The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) will be held from Oct 9 to12, a premier
international conference organised by the Singapore Indian Chamber of
Commerce & Industry (SICCI), the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs
(MOIA) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), with the support
of the governments of Singapore and India. Around 600 wealthy NRIs (Non
Resident Indians) will gather in Singapore next month to discuss investing
in India. This business-focused conference in Singapore reaches out
to the Indian diaspora in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The first regional PBD was organised in New York last year and now
the second one is in Singapore next month at the request of the Singapore
government that is supporting it and also partly financing it. Considering
the progress of the Indian economy, Singapore wants to appear as the
gateway to India from the East and the gateway for Indian companies
to reach out to the Asia Pacific region. The event is in the interest
of both India and Singapore to increase their business, economic, political
and cultural relations. Special focus is investment both into India
and Singapore. The leading speakers from Singapore include President
S.R. Nathan (an NRI); Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister; Goh Chok
Tong, senior minister; Lee Kuan Yew, the former prime minister and minister
mentor; S. Jayakumar, deputy prime minister; and captains of business
and industry.
The line-up from India is also impressive: Vayalar Ravi, minister
for overseas Indian affairs; Kamal Nath, minister for commerce and industry;
Kapil Sibal, minister of science & technology; Sam Pitroda,
chairman, National Knowledge Commission; Rajendra Kumar Pachauri, chairman
of the Nobel-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and
top industry and business leaders, including K.V. Kamath, managing director,
ICICI Bank, and the president, Confederation of Indian Industry. Other
speakers, including a few non-NRIs, have been invited from India, Singapore,
the US and the Gulf; but mostly from Singapore and India. About 500
to 600 delegates, at least 95 percent NRIs, from Asia and the Pacific
region are expected to attend and some may come from the Gulf and other
countries as well.
The programme will take off with a high powered welcome reception
on Oct 9 hosted by minister Ravi and Balaji Sadasivan, senior minister
of state in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, and where other
speakers will include Kamath, S. Jayakumar, and Vijay Iyengar, chairman
of SICCI. Loong, the Singapore prime minister, is the guest of honour
at the opening the next morning. 'The Scenarios for the Next Generation'
will be discussed at lunch with Tong, Singapore senior minister. The
session 'From Lab to Market' is tailor-made for minister Sibal from
India. The core issue of finance and banking will be moderated by Lee
Kuan Yew. At the gala dinner, Singapore President Nathan will be the
guest of honour. The next morning, a number of concurrent sessions will
explore issues such as sustainable development - which way next?, youth
and education, arbitration and business dispute resolution - the Way
Forward, tourism and hospitality, and infrastructure - access, connectivity
and growth. The closing session in the afternoon will have as its theme,
Asia Pacific diaspora - towards a dynamic diaspora. The event will boost
NRI investment
in Asia pacific region.
