What does it really take for an SME to cross borders and succeed? On this episode of Common Ground, Lakshmi Kaul speaks with Vijay Goel, Senior Partner at Singhania & Co., London, about the businesses quietly driving the India–UK corridor — and the legal, regulatory and commercial realities they face along the way. From taking Indian businesses into Britain to helping UK companies navigate India, we explore where the opportunities are, what can go wrong, and why SMEs could be central to the next chapter of India–UK growth. ▶️ Watch the full conversation on Global Order. #CommonGround #GlobalOrder #IndiaUK #UKIndia #SMEs #SmallBusiness #BusinessGrowth #InternationalTrade #entrepreneurshipsuccess #london #businessgrowth #businessideas #businesstips #smallbusiness

Ashok Jhunjhunwala is an Indian academic, innovator, and institution-builder whose work has shaped telecom, rural technology, deep-tech incubation, and affordable innovation in India. He is Institute Professor at IIT Madras, President of the IIT Madras Research Park, and a key figure behind several technology-for-development initiatives. Ashok Jhunjhunwala’s mentorship has been channeled mainly through the IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC), the IIT Madras Research Park, and the Rural Technology Business Incubator (RTBI). Across these platforms, he has helped incubate 300–370+ startups, with a combined valuation now reported around ₹60,000 crore. He has served on the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisory Committee (2004–14), acted as Principal Advisor to Union ministers (Power, MNRE, Railways), and sat on the boards of several technology and telecom firms. Jhunjhunwala is often described as a “professor of change” who insists that social ventures must be financially sustainable and that Indian academia should focus on product development, industry collaboration, and mass adoption rather than only publications. His career exemplifies a model of deep-tech + development: building globally competitive technologies that are explicitly designed for Indian conditions and then scaling them through incubation, policy, and industry partnerships. His biography Roots and Wings (https://www.amazon.in/Roots-Wings-Building-Indias-System-ebook/dp/B0H1JZG1TF) by one of his mentee's Saloni Malhotra, the founder of DesiCrew. In this interview he spoke to Swareena Singh of Global Order. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Professor Jhunjhunwala's journey 01:57 India's entrepreneurial landscape and historical context 03:53 The importance of small and medium enterprises 05:49 Challenges faced by Indian entrepreneurs 08:09 The role of technology in transforming India 11:00 Building an ecosystem for innovation 13:55 Lessons from Nirma and affordable products 15:50 Creating affordable telecom solutions 18:47 The importance of scaling and impact 22:08 Institutional building versus entrepreneurship 25:05 The evolution of India’s infrastructure and society 27:56 The mindset for innovation and resilience 31:50 Lessons for the current generation in deep tech 36:00 The future of India’s technological development 39:54 Overcoming resource and policy constraints 43:47 Fostering leadership and handling failures 46:14 Reflections and closing thoughts #startup #startupindia #technology #tech #iit #business #businessgrowth

CETA may have opened a new chapter for India–UK relations. But an agreement can only create impact if businesses, investors and communities understand the opportunities it unlocks. In conversation with @kaullakshmi, Ms Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, highlights a critical post-CETA challenge: perception and awareness. How do we change outdated perceptions, build greater awareness on both sides and ensure that the opportunities created by CETA actually reach businesses beyond the usual networks? Because signing the agreement was one milestone. Turning awareness into action is the next. ▶️ Watch this excerpt from Global Order’s Common Ground: India–UK Series. #Shorts #CETA #IndiaUK #UKIndia #IndiaUKTrade #IndiaUK2Point0 #Manchester #GlobalOrder

From sport and entertainment to culture, media and the wider creative economy, new sectors are opening up exciting possibilities for collaboration between the two countries. In conversation with Lakshmi Kaul, Ms Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, explores the potential of the creative and sports economy — and why these fast-growing sectors could become an important part of the next chapter of India–UK relations. ▶️ Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/9oqdk4lx8_Q #Shorts #IndiaUK #CreativeEconomy #SportsEconomy #UKIndia #Manchester #IndiaUK2Point0 #GlobalOrder #yashrajfilms #orangeeconomy #creativeshorts

