The final day of HTLS 2025 kicked off with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Speaking on an array of topics ranging
from the INR vs USD to customs and income tax, the finance minister stated that the rupee will find its own level. Asked
about the nationalist and political aspect attached to the currency weakening naturally, Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledged
that while in Opposition her party had raised the issue of a falling rupee, but added that when they raised the issue ,
the economic circumstances were different.
CJI Surya Kant, who spoke on his rise to CJI, shared his key priorities after taking office which ranged from tackling
digital arrests to reducing pending cases.
The summit kicked off on December 4 with conversations with Srinivas Narayanan, CTO of B2B Applications at OpenAI;
Ridham Desai, Managing Director and Chief Equity Strategist, India at Morgan Stanley; and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister
On Day 2 of the summit, HT sat down with Edward Luce, chief US commentator at the Financial Times and Professor Joyeeta
Gupta, a distinguished professor of environment and development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam.
As we work to wrap the summit, the final day of HTLS is lined with prominent speakers, such as Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, actor Hugh Grant, Aamir
HTLS was launched in 2003 to enhance the level of discourse on critical issues, encourage interaction among leaders in
important areas, and present international-quality thought platforms aimed at solutions.
The last two decades of HTLS have been outstanding successes, with attendance by leaders from India and around the
world. The audience has included senior politicians, bureaucrats, diplomats, business executives, thinkers,
commentators, and analysts. Over the years, the summit has become one of India’s most prestigious and eagerly awaited