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India Economic Summit - Baba N. Kalyani

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:27:38 +0100

Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge, India, discusses the upcoming India Economic Summit 2009, which takes place in New Delhi from 8-10 November 2009.

Schwab Foundation announces India's Social Entrepreneurs of the Year

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:39:26 +0100

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has selected three social enterprises with significant impact in India as winners of the India Social Entrepreneurs Award for 2009: Rajendra Joshi, Managing Trustee, Saath; Brij Kothari, Director, PlanetRead; and Padmanabha and Rama Rao, Co-Directors, RIVER.

These social entrepreneurs will be honoured at the India Economic Summit 2009 on Monday 9 November at 13:00 GMT in the presence of Anand Sharma, India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Venu Srinivasan, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Watch the session live on Livestream.

This is the fifth edition of the award, which has been given annually since 2005 to individuals that have founded organizations or companies that do not maximize profits, but benefit society or the environment. Previous winners, which have been included in the Schwab Foundation’s global network of the world’s 150 leading social entrepreneurs, include Vikram Akula, SKS Microfinance (2006), Harish Hande, SELCO (2007) and Arbind Singh (2008). For the first time since the beginning of the competition in 2005, the Foundation Board has decided not to pick just one winner in a country, but three. The Board thus acknowledged that India is home to a significant number of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs.

The three winners are:

Rajendra Joshi, Saath, Ahmedabad
Today, more than 60 million people live in slums across India, lacking access to healthcare, education, employment and housing. In 1989, Rajendra Joshi developed Saath, which uses public-private partnerships to improve the lives of over 40,000 people per year. In 2009, Saath’s employment programmes with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation placed 8,000 slum residents in jobs at firms like Tata Indicom and Kotak Mahindra. Its Slum Networking Program has improved the physical infrastructure of 6,000 households while its four Urban Resource Centers in Ahmedabad have given 22,000 slum households access to microfinance accounts, insurance packages, preventive and natal healthcare, and pre-school education.

Brij Kothari, PlanetRead, Mumbai
Two hundred million Indians remain functionally illiterate despite having completed Class V education. Brij Kothari’s organization, PlanetRead, uses Same Language Subtitling, or SLS, to improve Indians’ reading abilities. Subtitles are inserted for popular Bollywood songs, and broadcasted in eight major languages on Doordarshan’s network. Reading practice thus becomes a by-product of entertainment already consumed by audiences. Research by IIM (Ahmedabad) has shown that regular exposure to SLS increases the percentage of children who become good readers after having received five years of primary schooling from 25% to 56%.

Padmanabha and Rama Rao, RIVER, Andhra Pradesh
Teachers in India’s 1.1 million single-teacher schools lack the appropriate methodologies, curricula and support systems to educate their students. RIVER’s education model helps teachers adapt to these challenges. Government curricula are adapted for local context, and divided into smaller modules so learning is aligned with each student’s ability. Local accountability chains are established between teachers, parents and government. RIVER’s success in improving the quality of primary education has led to its replication in over 75,000 schools as part of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, reaching eight million children across India per year.

India's Key Economic Strengths and Weaknesses in the Spotlight

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:36:31 +0100

The Forum's The India Competitiveness Review 2009 was presented in the lead-up to the India Economic Summit in New Delhi on 8-10 November. The study analyses India’s performance in an international context. It makes comparisons with a number of countries, including the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil, revealing significant differences in performance.

The review draws on the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index 2009-2010. It provides an overview of the country’s current competitiveness landscape, highlighting strengths and problematic areas, and shedding light on India’s future economic prospects.

The full report is at here and you watch the video interview with Forum economist Thierry Geiger below.

India Economic Summit - Carlos Ghosn

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:31:26 +0100

Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Renault-Nissan, reflects about the challenges for India ahead of the India Economic Summit, which takes place in New Delhi, India from 8-10 November 2009.

Programme of the India Economic Summit 2009

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:23:38 +0100

Around 800 participants are expected to attend the India Economic Summit, held in New Delhi from 8-10 November. Under the theme, "India’s Next Generation of Growth", the World Economic Forum celebrates 25 years of collaboration and active engagement in India.
Key sessions listed below will be streamed live on Livestream, key quotes will be live tweeted on the Forum’s Twitter feed, and high resolution photos will be available for free download on Flickr.

