Download printable version of Conference Agenda (PDF)

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THURSDAY, MARCH 18

9:00am Venue: Jehangir Hall, Taj Palace Hotel

Delegate Registration

****PHOTO ID AND CONFERENCE BADGE REQUIRED****

6:00pm  Venue: Durbar Hall, Taj Palace Hotel

Opening Night Dinner

Welcoming and Introductory Remarks:

Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society
Hari S. Bhartia, Vice President, Confederation of Indian Industry; Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Jubilant Organosys
Mitya New, Managing Director, Dow Jones India

6:45pm Opening Keynote Address:

Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Finance, India

8:30pm Dinner Concludes

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FRIDAY, MARCH 19

9:00am  Venue:  Durbar Hall, Taj Palace Hotel

Welcoming Remarks:

Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society

Keynote Address:

Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, India

9:30am  Session I: Taking Stock: India’s Place in the Post-Crisis Economic Outlook

Asia is rebounding rapidly from the global crisis and growth forecasts for the region have been comparatively favorable. With India’s economy expected to grow by 7.5 percent this year, how can the government unwind its stimulus program responsibly without derailing its economic progress? In what ways could India enter into business partnerships with neighboring countries to help further stabilize the overall Asian economy? As India seeks a greater role in competing at a global level and enhancing its market access, will there be a push to remove obstacles regarding tariffs and renewed efforts to conclude Doha negotiations?

Participants:
L. Brooks Entwistle, Managing Director and CEO, Goldman Sachs (India)
Henrietta Holsman Fore, Trustee, Asia Society; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Holsman International
Harold McGraw III, Vice Chairman, Asia Society; Chairman, President and CEO, The McGraw-Hill Companies
Leo Puri, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
Ranodeb Roy, Managing Director, Fixed Income Division, Morgan Stanley Asia
Moderator:  Paul Beckett, South Asia Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal

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10:45am Coffee/Networking Break

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11:15am Keynote Address:

Koji Omi, Founder and Chairman, Science and Technology in Society (STS) Forum; Former Minister of Finance, Japan

11:35am Keynote to Panel (Via Videoconference):

Sam Pitroda, Advisor to the Prime Minister, Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations, India

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Session II: Asia’s “Smart Power”: Driving Growth through Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial innovation will be critical for future long-term economic growth across the region and, in India, it has already transformed the lives of millions across the country. What cross-border innovations could be forged to bolster social innovation and social entrepreneurship across Asia? How are Asian corporations and foreign firms innovating in India, and how can MNCs leverage India’s innovations to transform their organizational strategies?  How do Indian entrepreneurs use an innovation mindset and jugaad to address vital concerns such as the scarcity of energy resources and lack of access to healthcare?

David Appasamy, Chief Communications Officer, Sify Ltd.
Partha S. Bhattacharyya, Chairman, Coal India Ltd.
Purnendu Chatterjee, Chairman, Asia Society India Centre; Chairman, The Chatterjee Group
Ge Dingkun, Asst. Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
H. Harish Hande, CEO, SELCO-India
Eiichi Ono, Executive Advisor, Mitsubushi Chemical Corporation
Rama Sadasivan, Business Development Director, Dow Jones India Digital
Moderator:  Navi Radjou, Executive Director, Centre for India & Global Business, Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

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1:15 – 2:30pm Venue: Shah Jehan Hall, Taj Mahal Hotel

LUNCHEON SESSION: Indian Film & Television Industry: Increasing its Contribution to the Indian Economy

The film and television industry in India is one of the world’s largest markets in terms of number of consumers and offers significant growth potential.  Over the past few years the industry has experienced rapid double-digit growth and it is expected that this trend will continue in the future, thereby resulting in increasing contribution to the Indian economy.

Keynote Address:
Ambika Soni, Minister of Information and Broadcasting (invited)
Participants:
Dan Glickman, Chairman, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
Smita Jha, Associate Director, Entertainment & Media Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers India
Hugh Stephens, Senior Vice Advisor, International Relations and Public Policy (Asia Pacific & Canada), Time Warner Inc.
Moderator:  Naazneen Karmali, India Editor, Forbes Asia

2:45pm  Keynote Address:
Kamal Nath, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, India

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3:15pm   Session III: Strategies for Managing New Cities: Urbanizing India

Upgrading infrastructure will be an important evolutionary step in India’s economic development.  The country’s explosive growth and rapid urbanization has created critical capacity challenges for infrastructure development, electricity, roads, and water. How is the government aligning cost, efficiency, productivity, and risks to overcome the infrastructure gap? What are the viable investment opportunities in India’s infrastructure projects? Are there regulatory roadblocks that could be removed in order to boost development in this sector? What steps are being taken to facilitate public and private partnerships models (PPPs), which could bolster India’s capacity in roads, ports, water, and power?

