CF India Summer Reception - with Guest of Honour, The Rt. Hon. Lord Cameron
Thank you for joining us at our Summer Reception last week — a truly special evening bringing together longstanding friends and new supporters to celebrate the enduring ties between the UK and India. We were honoured to welcome our Guest of Honour, The Rt Hon Lord David Cameron, whose keynote address offered a compelling reflection on the values that unite our two countries and communities.
The evening opened with a warm welcome and introductions from outgoing co-chairs Reena Ranger OBE and Cllr Ameet Jogia MBE, before hearing from a range of distinguished speakers. Lord Dolar Popat, CFoI’s Founder, was warmly recognised for his tireless work strengthening Indo-British relations over many years. Lord Cameron then took to the stage, recalling how India was the first country he visited as both Leader of the Opposition and as Prime Minister. He spoke movingly about the shared values between the Conservative Party and the British Indian community — from enterprise and family to service and opportunity — and reflected on a powerful moment at Wembley Stadium when Prime Minister Modi addressed the diaspora. “That evening,” he recalled, “I said the Conservative Party would be the one to see Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister. Little did I know, a young Rishi Sunak was in the audience.”
We also heard from Rt Hon Sir Oliver Dowden MP, former Deputy Prime Minister and newly appointed Co-Chairman of CFoI, who praised the British Indian community’s vital contributions across every facet of British life. He paid tribute to both Lord Cameron and Lord Popat for their early leadership in launching CFoI. New Co-Chair Koolesh Shah also addressed the audience, speaking with pride about his heritage and his ambition to support and inspire the next generation of British Indian Conservative leaders.
The High Commissioner of India to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, highlighted the strength of the UK–India partnership, grounded not only in politics, but in trade, innovation, education, and deep cultural ties. He emphasised the importance of growing that partnership beyond governments, through people, businesses, and shared purpose.
Our sincere thanks to all who attended, including business leaders, local representatives, community champions and CFoI members, all united by a commitment to building a stronger Conservative movement and a thriving UK–India relationship. We look forward to sharing video highlights with you on our social media platforms — and to seeing you again soon. You can see the photos here, and clips on our instagram, facebook and X account - please do follow these accounts for insights and updates.
