Olympic medalist and world champion badminton player PV Sindhu will headline the prestigious India Conference at Harvard, to be held on February 14 and 15, 2026, in Boston.

One of India’s most accomplished athletes, Sindhu has redefined what is possible for Indian sport on the global stage. A two-time Olympic medalist and the first Indian to win a gold medal at the Badminton World Championships, her career has been marked by sustained excellence, resilience, and competitive dominance at the highest levels of international sport. Across Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the BWF World Tour, Sindhu has emerged as a defining symbol of India’s rise as a global sporting power, according to India Conference at Harvard on January 19.

Sindhu represents a generational shift in how Indian athletes are perceived worldwide. Her journey reflects the professionalization of Indian sport, the emergence of robust high-performance ecosystems, and the growing intersection of sport, leadership, and global visibility. As a public figure, she has also become a role model for young Indians, particularly women, demonstrating how discipline, ambition, and national pride translate into sustained global excellence.

At the conference, Sindhu will participate in a moderated panel alongside Satyam Trivedi, CEO of GMR Sports, exploring the evolution of India’s sports ecosystem and how elite athletes and sports leaders together shape India’s international sporting identity, and how sport serves as a powerful vehicle for cultural confidence, unity, and national aspiration.

The panel will anchor the conference theme, “The India We Imagine,” highlighting how sporting excellence and professional leadership contribute to a vision of India that is ambitious, high achieving, disciplined, and fully engaged with the world.

Ritul Madhukar, co-chair of the India Conference at Harvard, commented: “PV Sindhu’s career captures what it means for India to imagine itself as a global leader; ambitious, disciplined, and unapologetically world-class. For millions of young Indians, particularly women, she embodies how excellence, resilience, and national pride translate into lasting global impact.”

About India Conference at Harvard

In its 23rd year, the India Conference at Harvard is one of the largest and most influential student-led India-focused conferences in the US. An annual event hosted jointly at Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School, it fosters dialogue on India’s evolving role in global affairs, bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and cultural icons. This year, the conference is chaired by Arundhati Prasad (GSD 2026), Narayani Shreedevi Ananthakrishnan (HKS 2026), Ritul Madhukar (HKS 2026), Satya Krishnan (HBS 2026), and Sravani Royyuru (HBS 2026), leading a team of ~100 students from across Harvard University. 

Highlights of the Conference:

• Fireside Chat with Priyanka Chopra, showcasing her vision for India’s role on the world stage.
• Address by Shashi Tharoor on India’s democratic vision and its role in the world.
• Policy Hackathon, in collaboration with the Governments of Jammu & Kashmir and GDi Partners, addressing climate risk and sustainability solutions. Winning teams receive upto $10K in prize money.
• Startup Pitch Competition, providing a platform for Indian and Indian-origin entrepreneurs to present innovative solutions to India’s unique challenges and win over $20K in prizes.
• Distinguished speakers, including:
  • Manish Malhotra – acclaimed fashion designer and founder of the eponymous designer label
  • Chef Vijay Kumar – Beard Award-winning, Michelin-starred chef at Semma NYC
  • Sid Sriram – Celebrated playback singer
  • Vipul Roongta – MD and CEO of HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited
  • Nikhil Taneja – Founder of Yuvaa and leading youth media entrepreneur

For more details on the India Conference’s programming and registration, visit indiaconferenceharvard.com.

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