Creative economy plays vital role in UK-India relationship: British envoy Lindy Cameron

The creative economy plays a vital role in the UK-India relationship and by combining pioneering expertise with local insight, the two countries are well placed to champion the global creative economy, British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron has said.

The creative economy plays a ''vital role'' in the UK-India relationship and by combining pioneering expertise with local insight, the two countries are well placed to champion the global creative economy, British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron has said. She made the remarks during a two-day event, titled ''Creative Convergence: Growth Reimagined'', hosted by the British Council here. The event ended on Friday. Besides the British envoy, Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal and Tim Curtis, Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, among others, attended the launch of the event on Thursday. Over the two days, various leaders, researchers and creative practitioners from India and the United Kingdom came together to re-imagine growth, innovation and collaboration in the creative economy, the British Council's centre in India said in a statement. In her keynote address, Cameron said, ''With creative leaders, policymakers, researchers, entrepreneurs and artists, 2025 marked a new era for the UK-India relationship, one defined by ambition, partnership and now, by delivery.'' Creative Convergence advances the objectives of the India-UK Programme of Cultural Cooperation (2025-2030), signed by the two countries in May 2025, the statement said. ''One of our commitments was to host the series of creative economy events and I am delighted that we are putting our words into action today. The creative economy plays a vital role in the UK-India relationship, sitting at the intersection of culture, technology, skills and enterprise, and is increasingly recognised as a powerful driver of inclusive and sustainable growth for both countries,'' Cameron was quoted as saying in the statement. ''By combining pioneering expertise with local insight, India and the UK are well placed to champion the global creative economy,'' she added. During the plenary session, Aggarwal said, ''India and the UK share a rich heritage and are working towards a shared India-UK Vision 2035. For India, the creative economy is not a niche sector. It is actually central to our overall policy for growth and economic development. Creative industries, for us, mean livelihoods.'' The prime ministers of India and the UK, during their meeting in July 2025 in London, had endorsed the ''India-UK Vision 2035'' that reaffirmed their shared commitment to unlocking the full potential of a revitalised partnership. This ambitious and future-focussed agreement underscores the two countries' resolve to work together for mutual growth, prosperity and to shape a prosperous, secure and sustainable world in a time of rapid global change. Curtis said, ''It is encouraging to see culture and creativity is no longer being put to the margins of sustainable development discussions, but being put more to the centre.'' ''When we talk about growth re-imagined in the creative economy, we are really asking what kind of societies we want to live in. If culture and creativity can move more from the margins to the centre of our policies, partnerships and public spaces, the result can be ecosystems that are not only more innovative, but also more resilient, inclusive and finally, more humane,'' he said. Ruth Mackenzie, Global Director of Arts, British Council, and Alison Barrett, Country Director-India, British Council, also attended the event hosted at the British Council's centre here. The event built on the momentum of its inaugural Bengaluru edition held in November 2025 and brought together policymakers, researchers, creative entrepreneurs and cultural leaders from India and the UK to re-imagine the future of the creative economy, Mackenzie said. Barrett said the creative economy is not just about cultural expressions and exchange -- ''it is a driver of innovation, sustainable livelihoods and global understanding and knowledge building''. The event included an exhibition, titled ''Distortion'', and ''Doc-Exchange: Indo-UK Opportunities with the Documentary'', a focussed forum examining documentary co-production, co-financing and distribution between India and the UK. The Delhi edition culminated with ''Modulated Movements'', an experimental live performance curated by WIP Labs, where technology, sound, movement and voice intersected to create new forms of artistic expression.

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