Trade agreements may open doors — but some of the strongest India–UK connections are built in classrooms, universities and through the movement of ideas and talent. In this conversation with Lakshmi Kaul, Ms Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, explores why education provides such a powerful foundation for collaboration between India and the UK — and how these connections can help shape a much wider partnership. Referring to the New Education Policy of Government of India and the benefits of CETA, Ms Yaduvanshi looks at what are the specific areas of growth in this sector and why. ▶️ Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/9oqdk4lx8_Q #Shorts #IndiaUK #educationforall #HigherEducation #UKIndia #IndiaUK2Point0 #Manchester #GlobalOrder #CommonGround #neweducationpolicy2020 #educationmatters

For many in the UK, engagement with India has traditionally been viewed through a London-centric lens. But is that perception changing? Ms Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, shares her perspective on how India is viewed in the North of England — and why building stronger regional connections matters for the future of India–UK relations. ▶️ Watch the full episode here: https://youtube.com/shorts/cEi-Yw2KilM?feature=share #shorts #IndiaUK #UKIndia #Manchester #NorthOfEngland #IndiaUK2Point0 #GlobalOrder #CommonGround

From chokepoints to undersea cables, the world is at war, in many ways, in the oceans. And this contestation, as international relations scholars like to say, is growing sharply. The war in Iran, and the conflict with the Houthis, have shown how vulnerable critical sea lanes for trade and commerce are to conflict. The Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb corridor handles roughly 90 per cent of communications between Europe and Asia. Ongoing regional conflicts and collateral damage from maritime strikes have delayed repairs and threatened critical links. Territorial claims and U.S.–China rivalry have turned the seabed into a strategic frontline. Grey-zone operations, contested waters, and delayed repair permits risk weaponizing or disrupting digital connectivity. In this conversation, Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (retd.), a former flag officer of Indian Navy, who served as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) spoke to Hindol Sengupta, founder of Global Order and professor of international relations at the O. P. Jindal Global University. Admiral Karambir Singh discusses the strategic importance of maritime security, choke points, undersea cables, and regional naval cooperation, highlighting their impact on global and Indian security. Keywords: #maritimesecurity #chokepoints #underseacables #navalpower #strategy #indopacific #china #underseacables Key Topics: The increasing importance of maritime security in global conflict Weaponisation of choke points like the Strait of Hormuz The strategic significance of undersea cables and infrastructure US naval movements and their implications for Indo-Pacific security China and Pakistan's naval expansion and regional influence India’s counter-strategies to regional naval threats Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Admiral Karambir Singh and the topic 02:01 The heightened importance of maritime strategy in recent years 03:53 Weaponization of choke points and their strategic implications 05:49 The situation in the Strait of Hormuz and international efforts to keep it open 08:14 US naval movements and regional security dynamics 10:11 US Indo-Pacific strategy and regional security cooperation 12:08 China and Pakistan's naval expansion and regional influence 14:04 India’s strategic response and future naval capabilities 16:00 Concerns over undersea cables and critical infrastructure 17:56 India’s current efforts and future needs for undersea cable security 19:52 Regional naval cooperation and the threat landscape 21:49 The importance of undersea warfare and anti-submarine capabilities 24:12 India’s initiatives for undersea infrastructure protection 26:10 Regional naval cooperation and China-Pakistan collaboration 28:07 India’s strategic countermeasures and naval modernization 30:04 Conclusion: Strategic outlook for India and the region

So what does it take to make that partnership even stronger? Ms Vishakha Yaduvanshi, Consul General of India in Manchester, speaks with Lakshmi Kaul about building on existing ties and unlocking the next phase of the India–UK relationship. ▶️ Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/9oqdk4lx8_Q?si=5agkOY5ZWfHd0TSg #shorts #IndiaUK #IndiaUK2Point0 #UKIndia #Manchester #GlobalOrder #CommonGround