Participants:
Mark Chandler, Director, Office of the Mayor, International Trade & Commerce, City of San Francisco
Rajiv Lall, Managing Director and CEO, Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC)
Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation
Arun Nanda, Executive Director and President, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
K C Sivaramakrishnan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Research
Moderator: Anupam Yog, Managing Director, Mirabilis Advisory Pvt Limited

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4:30pm   Coffee/Networking Break

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5:00pm    Keynote to Panel:
Timothy J. Roemer, US Ambassador to India

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5:15pm   Session IV: Educating the Future Workforce: Asia’s Next Generation

In today’s global knowledge economy, education plays a vital role in determining economic growth. India needs to capitalize on its demographic advantage and improve access, enrollment, and quality in education. What steps are being taken to enhance the country’s workforce? Are information and communications technologies being utilized to their maximum potential? Are knowledge creation and talent management being effectively linked with business outcomes and growth? Looking ahead, which sectors will boast the greatest employment prospects in India? And is the next generation being prepared to seize these opportunities?

Participants:
Shantanu Ghosh, Senior Vice President – Solutioning, Transitions, Practice, Genpact
Sid Myer, Chairman, Asia Society AustralAsia Centre; Chief Executive Officer, Yulgilbar Group of Companies
Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President, Founding Committee, Tri Viet Centre; Former Vice Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee, National Assembly
Vijay Thadani, CEO, NIIT Ltd.
Moderator: Geeta Anand, Senior Writer, The Wall Street Journal

6:30pm  Sessions Conclude

7:30pm  Transportation from the Taj Palace to the Gala Dinner

8:00pm   Venue: Residence of Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of New Delhi
Dinner hosted by Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of New Delhi

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SATURDAY, MARCH 20

9:30am            Venue:  Durbar Hall, Taj Palace Hotel

Keynote Address:
Goh Chok Tong, Senior Minister, Singapore

10:00am            Keynote to Panel:
Robert O. Blake, Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asian Affairs, U.S. Department of State

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10:30am Session V: Bridging Trade Boundaries: Strengthening Strategic Alliances

Emerging Asian economies have become vital components of the global market, accounting for more than a third of world trade. Along with China, India is one of the region’s growth engines and has the potential to transform the shape of the world economy. As an important player in global commerce, how can India promote prosperity throughout the region and strengthen its position in the multilateral trading system? What are the challenges that may be hampering regional trade activities? Do India’s recent Free Trade Agreement (FTA) efforts suggest its preference for bilateral over multilateral trade agreements?  Since trade and climate policies have become increasingly entwined, how can India work with other nations— both regionally and globally—to reconcile differences and contribute towards building sustainable economies?

Participants:
Hassan Abbas, Bernard Schwartz Fellow, Asia Society; Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Victor Z. Gao, Director, China National Association of International Studies
Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
C. Raja Mohan, Contributing Editor, Indian Express
Richard Woolcott, Founding Director, Asia Society Australasia Center; Special Envoy for the Prime Minister, Australia
Moderator: Peter Stein, Hong Kong Bureau Chief, The Wall Street Journal

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12:30pm  Venue: Shah Jehan Hall, Taj Mahal Hotel
All Delegate Luncheon

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2:00pm Keynote Address:
Jairam Ramesh, Minister of State, Environment and Forests, India

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2:30pm  Session VI: Climate Change: Responding to Resource Scarcity

Finding sustainable solutions for effective climate governance is a pressing global concern. What innovative technologies are being explored in order to address these challenges, particularly to promote energy-efficient practices and to address issues such as water scarcity in the Asian subcontinent? How can India capture its technological expertise to solve climate problems and how will business be sustained in a climate-constrained world?

Participants:
David Breashears, Senior Fellow, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society
Rajat Gupta, Director, McKinsey & Co.
John Negroponte, Trustee, Asia Society, Vice Chairman, McLarty Associates
Shyam Saran, Former Special Envoy on Climate Change to the Prime Minister of India
Simon Tay, Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Moderator: Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society

4:00pm            Coffee/Networking Break

4:30pm        Keynote Address:
Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister, New Delhi, India

In Conversation With:

Pramit Pal Chaudhuri, Foreign Editor, The Hindustan Times

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5:00pm   Session VII: New Directions: Leadership in an Era of Change

Is Asia poised to make the 21st Century an Asian Century? Looking ahead, what will India’s role be in key global issues such as international trade, renewable energy, climate change, disease control, terrorism, and nuclear non-proliferation?  As the world’s largest democracy with a burgeoning youth population, is the Indian leadership implementing the right policies in the fields of education, regulation, innovation, infrastructure, and finance, so that it can capitalize on the robust potential of India’s future generations?

Participants:
Tarun Das, President, Aspen Institute India; Former Chief Mentor, CII
Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Rajendra Pawar, Chairman, NIIT Ltd.
Raul Rai, Managing Director, General Atlantic
Moderator: Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society

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6:30pm                                    Closing Remarks

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6:35pm                                    Sessions conclude