NEW DELHI (Diya TV) — The Boston Global Forum (BGF) has appointed Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, Chairman of the India Center Foundation (ICF), as its official representative in India. The appointment, which took effect on Sept. 16, marks the beginning of a new partnership between BGF and ICF to advance global cooperation on peace, governance, and innovation.
Governor Michael Dukakis, Co-founder and Chair of BGF, praised the decision and Upadhyay’s long record of leadership. “Mr. Upadhyay’s vision and leadership will help bring India’s voice and creativity into global dialogues on peace, governance, and innovation,” Dukakis said.
As BGF’s India representative, Upadhyay will help guide several key initiatives, including the AIWS Government 24/7, the Boston Finance Accord, and the Shinzo Abe Initiative. Through his leadership at the India Center Foundation, Upadhyay has played a central role in building India’s strategic and developmental ties across the Indo-Pacific region.
Soon after his appointment, Upadhyay joined Yasuhide Nakayama, former Japanese State Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs, and Nguyen Anh Tuan, BGF Co-founder and Co-Chair, in Nha Trang, Vietnam. The leaders met on Sept. 16 and 17 to advance work on The Shinzo Abe Film, a flagship project of the AI World Society (AIWS) Film Park.
The meetings brought together Vietnamese leaders, policymakers, and cultural figures to discuss production plans for the film. The project aims to honor the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his legacy of peace, democracy, and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Filming began at the AIWS House Nha Trang and the Potique Hotel, marking the start of a cultural partnership that blends innovation, diplomacy, and storytelling. The film seeks to inspire future collaborations among Indo-Pacific nations through the shared values Abe championed.
At a related event in Phan Thiet, the HZ Group announced a USD 100,000 sponsorship for the project. The film’s production team—Upadhyay, Nakayama, and Tuan—described the project as a tribute to Abe’s enduring vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Beyond his new BGF role, Upadhyay continues to promote his pioneering Alternative Development Model (ADM). The framework encourages a global shift from “exploitation to empowerment,” challenging traditional models of growth that rely on extraction and inequality.
In a recent statement published by the Global Alliance for Digital Governance, Upadhyay warned that the real threat to global progress lies in developing countries repeating the same unsustainable patterns followed by industrialized nations.
“The true danger,” he wrote, “lies not in the past choices of developed nations but in others attempting to follow the same path.”
ADM rests on three key pillars—empowerment, equity, and sustainability—and offers a blueprint for creating resilient, ethical, and inclusive systems of growth. The model aligns closely with BGF’s AI World Society (AIWS) initiative, which promotes the responsible and democratic use of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence.
Together, ADM and AIWS form the foundation of what Upadhyay calls a “new civilization model.” This framework merges sustainable development with ethical innovation, envisioning a global system that balances human progress with moral responsibility.
Upadhyay has long been at the forefront of international cooperation between India and Japan. He played a central role in launching the India–Japan Global Partnership in 2000, a landmark initiative that strengthened economic and strategic ties between the two nations.
His work has contributed to major projects such as the Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor, as well as several platforms promoting equitable and sustainable growth.
Through his collaboration with the Boston Global Forum, Upadhyay aims to expand India’s participation in global discussions on AI ethics, sustainable governance, and inclusive growth. His appointment as BGF’s India representative reinforces a shared vision for a more peaceful, innovative, and interconnected world.
