial technology, and why traditional financial marketing no longer works in today’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. Payal also reflects on identity, leadership, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build globally while navigating multiple cultures and markets. In this interview - • The future of fintech and AI adoption • India’s digital payments revolution • London’s position as a global fintech hub • Product vs perception in fintech • The next emerging fintech markets • Building global fintech brands • Consumer behaviour across the UK, India, and North America • Leadership, entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural identity • The UK–India fintech corridor and future opportunities Chapters - 0:00-0:44 Opening 0:51-2:17 Introduction to FinTech 2:34-3:10 FinTech: Innovation or Just Better Marketing? 3:19-4:03 The Biggest Mistake FinTech Companies Make Going Global 4:15-5:24 What Matters More in FinTech - The Product or the Story? 5:44-7:19 Inside London’s FinTech Influence 7:53-10:07 What Money Means Across the UK, India, and North America 10:14-11:26 The Next Emerging FinTech Markets 11:40-13:30 How AI Is Changing the Future of FinTech Marketing 14:37-16:54 Has India Outpaced the West in Digital Payments? 17:10-18:18 What Would a UK–India FinTech Success Story Look Like? 18:46-23:36 The Gap That Inspired a FinTech Marketing Platform 24:07-27:14 The Moment FinTech Outgrew Traditional Marketing 27:34-29:08 Seeing Finance Through Three Different Cultures 29:25-30:19 The Next Big Shift in FinTech That Nobody’s Talking About 30:32-32:06 The Rapid Fire Round 32:08-32:34 Closing #Fintech #AI #DigitalPayments #IndiaUK #London #Finance #FinancialTechnology #FinTechMarketing #Innovation #Business #Leadership #India #UK #Podcast #Technology

Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and His Majesty’s Deputy Trade Commissioner for Investment, South Asia, highlights India’s growing economic footprint in the UK, with India remaining the second-largest investor for six consecutive years. From major companies like Infosys, Wipro, HCL, JLR, and Agratas to a new wave of startups and scale-ups entering the UK market, he explains how investment flows are strengthening the UK–India partnership like never before. Watch the full interview here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G53Mlzsi7DA