The Office of Akshata Murty & Rishi Sunak

Sharing the first five objects from Stories + 10 Objects has been one of the most unexpectedly moving experiences of my year. Filming inside V&A South Kensington - those grand galleries filled with centuries of imagination - felt like stepping into a living conversation between the past and the present. What surprised me most was how each object stirred something different in me: a memory, a question, a sense of wonder, an urgency about the future. People often ask which object has been my favourite, and it’s genuinely impossible to choose. The Perfume Tree reminded me of so many family rituals growing up in India, those moments when scent and celebration were intertwined. The Beetle Wing net made me think about the patience and artistry embedded in craftsmanship that often goes unrecognised. Then there was the Mysore Games Box, which brought back the playfulness of my childhood; long evenings of card games, strategy, laughter, and a bit of mischief with my grandparents. The Kashmiri Armchair transported me into a world of intricate detail, each brushstroke in one of the thousands of flowers a small act of devotion. And the mango-coloured Sari reminded me so strongly of growing up in a family that treasured the industry of Mysore silk, my own wedding to Rishi, and that magical mix of chaos and love that defines so many South Asian celebrations. So when asked to choose, how can I? Each object spoke to a different part of me. Now, as we move into the second half of the series, we are switching it up! We’re moving from the historical perspective of South Kensington to the forward looking perspective of V&A East Storehouse. Here, in conversation with British makers, from designers to illustrators, we will talk about how museums can provide a pathway into the creative economy. How can art, creativity, design, craftsmanship and making foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation? That’s what I love most about museums like the Victoria and Albert Museum. They’re not simply guardians of history; they’re catalysts for new ideas. They help us reflect and recognise the threads that connect our stories, wherever we grew up. Coming soon… and I promise, it’s worth the wait.

Loved being part of the British Asian Trust’s Insights series earlier this week, in conversation with the brilliant Hitan Mehta OBE. We spoke about the South Asian diaspora, the UK-India bridge and the values that keep Rishi and me grounded in our work. Huge thank you to Aatif Hassan, Hitan and the British Asian Trust for hosting such a warm, inspiring evening and for everything they do for communities in South Asia and the UK.

My father, Narayana Murthy, never set out to be a symbol. But through vision, values and quiet determination, he helped reshape the possibilities for a generation of Indians - and an entire country. This thoughtful piece captures something important about his legacy: the belief he instilled in millions that where you start needn’t define where you finish. It’s a lesson I think about often, especially in the work we’re doing through The Richmond Project: how confidence, when nurtured early, can ripple into lifelong opportunity.

Over the past few decades, we’ve relied on a set of shared economic rules that helped drive prosperity and security across much of the world. But that commons is under strain geopolitically, economically, and technologically. I recently joined economists, security experts and policymakers at the Hoover Institution in Washington DC to ask what comes next. From trade rules to tariffs, capital flows to strategic minerals, we discussed how to rebuild trust and resilience in the global system, and the new coalitions that might be needed to do so. These aren’t abstract questions. They affect what gets built, where it gets built, and who benefits. They shape how economies grow and how we protect democratic values in a multipolar world. Thank you to the team at Hoover Institution, Stanford University for sparking such a thoughtful discussion.

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