Congress announces second Bharat Summit in Hyderabad, 1,000 delegates from 70 countries expected

The Congress has announced the second edition of the Bharat Summit, a three-day international gathering scheduled to take place in Hyderabad from November 12 to 14. More than 1,000 delegates from 70 countries, including political leaders, policymakers and thinkers, are expected to participate in the event hosted by the Congress-led Telangana government.

The summit will bring together representatives of what the organisers describe as progressive political movements to discuss global political and economic developments, democratic values and cooperation between the Global South and Global North. The concluding day, November 14, will also mark the 137th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Congress leader Mahesh Kumar Goud said Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was expected to attend the gathering. The party also plans to invite other senior leaders.

Gurdeep Sappal, a trustee of the Samrudhha Bharat Foundation, said the summit was intended to provide an international platform for progressive parties to exchange experiences and develop collective strategies.

"The Bharat Summit is providing a platform for progressive parties across the world to come together, share their experiences and collectively formulate strategies to bring politics back to serving the people, rather than serving politicians," Sappal said.

Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the discussions would also reflect Rahul Gandhi's vision for India's future and its place in an emerging global order.

"We hope and expect that the event will reflect Shri Rahul Gandhi's vision for India and the world of tomorrow, the emergence of a new global order, and how the country should navigate it," he said.

Global politics and cooperation in focus

Khurshid said the programme would include 12 international sessions and eight discussions dedicated to Telangana. The international sessions will examine recent electoral developments involving liberal parties in Brazil, Hungary, Serbia and the United States, among other global political issues.

He emphasised the need to rebuild dialogue and cooperation between countries in the Global South and Global North.

"What we are undertaking, reinventing, reinvigorating and reviving contact and dialogue between the Global South and the Global North, is extremely important," Khurshid said.

Congress leader and Telangana minister Sridhar Babu outlined four thematic tracks for the international programme. These will cover geo-economic issues, political renewal, geopolitical developments and societal challenges.

The geo-economic discussions will examine issues in the context of Hyderabad's growth as a technology-driven and industry-led state. The political renewal track will address youth participation and gender justice, while the geopolitical discussions will focus on South-South cooperation and reforms in multilateral institutions.

The fourth track will examine societal concerns, including climate change, the role of the media and information integrity.

Telangana sessions to focus on development goals

Alongside the international programme, the summit will host eight sessions under the Telangana Rising theme. These will cover areas such as Future City and Organisation, economic justice, social justice and welfare policies.

Sridhar Babu said the discussions would be aligned with Telangana's ambition to become a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047.

The Telangana-focused sessions are intended to showcase the state's development priorities while providing a platform to discuss its economic and social policy goals.

Second edition follows 2025 inaugural summit

The first Bharat Summit was held on April 25 and 26, 2025, at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC). The second edition will also use venues in Hyderabad, with international deliberations scheduled at HICC and the Telangana-focused sessions at the HITEX venue.

Sappal said the gathering would also seek to help progressive political parties formulate a collective response to what he described as politics driven by hatred and division. He added that international parties were interested in understanding the Congress's approach under Rahul Gandhi's leadership to counter such politics.

The organisers intend to make the Bharat Summit an annual event. According to Mahesh Kumar Goud, the gathering will also help build participation ahead of the state's Invest Telangana Global Summit, scheduled for December 7 to 9.

Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy has separately described Hyderabad's selection for the second edition as an opportunity to strengthen the city's profile as a destination for international policy discussions. He said the participation of delegates from 70 countries could also help Telangana attract foreign investment, promote tourism and enhance Hyderabad's global standing.