The Hindu Huddle 2026 LIVE updates: Development and environmental protection must go hand in hand, Jairam Ramesh says

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Former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh at The Hindu Huddle 2026 in Bengaluru on June 5. | Photo Credit: K. Muralikumar

The sixth edition of the ideas conclave of The Hindu Group, The Hindu Huddle, is being held in Bengaluru on June 5 and 6. It was formally inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday morning (June 5, 2026).

This event brings diverse panels of experts to explicate and engage with the audience on complex and pertinent issues of recent times including the impact of tariffs on the Indian economy, the role of diplomacy in managing crises such as the war in West Asia, and how artificial intelligence is reshaping multiple aspects of life, from jobs to mental health.

Themed “A world in transition” to reflect the tectonic shifts that have transformed lives over the past year and more, The Hindu Huddle has a bevy of Chief Ministers and other Ministers from across the country. The event also brings prominent and authoritative voices from across the private sector, civil society, and media to discuss and engage candidly with the audience on the changing mores of culture, technology, and business impacting issues such as balancing ecological restoration with development, the use of chatbots in mental health, and the influence of OTT platforms on acting careers, and how art holds meaning and space especially during times of socioeconomic stress.

On Dr. Krithi’s point of optimism regarding on ground work for environment, Mr. Ramesh says: “India is a land of billion cockroaches, they are going to multiple. Cockroach is part of our biodiversity.”

“Democracy is about protecting the smallest of the small community. If a particular community says something is integral to their culture, it needs to be protected. In India, protecting culture is protecting nature,” the Rajya Sabha MP articulates.

Dr. Krithi says: “We can’t make excuses for not protecting India’s environment. We are able to do a lot as a civil society on the ground. Other than