Introducing the International Delegates at 2026 Big Creative UK Investment Summit
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The UK is second only to the US when it comes to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the creative sector, so at the 2026 Big Creative UK Investment Summit, global collaboration is a key issue. That’s why the Summit will include an International Delegation, supported by British Council and sponsored by Department for Business and Trade, with representatives from nations including India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Kazakhstan.
The International Delegation will embark on a day of London-based activity with the aim of increasing understanding of the UK’s creative industries, market opportunities and sector frameworks; as well as enabling the formation of new international partnerships, joint ventures and investment opportunities.
So, who are our International Delegates and what can we learn about the creative industries in their parts of the world? Read on to find out.
Dimpy Agrawal
Producer, Gubbara Entertainment
Industry: Films & Advertising
Profile:
Dimpy Agrawal founded Gubbara Entertainment in 2023 with a vision to champion bold, original stories rooted in South Asia. Prior to launching her own banner, Dimpy honed her creative and production expertise at Netflix India, where she played a pivotal role in producing acclaimed Indian films and series such as Khufiya, The Archies, Qala, Monica O My Darling, AK vs AK, and The Archies, as well as series like Kota Factory, Guns & Gulaabs, and Mismatched.
Before Netflix, she held key production roles at premier Indian film studios, including Dharma Productions and Phantom Films, working on high-profile projects such as Kalank, Takht, Sacred Games, and Ghoul. With a strong foundation in both creative development and on-ground execution, she brings a rare blend of strategic insight and hands-on experience.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
The delegation is a great opportunity to build cross-cultural collaborations. As a Producer with a background in Finance and an extensive career in the Hindi Film Industry, Dimpy looks forward to meeting entrepreneurs and artists who have steadily helped make the arts an inclusive space for unique voices while developing innovative business models that help them thrive financially.
Aika Alemi
Founding Director, Born Nomad
Location: Kazakhstan
Industry: Fashion
Profile:
Creator of the Power of Creation methodology, her proprietary 10-step startup framework that has helped more than 3,500 creatives and innovators build their brands and enterprises. Aika Alemi currently serves as Founding Director of Born Nomad Incubator.
Womenswear finalist for the International Woolmark Prize 2017 (Europe) and Best Mentor of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Women Entrepreneurs Programme 2018.
Her paper Responsible Fashion in Central Asia as part of Decentering Fashion on the Silk Roads
Speaker and moderator of international conferences: The Business of Fashion Crossroads Dubai, World Summit on Arts and Culture Seoul, World Creative Economy Conference Tashkent, Digital Bridge, Digital Almaty.
Organizer of over 50 major events on start ups and investments in creative industries.
Contributor to Elle Kazakhstan and Forbes Kazakhstan
Website: linkedin.com
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
Currently, creative industries in Kazakhstan contribute 1-3% to GDP and represent a massive growth potential, but there are challenges with under-financing, low investor readiness and lack of global connections. The Delegation offers potential collaborations with UK and international investors, start-up incubators/accelerators and founders to create opportunities for co-investing and cross incubation/acceleration/scaling between Central Eurasia and UK.
Srishti Behl
Founder, Starfish Stories
Location: Mumbai
Industry: Media and Entertainment
Profile:
Srishti Behl is Founder of Starfish Stories, a production and strategic advisory practice helping creative companies navigate India’s complex entertainment landscape through content development and cultural intelligence.
As Director of Original Films at Netflix India (2018-2021), Srishti built the platform’s film slate, greenlighting 35+ originals including Bulbbul, AK vs AK, and Serious Men. She launched Netflix’s first Tamil and Telugu films, establishing their regional strategy. As CEO of Phantom Studios (2022-2025), she led the company’s strategic revival and theatrical expansion, developing a slate focused on creatively ambitious theatrical content.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
Srishti is seeking three primary outcomes from this delegation:
- UK-India Co-Production Partnerships
- Strategic Advisory Relationships with UK Creative Companies
- Investor Connections for India-UK Creative Ventures
Eryca Freemantle
Global Creative Industry Strategist, EATOW (Embracing All Tone of Women)
Location: Nigeria and UK
Industry: Creative and Beauty Industry
Profile:
Eryca is a globally respected authority in beauty, culture, and creative leadership a woman whose influence is felt far beyond product, policy, or platform. With more than four decades shaping the landscape of business and beauty, representation, and professional advancement, she has become one of the most strategic and transformative voices driving equity, visibility, and cultural exchange.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
E.A.T.O.W (Embracing All Tones of Women Ltd) is engaging in this delegation as a strategic delivery partner with a clear and simple mandate: to strengthen the commercial and digital capability of the creative industries through structured education, collaboration, and global connectivity.
E.A.T.O.W’s growth potential is significant. There is increasing demand for structured business intelligence, AI literacy, financial education, and global market access across creative sectors. Our established networks across the UK and Africa position us as a bridge between ecosystems, enabling scale through partnerships with financial institutions, tech companies, and cultural bodies
Prajay Kamat
CTO, MergeXR Studio
Location: London, Hyderabad, Dubai
Industry: Content Production and Technology
Profile:
Prajay Kamat is a pioneering technologist and XR expert, serving as the CTO and Founder of MergeXR Studios. He has played a key role in reshaping modern filmmaking through advanced virtual production, integrating real-time CGI, immersive XR stages, and cutting-edge workflows to deliver visually striking and cost-effective cinematic experiences.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
MergeXR is seeking three key outcomes:
First, they aim to build strategic partnerships with leading studios, production houses, and the wider virtual production hardware ecosystem.
Second, they want to strengthen MergeXR’s position as a visible UK leader in immersive production technology. By engaging with international peers and cross-sector innovators, they hope to contribute to knowledge sharing while showcasing the UK’s growing capabilities in XR-led creative industries.
