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Sinha to open India Economic Summit

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, Nov. 29

IN a break with tradition, 17th India Economic Summit, which opens here on December 2, will be inaugurated by the Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, and not the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Speaking to newspersons on Thursday, the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr Sanjiv Goenka, said Mr Vajpayee would not be able to attend as he would be in Hyderabad to open an international business school.

``We do not have a confirmation or regret from the Prime Minister for the function. However, we hope he will be able to attend,'' he added.

The theme of this year's event, being jointly organised by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) and CII, is India: Changing Paradigms.

This is to be the second major industry initiative which the Prime Minister is likely to miss in the space of a few days.He has already indicated that he would not attend the two-day annual general session of the Federation of Indian Industry (FICCI), wh ich opens here on December 5.

However, the three-day India summit will be attended by at least five Union Cabinet Ministers, including the Minister for Disinvestment, Mr Arun Shourie, the Minister for Law Justice and Company Affairs, Mr Arun Jaitley, the Minister for Commerce and Ind ustry, Mr Murasoli Maran, and the Minister for Information Technology, Mr Pramod Mahajan.

While Mr Sinha will present the Government's perspective on India's roadmap for achieving a growth of more than seven per cent, Mr Shourie will address delegates on privatisation.

Besides, the leader of the Opposition and former Finance Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, is to speak on India coping with the global slowdown and international terrorism.

The Chief Ministers of Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are also scheduled to attend.

Among the international speakers scheduled to address the summit are the Director General (Designate), World Trade Organisation, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, the Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Mohammad Rahman, and the Indonesian Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Rini Soewandi.

The summit is likely to focus on several key sectors, including roads, financial services, gene technology, agriculture, infrastructure and IT.

Issues concerning AIDS, women's empowerment, education, corporate social responsibility will also figure in the deliberations.

Pic.: Ms Collette Mathur, Director, World Economc Forum, with the CII President, Mr Sanjiv Goenka, addressing a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday.

Picture by Kamal Narang