London: London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) hosted the second annual South Asian Power Brokers celebration on October 29, bringing together leaders from finance, business, and culture for a special Market Close ceremony and Diwali reception recognizing the community’s achievements and contributions.
Financial News rang the exchange’s closing bell during the ceremony. Among those attending were Deutsche Bank’s UK chief Vathany Vijayaratna, former Shell UK chair Parminder Kohli, and Cobra Beer founder Lord Karan Bilimoria.
The event followed the October 26 release of Financial News’ second annual South Asian Power Brokers list, recognizing influential leaders of South Asian heritage shaping finance and business worldwide.
Welcoming Financial News to the exchange for the second consecutive year, London Stock Exchange CEO Dame Julia Hoggett said, “It is a real joy to welcome you all here today. And can I say namaskar and welcome to the London Stock Exchange?”
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Hoggett said the gathering brought together people from across business, finance, and culture to celebrate the achievements and contributions of South Asians in the City of London and the broader United Kingdom.
“At the exchange, as I’ve said, we believe in the power of convening markets and people,” she added. “Markets connect ideas with capital, businesses with investors, and ambition with opportunity. And they work best when the widest possible range of talent can contribute.”
Hoggett also highlighted the return of a bell to the exchange’s ceremonies, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Big Bang, the 1986 reforms that transformed London’s financial markets. The bell was cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, which also produced Big Ben and the original Liberty Bell.
“This evening, the bell marks not only the market close but our coming together. A welcome to those returning and those joining us for the first time,” she said.
“Big Bang happened 40 years ago on Tuesday. We celebrated the 40th anniversary of Big Bang, and we brought the London Stock Exchange bell back,” Hoggett told South Asian Herald.
Reflecting on Diwali, Hoggett said the festival represents a row of lights coming together. She recalled speaking at the previous year’s celebration about one lamp lighting many others, each distinct but collectively illuminating a path that none could light alone.
“It’s a fitting image for what we seek to do here: be a genuine source of connection and collaboration,” she added. “A light matters most when the way ahead is dark.”
She said those entrusted with institutions have a responsibility to remove barriers and help build prosperity that more people can share.
“We’re here tonight to celebrate those who’ve made space for others, who’ve opened doors…” she said.
Financial News Editor-in-Chief Shruti Tripathi Chopra described Hoggett as one of the world’s most “influential women” in finance, saying her support for the South Asian community carried considerable significance.
Chopra asked attendees how many had imagined, at the beginning of their careers, that they would one day stand on the London Stock Exchange balcony celebrating their professional success as South Asians.
“Many of us might have imagined succeeding at this very place, but very few imagined that our South Asian identity would one day be celebrated as part of that professional success,” she said.
Recalling the inaugural South Asian Power Brokers celebration at the exchange last year, Chopra described the personal significance of closing the market alongside Hoggett.
“I was standing next to Julia. I was closing the markets. I’m a girl from Delhi. I couldn’t even think of this in my dreams,” she said.
Chopra recalled sending photographs of the ceremony to family members on WhatsApp and sharing them on social media.
“But once the excitement settled, something quieter stayed with me. I held on to that moment as proof, proof that I belong, proof that people who look like me belong,” she said. That experience, she added, strengthened her determination to expand the celebration each year.
Chopra said attendance at the second annual gathering was twice that of the inaugural event. She described the response as tremendous and commended the South Asian Power Brokers attending the reception and working across London.
Krishna Omkar, head of global sponsors and institutional investors at London Stock Exchange Group, talked about the themes of home, belonging, and community.
Drawing on the Diwali story of Lord Ram’s homecoming after years in exile, Omkar said returning home can be complicated for immigrants who may be uncertain about where or how they fit in. He said the experience underscores the importance of building a home and community for themselves and others.
Omkar described the relationships fostered through the gathering as a family, emphasizing the importance of standing together and supporting one another.
He also connected the sound of the bell with Diwali’s imagery of a row of lights. Individual lights have greater impact when brought together, he said, adding that sharing light and helping others shine reflects a central message of the festival.
