First-ever India – UK Createch Summit Claims to Produce £58M in Commercial Deals
by EVENTFAQS Bureau Business Events | February 7, 2018 | News
British High Commission Fountainhead MKTG
The India – UK Createch Summit that took place in Mumbai on February 6, 2018, was the first conference in India dedicated to this new and emerging field. This summit took place at an exciting time and explored how the technology and creative industries are converging to produce a new wave of innovation which is leading to the development of new products and businesses. Virtual and augmented reality, robotics and artificial intelligence are increasingly commonplace and are redefining how we live. They affect our experience of entertainment and are improving all aspects of life, from healthcare to transport.
The Summit was opened by Baroness Rona Fairhead CBE, Minister of State for the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT), and attended by HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO. It convened around 1000 delegates from the film, advertising, healthcare, industrial design, music, gaming and immersive technology sectors. The focus was on exploring how Createch is disrupting industries around the world and to showcase some of the companies leading the development of these technologies globally.
Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said:
“The UK has today demonstrated its world-leading capability in the creative and tech sectors, whilst continuing to build strong ties with the ever-growing economy that is India. More than 60 UK companies have travelled to India during this month-long celebration of Createch and met hundreds of Indian companies. As one of the UK’s economic success stories, the creative industries contributed £92bn to our economy in 2016 and employed over 1.9m people.”
“I would like to thank Indian heads of business for their warm welcome on this visit. I believe the discussions held at the summit demonstrate our commitments to continuing to forge creative, new technology-led partnerships between the UK and India. I look forward to many future collaboration between our countries in Createch.”
Attendees had the opportunity to hear keynotes from senior figures from some of the world’s most innovative companies and organisations. Professor Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) opened the session ‘Createch in Business’, speaking about the impact of Createch on JLR and the opportunities it offers for the future of transport. Jeremy White, Transport Director, Seymour Powell, explored how human-centered design can allow businesses to think ahead. Mike McGee, Co-founder, and CCO of the Oscar-winning creative studio, Framestore, discussed how revolutionary technology in film and advertising has brought to life characters like Paddington Bear and sent children on a virtual school trip to Mars. Other sessions led by the likes of Sir Malcolm Grant, Chairman, National Healthcare Service (NHS) England, and Guy Murphy, Chief Strategy Officer, J. Walter Thompson, addressed how technology can help brands build value in the 21st century.
The grand finale of the 4th TECH Rocketship Awards was also held on the same day, featuring seven of India’s brightest tech entrepreneurs and start-ups presenting their business ideas to an expert judging panel. Competing across seven categories, the winners were announced and presented with a trip to the UK, connecting them with the UK’s world-leading growth ecosystem of VCs, advisors, customers and support networks to help springboard their businesses internationally.
The Summit also hosted a series of bespoke industry-focused workshops on health care, industrial design, music, gaming, film and immersive technology, giving an unprecedented platform to Indian and UK businesses and thought leaders to interact across a diverse range of sectors. The Summit was followed by an evening reception, where Baroness Rona Fairhead and VisitBritain’s CEO, Sally Balcombe, launched the new VisitBritain campaign in India titled ‘Find Your GREAT Britain’.
As part of a wider month of interaction between the UK and India, the Createch month has seen the visit of seven UK trade missions covering the food and drink, healthcare, gaming, music, film, automotive and football sectors in India. These missions will travel the breadth of the country to identify opportunities for collaboration and partnership. Several commercial deals are said to have been forged with like-minded Indian companies sharing an appetite for partnership and commercial deals worth (£58m) were announced at the India-UK Createch Summit.
"In extension to the India-UK Tech Summit, partnering with the British government to create an exclusive platform for the two nation's to set the foundation for a technologically enhanced future, was a great experience. As partners for India UK Createch, we at Fountainhead MKTG, cemented the concept as reality and ensured the programme was a true success for all participating parties" says V. G. Jairam, Co-founder, Fountainhead MKTG.
Fountainhead-MKTG conceptualised and managed the event as an extension of the India-UK tech summit.