Kamal Nath to lead 45-member India team to Davos

Wednesday, 19 January 2005, 20:30 IST
Printer Print Email Email
NEW DELHI: Commerce Minister Kamal Nath leads a 45-member team, comprising some of India's top business leaders, to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Alpine settings of Davos in Switzerland Jan 26-30. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was initially expected to attend the high-profile event, but the dates clash with India's Republic Day celebrations Jan 26 and other engagements such as Beating Retreat three days later, officials said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal are among the government leaders attending the event where the focus on India will be on its new breed of multinationals. N.R. Narayana Murthy, chief mentor of Infosys Technologies, along with Microsoft chief Bill Gates is one of the co-chairs of the conference that focuses this year on "Taking Responsibility for Tough Choices". One of the issues that will be discussed in depth is 'Great Companies' in which Murthy will outline the key ingredients to building such enterprises and the role of "compassionate capitalism" in society. "As I look back on the idealism of my youth, I realize that a socialist system will not succeed as a system, because people need opportunities, incentives and competition in order to better themselves," says the Infosys chief mentor. "In India, where the divide between the haves and have-nots is very large, the only way we can reduce this divide is by embracing compassionate capitalism." The country will also participate in some special sessions on social issues such as those on tsunami, HIV/AIDS, education and empowerment of women. This apart, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - WEF's India partner - is hosting an India Reception Jan 27 where 350 guests, comprising some leading social, political and business leaders, are expected to attend. Kamal Nath is scheduled to host a similar India Lunch Jan 28. Ahead of the conference, WEF named six Indians to its Forum of Young Global Leaders, aged 40 years or younger, who intend to devote their knowledge and energy over the next five years to collectively work towards a better future. They are Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, Aditya Vikram Birla group vice chairman Kumaramangalam Birla, Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran, Bajaj Auto joint managing director Rajiv Bajaj, Kinetic group joint managing director Sulajja Firodia and Ranbaxy president Malvinder Mohan Singh. Among them, the Ranbaxy scion is attending the annual meeting to speak on new breed of Indian multinationals, drawing from the experiences of his pharma company that has a presence in more than 50 countries. Some Indian companies like Infosys and Reliance Industries are also strategic partners at the event. Reliance chair Mukesh Ambani, executive director Nikhil Meswani, petroleum business president P. Madhusudana Prasad and senior executive vice president K.V. Subramanian are representing the diversified group at Davos. Other business leaders for the event include Rahul Bajaj of Bajaj Auto, Adi Godrej of Godrej and Boyce, Sunil Munjal of Hero group, K.V. Kamath of ICICI, Gautam Singhania of Raymond and R.S. Pawar of NIIT group.
Source: IANS