Updated Programme

Sunday 8 November, 09.00 - 10.00 (03:30 - 04:30 GMT)

Global Risks Update: Pandemic Preparedness
Major businesses in India were quick to set up measures to contain the spread of H1N1 influenza, whereas coordinated responses from the public health system were largely slow and inadequate.
With only a small fraction of companies having the financial means to set up precautionary measures, what public-private partnerships are needed to better address pandemics?
Special Guest

Kiran Walia, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development, and Languages, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

Discussion Leaders

Kewal Handa, Managing Director, Pfizer, India
K. Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), India; Global Agenda Council on Chronic Diseases & Conditions
Thomas Schweins, Vice-President, Strategy and Marketing and Member of the Executive Committee, QIAGEN, Germany
Ramesh Subrahmanian, President, Asia Pacific Human Health, Merck & Co., Singapore

Moderated by

Manvi Sinha, Resident Editor, New Delhi Television (NDTV), India

Sunday 8 November, 11.00 - 12.15 (05:30 - 06:45 GMT)

Resilient India: 25 Years of Economic and Social Progress
Opening Address by

Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

Introduced by

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

Closing Remarks by

Hari S. Bhartia, Co-Chairman and Managing Director, Jubilant Organosys, India; Vice-President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

Remarks by

Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, India; President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India

Sunday 8 November, 14.00 - 15.00 (08:30 - 09:30 GMT)

Economic Update: India's Outlook
The World Bank has stated that India's growth rate in 2010 could surpass China's for the first time in history.
What critical reforms remain to keep growth on track?
Special Guest

Montek S. Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, India

Discussion Leaders

Shumeet Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Booz & Company, United Kingdom; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Kalpana Morparia, Chief Executive Officer, J.P. Morgan, India
Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director-General, Asian Development Bank, Manila
Raghuram Rajan, Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB), USA
Lars H. Thunell, Executive Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Washington DC

Moderated by

Michael J. Elliott, Editor, Time International, Time Magazine, USA

Sunday 8 November, 15.15 - 16.30 (09:45 - 11:00 GMT)

Infrastructure Update: India's New Highways
India will require US$ 70 billion in investments over the next three years to realize plans to build 20 kilometres of road per day to ensure future growth.
How will ambitious road projects be achieved in a sustainable manner in times of tight credit?
Special Guest

Kamal Nath, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India; Member of Parliament, India

Introduced by

Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, World Economic Forum

Discussion Leaders

David Birch, Regional Managing Director, Halcrow, United Kingdom
Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Construction Company, India; Global Agenda Council on Urban Management
Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman, Artemis Health Science; Chairman, Apollo Tyres, India
Harpinder S. Narula, Chairman, DSC, India
Adhiraj Sarin, Chief Executive Officer, Bunge Agribusiness India, India

Moderated by

Alan G. Friedman, Executive Editor and Anchor, FBC Group, United Kingdom

Sunday 8 November, 17.00 - 18.15 (11:30 - 12:45 GMT)

India's Next Aspiration
India has the potential manpower of 200 million college graduates and 500 million skilled workers, and the ability to generate over 10% of world trade in the next 15 years, provided leaders prioritize this goal.
What must be done to fulfil these great expectations?
With

C. K. Prahalad, Paul and Ruth McCracken Distinguished University Professor of Corporate Strategy, University of Michigan, USA; Global Agenda Council on Innovation
Raghuram Rajan, Eric J. Gleacher Distinguished Service Professor of Finance, University of Chicago Graduate School of Business (GSB), USA

Chaired by

Tarun Das, Chief Mentor, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India; Global Agenda Council on the Future of India

Monday 9 November, 09.00 - 10.15 (03:30 - 04:45 GMT)

Financial Aftershock: Resuscitating the Flow of Private Capital
While India's relatively low dependence on exports has limited its exposure to global demand shocks, the longer-term impediment to India's continued growth may be global financial shocks.
What steps can be taken by the financial services industry and public sector to ensure that capital scarcity does not become a critical impediment to continued growth in India?
Discussion Leaders

Sunil Godhwani, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Religare Enterprises, India
Ashok Jha, Chairman, MCX-SX, India
Robert Morrice, Chairman and Chief Executive, Asia Pacific, Barclays, Hong Kong SAR
Jim Quigley, Global Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte, USA; Global Agenda Council on the Skills Gap
Glenn H. Schiffman, Managing Director and Head, Asia-Pacific Investment Banking, Nomura International (HK), Hong Kong SAR
Kevan V. Watts, Country Head, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, India

Chaired by

James Lamont, South Asia Bureau Chief, Financial Times, United Kingdom

Monday 9 November, 10.30 - 11.45 (05:00 - 06:15 GMT)

Creating World-Class Education in India
With nearly two-thirds of its population under the age of 35, India has the world's largest pool of young people. However, only 11% of those aged 17-23 receive higher education.
How will the recent increase in the national budget for higher education transform India into a world-class educational hub and ensure access for all its youth?
Special Guest

Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development of India

Discussion Leaders

William D. Green, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture, USA; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Richard C. Levin, President, Yale University, USA; Global Agenda Council on the Intellectual Property System
Rajendra S. Pawar, Chairman, NIIT Group, India
Shantanu Prakash, Managing Director, Educomp Solutions, India
Anand Sudarshan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Manipal Education, India
Ravi Venkatesan, Chairman and Corporate Vice-President, Microsoft Corporation India, India

Chaired by

Sara Sidner, Correspondent, CNN, India

Monday 9 November,13.45 - 15.00 (08:15 - 09:30 GMT)

Hidden Financial Lives: Driving Inclusion and Equitable Growth
By 2012, more than one billion people in South Asia will have mobile phones; however, the majority will not have access to formal bank accounts.
How should the private sector and regulatory community focus their efforts to better understand and serve the unmet financial needs of the poor through new technologies?
Discussion Leaders

Sultan Ali Allana, Chairman, Habib Bank, Pakistan
Sigve Brekke, Executive Vice-President, Telenor Group, and Head of Asia Region, Telenor Asia (ROH), Thailand
Manoj Kohli, Chief Executive Officer and Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel, India; Global Agenda Council on the Future of Mobile Communications
Kamal Quadir, Founder, CellBazaar, Bangladesh; Young Global Leader
Janmejaya Sinha, Chairman, Asia Pacific, The Boston Consulting Group, India

Moderated by

Jason Bellini, Correspondent, Bloomberg News, Singapore

Monday 9 November, 15.30 - 16.45 (10:00 - 11:15 GMT)

Bucking the Trend: Growth Opportunities in India
While the global recession has forced many Asian economies to rethink their export dependency, India surpassed China this year in auto exports. As renewed investor confidence contributes to an expansion in private consumption and investment, how are companies adjusting their growth strategies in India?

Discussion Leaders

David Appia, Ambassador of France for International Investment; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Invest in France Agency, France
Ashok Aram, Managing Director, Abraaj Capital, United Arab Emirates
Ankur Bhatia, Executive Director, Bird Group, India
L. Brooks Entwistle, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Goldman Sachs (India) Securities, India
Ronald Kent, Executive Vice-President, Head of International Listings, NYSE Euronext, United Kingdom
Stuart Popham, Senior Partner, Clifford Chance, United Kingdom

Moderated by

Vijay Poonoosamy, Vice-President, International and Public Affairs, Etihad Airways, United Arab Emirates

Monday 9 November,17.00 - 18.15 (11:30 - 12:45 GMT)

Investing in Girls, Investing in Development - The Girl Effect
Empowering girls breaks the cycle of intergenerational poverty and helps build sustainable economies.
What needs to be done by business and government to ensure that girls are placed at the forefront of the regional development agenda?
Discussion Leaders

Vinita Bali, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Britannia Industries, India
Maria Eitel, President, Nike Foundation, Nike, USA
Darryl Green, President, Asia Pacific, Manpower, Singapore
Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank, India; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Rajshree Pathy, Chairman and Managing Director, Rajshree Sugars & Chemicals, India

Moderated by

Sara Sidner, Correspondent, CNN, India

Monday 9 November,18.30 - 18.45 (13:00 - 13:15 GMT)

The 2009 India Social Entrepreneur Award

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

Opening Remarks by

Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, India; President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India

Monday 9 November,18.45 - 19.45 (13:15 - 14:15 GMT)

Impatient India: Expectations of a Generation of Possibilities
In the last parliamentary elections, 100 million eligible voters were aged between 18 and 24.
With more than half of the total population estimated to be under the age of 25 in 2015, what will be the social, political and economic expectations of India's next generation?
Discussion Leaders

Shumeet Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Booz & Company, United Kingdom; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Sanjiv Goenka, Vice-Chairman, RPG Enterprises, India
C. V. Madhukar, Director, PRS Legislative Research, India; Young Global Leader
Vineet Nayar, Chief Executive Officer, HCL Technologies, India

Chaired by

Shereen Bhan, Anchor, CNBC-TV18, India

Tuesday 10 November, 09.00 - 10.15 (03:30 - 04:45 GMT)

Trade and Climate Change: Economic Imperative or Green Imperialism?
Trade and climate policies have become increasingly entwined as countries grapple with the challenge of integrating economic interests with the management of climate change.
What are the economic effects of trade and climate change policies, and how can different viewpoints between developed and developing countries be reconciled?
Discussion Leaders

