9th SYNERGIA CONCLAVE 2023: CURTAIN RAISER

by Priya Jadhav

“The Future of Advance Technologies, Global Diplomacy and National Security”

13th November 2023, Bengaluru: Synergia Foundation will host the Largest Gathering of Strategic Experts from Across the World in Bangalore from 17th to 19thNovember 2023.  

A Press Briefing was organised at Synergia Foundation on Monday, 13th November 2023, attended by Mr Tobby Simon, Founder and President of Synergia Foundation and his team of strategic analysts who will be moderating various sessions during the Conclave. The National Security Advisory Board(NSAB ) of the Government of India is a partner and Tata Consultancy Services ( TCS ) are the Principal Sponsors of the Conclave.

The Synergia Conclave serves as a platform to draw together the most insightful ideas and solutions from around the globe. Unfolding over three dynamic days, the Conclave will host a broad spectrum of key contributors including esteemed statesmen, policymakers, security experts, technologists, scientists, academicians, and industry heads. By cultivating purposeful dialogue and displaying innovative, actionable ideas, the Synergia Conclave 2023 aims to inspire a forward-looking perspective on the future, one that is defined by active decision-making and initiative.

As we step into the third decade of the millennium, our future teeters on uncertainty. Rapidly melting Arctic ice, the looming threat of nuclear warfare, lethal pathogens outpacing our medical advancements, and heightened digital vulnerabilities paint a stark portrait of the challenges ahead. The future may seem uncertain, but together, we can face it.

The objective of the conclave is to better understand the opportunities and challenges while adopting advanced technologies like Cyber Security , Quantum Encryptions, Artificial Intelligence, Aerospace & Defence , Satellites and Space , Advanced Computing and to business and larger national interest. 

The first day of the conclave will features two round tables. The first will be on assessing “India’s Neighbourhood.” This is done in partnership with the National Security Advisory Board. In the second part of the first round table, Synergia Foundation will be introducing thought leadership to the opportunities of emerging and advanced technologies providing a new vector to neighbourhood diplomacy. Participants in this round table will include Ambassador P S Raghavan, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board, Ambassador Pankaj Saran, Former Deputy NSA, Lt Gen M A Hossain, Commandant National Defence College Bangladesh and Major General Ngwe Thein of  Myanmar , just to name some of the participants.

The second round table will show case an exercise on Multi Domain Warfare and perhaps for the first time in India , an Industrial wargaming. The session will be done by military experts at Synergia including Lt Gen P J S Pannu – Former Chief Integrated Defence Staff , Maj General Moni Chandi –  Former Inspector General at the National Security Guards and Major General Deepak Naidu – Former Head of Nett Assessment at the National Council Secretariat. The session will be co-chaired by Bimal Patel , the Chairman of the Rastriya Raksha University and Lt Gen V G Khandare , Principal Advisor to Defence Ministry. 

The themes being covered cover a vast landscape-Plausible Alternate Futures, Global Risk & Intelligence Assessments, Mapping a Trajectory: Asia – 2035, The Asian Century? Aligning Technologies for the Future Conflicts, Aerospace & Defence, Space Technologies, Multi Domain Warfare, Weaponization of Trade & Finance, Global Supply Chains, New International Economic Structures, Global Health: Global Solutions, Scenario Building & Gaming Exercises on India & Neighbourhood. The Conclave will also focus on Advance Technology and Tech Diplomacy, Quantum, AI, Satellites, HAPS, Drones

Key speakers in the conclave will include M K Narayanan – Former National Security Advisor of India, Gen Chris Smith – Deputy Commanding Officer of the US Pacific Command , Lt General Anil Chauhan – Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Hari Kumar – Chief of Naval Staff, N Ganapathy Subramaniam – COO Tata Consulting Services, Nobou Tanaka – Former Director of International Energy Agency , Uzi Arad – Former National Security Advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu, :t Gen John Jack Shanahan – 1st Director  Joint Artificial Intelligence Centre , AVM John Monahan – Director Defence Startegy UK, Kunihiko Miyake – Former Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister, Lt Gen MU Nair – National Cyber Security Coordinator , Vint Cerf – Co Founder of Internet , Chas Bountra – Pro Vice Chancellor Oxford University ,  Steve Evans – Director of School for Manufacturing , Cambridge University , Jim Rice – Director , Centre for Transportation. 

We can describe the conclave more as a Thought Leadershipexercise because it provides interdisciplinary insights on several interesting subjects- international relations, geopolitics, economics, national security, technology and various combinations of this. We have some very well-informed domain specialists who will be building scenarios for us and identifying the factors which will lead us to those scenarios over the next ten years. 

There are two landmarks that we hope to reach during the conclave; one, is that selected policymakers will be present so that we can create options at the strategic and political level for them. So, the discussions which we will initiate may find a place in the larger policy of the nation. 

Second is that being in Bengaluru, we take pride in the fact that we are at the technical technological hub of the country and how we as a think tank can bridge the gap between unicorns and startups who are here and the vast pool of knowledge and investment available in the West. 

The major strategic challenge for any of us, whether it is an organization or a leader, is how the future going to pan out and what are the issues which are beyond the boundaries of our own environment, that would affect us? Those are things which we need to focus on. This conclave addresses that as we are not trained to predict the future but are trying to have a better understanding of the future through a multi-dimensional prism, through these global experts.

The Founder and President, Mr Tobby Simon, said, “Governments, and industry and academia need to adapt to frequently ever-changing paradigms in geopolitics and security. Global risks (threats?) are mutating and that is why we collectively need to find solutions. Our aim is to give key stakeholders a 360-degree perspective of risk and turn these risks into opportunities. By bringing together subject matter experts from across the world our primary purpose is to facilitate the exchange of ideas that challenge global security and sustainability. We’re proud to drive this narrative as we know how important it is not only for governments but also for individuals and businesses to be aware of these threats in all their forms and be prepared to protect themselves and their businesses.”

About Synergia Foundation   :  The SYNERGIA FOUNDATION is a strategic think tank that works with corporate executive boards and governments to provide deep insights on threats that affect both individuals and organisations. Utilizing real-time primary data, we engage in impartial, high-calibre research, and leverage our expansive global network to provide the most in-depth analysis and meaningful solutions.

Each year, the Foundation curates and executes over 50 private and public initiatives, such as conferences, workshops, and roundtable conversations.