Northeastern University’s Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Summit: Can India Become a Global Manufacturing Hub?

BOSTON — As multinational companies reassess where and how they manufacture products, Northeastern University will bring business leaders, policymakers and academics together next month to examine whether India can emerge as a global manufacturing hub. (Photos courtsey of Northeastern University)

The Center for Emerging Markets at Northeastern will host its fifth annual Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Summit on October 5, with this year’s program focused on “Can India Become a Global Manufacturing Hub?” The daylong summit will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Northeastern’s East Village 17th Floor Conference Facility.

The summit is part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative, an endowed initiative at the Center for Emerging Markets designed to deepen engagement with economic and business issues in India.

The discussion comes as India seeks to expand its role in global manufacturing, from labor-intensive industries that can create large numbers of jobs to more sophisticated, high-value production involving electronics, automobiles and other technology-driven sectors.

The summit will examine how multinational companies are shifting portions of their manufacturing operations to India, what India needs to do to compete with established manufacturing centers and how the country’s rise could reshape global supply chains.

The program will also consider the challenges involved in building a manufacturing ecosystem capable of competing internationally, including infrastructure, workforce development, technology, supply chains, investment and the ability to move into higher-value production.

Business and Policy Leaders to Lead Discussion

Among the featured speakers is Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog and former G20 Sherpa for India. Kant has held a number of senior government positions and has been closely involved in initiatives including Make in India, Startup India and India’s Production-Linked Incentive programs. During his tenure at NITI Aayog, he worked on policies involving manufacturing, investment, infrastructure and economic development.

Kant also served as India’s G20 Sherpa during the country’s 2023 G20 presidency, helping lead negotiations on economic and international policy issues.

Josh Foulger, president of IT Hardware and New Projects at Dixon Technologies, will bring an industry perspective on India’s electronics manufacturing sector. Foulger has more than three decades of experience in electronics manufacturing and has held leadership positions at companies including Zetwerk Electronics, Bharat FIH and Nokia. At Dixon, he is involved in the company’s expansion in IT hardware and new projects.

Ganesh Mani S, president and chief operating officer of Ashok Leyland, brings more than three decades of experience in the automotive industry. His responsibilities have included manufacturing, sourcing, supply chain, logistics, operations strategy and business excellence. He previously held senior leadership positions at Hyundai Motor India and Maruti Suzuki India.

Bhavani Parameswar, president of Indivate Inc., an ITC Group company, has more than three decades of experience in global business development, cross-border strategy, public policy and regulatory affairs. She spent more than 35 years with ITC, working across businesses including consumer products, agribusiness, paperboards, apparel, education and technology, with much of her career involving North American markets.

Michael McCabe, resident director for North America at Tata Sons, will offer a perspective from one of India’s largest multinational business groups. McCabe oversees government affairs and strategy for Tata Sons in North America and works with Tata companies on market entry, business development and strengthening the group’s presence in the region. He previously spent nearly two decades at Tata Consultancy Services, including as head of government relations for North America.

S. Raghuram, Consul General of India in Boston, will represent the Indian government at the summit. Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Nepal, is also scheduled to participate.

The program will additionally feature Anant Ahuja, director of ESG and Sustainability at Shahi Exports, who will bring experience in sustainability and responsible business practices within India’s large-scale apparel manufacturing sector.

Manufacturing at the Center of India’s Next Growth Phase

The summit builds on previous India Summits organized by Northeastern’s Center for Emerging Markets, which have examined subjects including innovation, the startup economy, sustainability and family businesses.

This year’s focus reflects a broader question about India’s economic development: whether the country can move beyond its established strengths in services and become a larger global center for manufacturing.

The discussion will consider both ends of that spectrum. On one side is labor-intensive manufacturing, which can provide employment at scale. On the other is high-end and branded manufacturing, where India would compete for investment in increasingly sophisticated global supply chains.

India has sought to strengthen its manufacturing base through policies designed to attract investment, expand domestic production and encourage companies to establish operations in the country. The summit will examine how those efforts are translating into opportunities for multinational companies and Indian businesses.

The participation of executives from automotive, electronics, consumer products and diversified industrial businesses is intended to bring perspectives from companies already operating within or expanding India’s manufacturing ecosystem.

The discussions are also expected to address the role of technology and automation in India’s manufacturing future, including whether advances in digital manufacturing and artificial intelligence could allow the country to compete more effectively in higher-value industries while maintaining its advantages in labor-intensive production.

Northeastern Faculty to Moderate

The summit’s discussions will be moderated by Ashish Chugh, chief investment officer for equities at Frontier Investment Management Partners, and Ravi Sarathy, professor of international business and strategy at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Chugh brings an investment perspective to the discussion, with experience in global equity markets and emerging economies.

Sarathy’s academic work focuses on international business, global strategy, emerging markets and internationalization. He has taught and conducted research on how companies compete and expand across international markets.

The combination of policymakers, corporate executives, investors and academics will allow the summit to examine India’s manufacturing ambitions from multiple angles — from government policy and foreign investment to corporate strategy and the practical realities of operating production facilities.

Building U.S.-India Economic Connections

The summit is part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative, an endowed program at Northeastern’s Center for Emerging Markets.

The initiative is designed to expand and deepen engagement with economic and business issues in India. It supports the Center’s India Lecture series, provides opportunities for scholars, students and practitioners from India to complete visiting terms at the Center, encourages Northeastern faculty to conduct use-inspired research in India and helps build a community of business leaders in the United States and India interested in American-Indian economic ties.

The Center for Emerging Markets brings together researchers, students and business leaders to examine the economic and business environments of emerging economies and their growing role in the global economy.

Previous India Summit programs have addressed topics including innovation, the startup economy, sustainability and family businesses. The manufacturing focus this year reflects the growing importance of India to global business and investment decisions.

For U.S. companies and investors, India’s manufacturing expansion also presents potential opportunities for new partnerships, supply-chain relationships and market growth. At the same time, companies considering manufacturing operations in India face questions around infrastructure, workforce, logistics, regulation and the ability to maintain quality and efficiency at scale.

The October 5 summit will provide a forum for examining those opportunities and challenges while considering a larger question: whether India can establish the scale, capabilities and global connections needed to become a more important manufacturing base for multinational companies.

Event Details

Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Summit: Can India Become a Global Manufacturing Hub?

Date: Monday, October 5, 2026

Time: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT

Location: East Village, 17th Floor Conference Facility, Northeastern University

Format: In-person and online participation

The summit is presented by Northeastern University’s Center for Emerging Markets as part of the Vivek and Vandana Sharma India Initiative.

Registration is available for both in-person and online participation. Questions about the event can be directed to the Center for Emerging Markets at cem@northeastern.edu.

The summit will bring together policymakers, corporate executives, investors, academics and other leaders interested in India’s economic development and the evolving economic relationship between India and the United States.