Deepak Puri, Chairman and Managing Director, Moser Baer, India
Harsha Vardhana Singh Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO), Geneva
Lord Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, India Observatory, London School of Economics, United Kingdom
Suresh Vaswani, Joint Chief Executive Officer, IT Business, and Member of the Board, Wipro, India
Ben J. Verwaayen, Chief Executive Officer, Alcatel-Lucent, France

Chaired by

Michael J. Elliott, Editor, Time International, Time Magazine, USA

Tuesday 10 November, 10.30 - 11.45 (05:00 - 06:15 GMT)

Transforming Urban Transportation: How Will It Be Done?
Only 25 of India's 88 cities with populations over half a million have formal public transport systems, despite 45% of India's urban population using public transport.
How can the government promote innovative business models for viable, inclusive transit systems? What technological solutions and new financial mechanisms would be useful in managing private motorization demand, resolving infrastructure deficiencies, and promoting integrated land use and transport planning?
Discussion Leaders

Om Prakash Agarwal, Managing Director, Urban Mass Transit Company, India
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Renault, France; President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan, Japan; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Eicher Motors, India; Young Global Leader
Wolfgang Lehmacher, Chief Executive Officer, GeoPost Intercontinental, France
Kanesan Velupillai, President, SCOMI International, Malaysia

Chaired by

Vikram Chandra, Chief Presenter and Editor, NDTV, India

Tuesday 10 November, 12.30 - 13.30 (07:00 - 08:00 GMT)

Post Crisis Economic Order: How can Free Market and Control be Balanced?
National responses to the global economic crisis have included both traditional and innovative means of protectionism challenging the paradigm of globalization and the force of free market. What must be done to restore balance between regulatory and oversight mechanisms and India's ongoing reform agenda?
Introduced by

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

With

Pranab Mukherjee, Minister of Finance of India

Closing Remarks by

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director-General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India

Chaired by

Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, World Economic Forum

Tuesday 10 November, 15.30 - 16.45 (10:00 - 11:15 GMT)

Global Redesign: How Will India Shape Future Global Cooperation?
India has a unique combination of membership in the G20, non-NPT status and a tradition of non-alignment.
As it seeks to increase its voice in global cooperation, what will be India's future role and responsibility?
Special Guest

Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs of India

Discussion Leaders

Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto; Member of Parliament, India; Global Agenda Council on the Future of India
Ajay Chhibber, Assistant Administrator and Director, Regional Bureau, Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York
Pratap B. Mehta, President and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Policy Research (CPR), India; Global Agenda Council on Global Institutional Governance

Moderated by

Lord Malloch-Brown, Senior Adviser, Global Redesign Initiative, World Economic Forum

Tuesday 10 November, 17.00 - 18.15 (11:30 - 12:45 GMT)

How Can India Become a Global Manufacturing Hub?
While manufacturing in India has remained healthy due to strong domestic demand, its contribution to GDP is only 16%, compared to 34% in China, and largely oriented to the domestic market.
How can India increase its manufacturing competitiveness while employing millions of new entrants into the workforce?
Special Guest

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry of India; Member of Parliament, India

Discussion Leaders

Adi B. Godrej, Chairman, The Godrej Group, Godrej Industries, India
Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge, India; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Joerg Mueller, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India, India
Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hero Group, India

Chaired by

Shekhar Gupta, Editor-in-Chief, The Indian Express, India; Global Agenda Council on the Future of Journalism

Tuesday 10 November, 18.30 - 19.45 (13:00 - 14:15 GMT)

A Roadmap for India's Next Generation of Growth
India has the potential to emerge as one of the world's four largest economies by 2020, but it will require coordinated efforts by current and future leaders from government, industry and civil society to address pressing challenges.
In this closing session, the Co-Chairs of the India Economic Summit will outline the enablers and challenges for India's next generation of growth and suggest the actions required by industry and government leaders.
Special Guest

Palaniappan Chidambaram, Minister of Home Affairs of India

Discussion Leaders

Shumeet Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Booz & Company, United Kingdom; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Renault, France; President and Chief Executive Officer, Nissan, Japan; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
William D. Green, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture, USA; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Baba N. Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge, India; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, ICICI Bank, India; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit
Indra Nooyi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo, USA; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum; Co-Chairman of the India Economic Summit; Global Agenda Council on the Role of Business
Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, India; President, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India

Closing Remarks by

Robert Greenhill, Managing Director and Chief Business Officer, World Economic Forum

Chaired by

Nik Gowing, Main Presenter, BBC World News, United Kingdom

Iceland tops Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2009

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:30:00 +0100

Iceland has claimed the top spot of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2009 from Norway which slipped to third position behind Finland.

