WEF to host ‘National Strategy Day on India’

New Delhi :Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) will host its annual India summit this week in the national capital, which is expected to be attended by top policymakers including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and several corporate leaders, among others.

The nearly 300 participants for the event, titled ‘National Strategy Day on India’, would also include Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana—Devendra Fadnavis, N Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrashekar Rao, respectively—would also be present along with a host of business leaders including ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, Jubilant Bhartia Group’s Hari S Bhartia, Cargill India’s Siraj Chaudhry, HCC’s Ajit Gulabchand and Hindustan Powerprojects’ Ratul Puri.

Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia and Suzlon Energy’s Tulsi Tanti are also expected to be present.

The two-day event will begin on Tuesday, November 3 with India Social Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 Award ceremony, followed by sessions throughout the day on Wednesday.

The first session on November 4 would see Jaitley talk about ‘Delivering Growth in the New Context’.

Navigating global macroeconomic complexities with domestic demands, India has continued to improve its competitiveness ranking from 71 to 55 in the past year on WEF’s Annual Index.

The time is opportune to leverage economic growth for social inclusion and ensure that India delivers improved livelihoods and prosperity for all, as per WEF, which is known for its high-profile annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland.

“As investor confidence in the Indian economy continues, the time is right to invest in the nation’s next decade of growth and social transformation. In less than seven years, India’s workforce will be 575 million, with over half living in urban areas.

“This raises challenges of sustainable urbanization, economic growth and social inclusion, clean energy access and infrastructure deficit. It also brings the promise of a more entrepreneurial India, with greater innovation hubs and an equitable society,” WEF said.

The National Strategy Day on India, being hosted in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, will be a platform to boost economic growth and social inclusion.

It will drive profitable agriculture, foster youth`employability, ensure access to sustainable energy, promote universal financial access and realize smarter approaches to urbanization, it added.

PTI