Finally, they are actively exploring opportunities to raise strategic capital to accelerate both content production and technology investment. This includes funding to scale our virtual production infrastructure, develop next-generation immersive workflows, and expand global delivery partnerships.
Vandana Pant
Founder and Managing Director, Folklogue Studios Pvt. Ltd.
Location: Noida, India
Industry: Media and Culture
Profile:
Vandana Pant is a storyteller, writer, filmmaker, museum professional and founder of Folklogue Studios and its sister concern, Folktech Studios. She has over 20 years of experience in cross-format storytelling—across screens, in spaces, and everywhere in between. Storytelling lies at the heart of all her endeavours, from the three museums at Red Fort, Delhi, and the Smritivan Earthquake Memorial and Museum at Kutch, to the ongoing Parliament Museum in New Delhi, as well as heritage shows, podcasts and documentaries.
She spearheads one of India’s largest folk archival initiatives—Project FolkLog. Supported by the British Council India in 2019, the project continues to work with marginalised folk communities and storytelling practitioners across the country. She is now taking this project forward to children through an Edutaintech App of the same name.
Vandana has been one of the industry leaders shaping India’s nascent culture-tech ecosystem. She has participated in numerous festivals, conclaves, and seminars: including the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (2024), Sangeet Natak Akademi’s International Conference on Culture (2024), Roundtable with FCDO Minister Seema Malhotra (2025), and the Kula Conclave (2025). She is also part of forthcoming Indian delegations to The Big Creative UK Investment Summit (London, 2026) and the Berlinale (February 2026).
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
Through her participation in this delegation, Vanda seeks to initiate and contribute to a sustained cross-country cultural exchange that goes beyond a single conference. One of the key outcomes she hopes to work towards is the foundation of a long-term cultural network—an umbrella platform connecting cultural practitioners, artists, curators, researchers, storytellers, technologists, and community-led collectives across countries.
Shibasish Sarkar
President, Producers Guild of India
Location: Mumbai, India
Industry: Media & Entertainment
Profile:
Shibasish Sarkar is a seasoned media & entertainment industry professional with over 30yrs of extensive corporate experience spanning films, television, animation, gaming, digital content & new media platforms. He is currently the Group CEO of Reliance Entertainment a key subsidiary of Reliance ADA Group, one of India’s largest private sector conglomerates.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
To increase understanding of commercial opportunities in the UK’s creative sector.
Engage with investors at the Summit that may open pathways to funding or investment cooperation.
Participate in discussions and connections that can lead to co-productions and joint business ventures between Indian and UK creative organizations.
Anjali Sen
Director HR, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA)
Location: New Dehli
Industry: Arts and Culture
Profile:
As the former Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art, (NGMA) Delhi, Anjali spearheaded the development of the museum and its strategic partnerships. This led to groundbreaking new exhibitions as well as enhanced collaboration with national and international artists. This experience, along with an abiding interest in the Arts, underpins Anjali’s commitment to advancing KNMA’s vision and mission as a leading institution.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
The creative industries landscape in India is broad, rapidly expanding, and deeply intertwined with the country’s rich cultural heritage and growing digital economy. It includes sectors such as visual arts, crafts, design, film, music, performing arts, fashion, advertising, media, and heritage management. The summit provides an opportunity to advance leadership and cultural management in the arts, networking opportunities to connect and collaborate with arts and cultural institutions in the UK.
Ashish Srivastava
Co-Founder & COO, Glazer Labs Private Limited
Location: Dehli
Industry: Gaming & Entertainment
Profile:
Ashish Srivastava is the Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Glazer Labs, the parent company of Glazer Games profile on LinkedIn, where he leads strategic growth, innovation, and operations across gaming, esports, and digital media. With over two decades of experience in media, content, and competitive gaming, Ashish has been instrumental in building and scaling impactful platforms and experiences that drive community engagement and industry development within the Indian esports ecosystem.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
Through their participation in the Big Creative UK Investment Summit delegation, Ashish is seeking three key outcomes.
- To gain deeper insight into the UK’screative economy, policy frameworks, and investment ecosystem, particularly in areassuch as gaming, immersive media, and cross-platform IP development.
- To explore potential partnerships, co-productions, and joint venturesbetween Indian and UK-based creative companies, especially in esports, interactive entertainment, and youth-focused media.
- To build long-term relationships with investors, creative entrepreneurs, and institutions that can support cross-border growth and collaboration.
Adeela Suleman
Director & Founding Member, Vasl Artists’ Association
Location: Karachi, Pakistan
Industry: Art & Culture
Profile:
Adeela Suleman is a Karachi-based artist, educator, and cultural organizer. She received her BFA from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture in 1999 and an MA in International Relations from Karachi University in 1995. From 2008 to 2019, she served as Head of the Fine Art Department at Indus Valley. She is the founding member and director of Vasl Artists’ Association, Karachi; founding member and director of Odd Bird Art (Pakistan/Singapore); and founder and director of the Suleman Annual Grant for Art (SAGA), Karachi.
Outcomes sought from Big Creative UK Investment Summit:
Adeela’s primary objective for joining this delegation is to facilitate knowledge exchange and institutional bridging as Vasl Artists’ Association enters its 25th year. She is seeking the outcomes that will define Vasl Artists’ Association’s trajectory for the next decade:
Strengthening International Exchange Networks
Establishment of formal “Creative Corridors” between Karachi and UK art hubs.
Seeking to position Vasl not just as a cultural site, but as a high-value partner for cross-border creative industries, ready to leverage 25 years of local expertise for international mutual growth.