South Africa and Lesotho made great strides in closing their gender gaps to enter the top 10 for the first time. The Philippines lost ground for the first time in four years but remains the leading Asian country in the rankings.

The report’s Index assesses countries on how well they are dividing their resources and opportunities among their male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources and opportunities.

"Countries that do not fully capitalize on one-half of their human resources run the risk of undermining their competitive potential. We hope to highlight the economic incentive behind empowering women, in addition to promoting equality as a basic human right," said co-author Saadia Zahidi, Head of the Forum’s Women Leaders and Gender Parity Programme. Watch the video interview with Saadia:

Paolo Richter selected as „Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009“

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:52:08 +0200

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship selected Paolo Richter, founder of Gump- und Drahtesel as "Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009". In this fourth edition, the Foundation together with its partners, The Boston Consulting Group, Die Mobiliar and the weekly Bilanz, honours organizations with innovative and sustainable solutions to societal and ecological challenges.

Paolo Richters company Gump- und Drahtesel convinced the jury with its sustainable international project that has helped unemployed people to be re-integrated into the labour market in Switzerland while recycling old bicycles for Africa.

Paolo Richter has made his hobby - collecting and restoring old bicycles - into one of the most respected work integration programmes in the canton of Bern. 750 people are employed in his bicycle and wood workshops every year and receive professional coaching and training to re-integrate the labour market. A part from restoring bicycles for Africa the workshops also restore antiques which is then sold in its factory shop Pico Bello in Bern.

A jury comprised of representatives of the partner organizations as well as, among others Pascale Bruderer, Vice President of the Swiss National Council, Roland Decorvet, CEO Nestlé Switzerland and Gisèle Girgis, Member of the Board, Migros selected the "Swiss Social Entrepreneur 2009“ among a group of four finalists. The other three finalists were Patrick Honauer, Founder axisBildung, Helen von Arx, ESPOIR and Robert Schmuki and Midnight Projects.

Can India become a superpower?

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:12:58 +0200

Can India become a superpower? (क्या भारत एक महाशक्ति बन सकता है ?) That's the question the World Economic Forum wants you to answer in the Davos Debates in India. The video discussion coincides with the the annual India Economic Summit, held in New Delhi on 8-10 November.

India has the world's second largest population and one of the fastest growing economies today. Experts predict that India will become a global superpower within fifty years - thanks to its economic growth and young population. Access to healthcare, reliable power and clean water are also in desperate short supply. Could these gaps prevent India from achieving what finally seems within its grasp?

The Forum in collaboration with NDTV invites the YouTube community to share its thoughts on whether India can harness its huge potential effectively at http://youtube.com/davos. The best videos will become part of the discussions at the 2009 India Economic Summit. During the Summit, a dedicated video corner will allow more than 700 industry, government and thought leaders to reply to the videos submitted by the YouTube community.

Under the theme, "India’s Next Generation of Growth", the World Economic Forum celebrates 25 years of collaboration and active engagement in India. As a result of over two decades of close partnership with India, the annual India Economic Summit is regarded as the most effective platform for formulating an agenda to further India’s growth.

Leading experts to address key global challenges in Dubai

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:33:49 +0200

For the second consecutive year, the World Economic Forum and the Government of Dubai will host the Summit on the Global Agenda from 20 to 22 November 2009.

The Summit will bring together over 700 council members of the most innovative and relevant minds from over 90 countries – leaders from academia, business, government and civil society – to address some of the most pressing issues on the global agenda. The councils will be represented by 3 Nobel Laureates, 300 business leaders, 240 members from academia, 100 leaders from civil society – NGOs, think tanks, over 50 leaders from international organizations and 30 public figures.

In all, there will be 76 Global Agenda Councils represented at the Summit, each bringing together the finest minds in each sector to propose solutions to the key issues and help shape a post-crisis world. Global Agenda Council members will explore ways to tackle governance gaps at the local, regional and global levels, as well as examine the new and continued interlinkages among the various councils. These deliberations and the councils’ recommendations to improve global cooperation will serve as the framework for organizing sessions at the 40th World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters in January 2010.

For an overview of the Summit on the Global Agenda watch an interview with Martina Gmur (Head of the Network of Global Agenda Councils) below:

Global institutions and global governance, lessons learned and ways ahead

loiclemeur@gmail.com (Loic Le Meur) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:06:16 +0200

The World Economic Forum held the first of three country hearings of the Global Redesign Initative. In partnership with the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in cooperation with The Graduate Institute the Swiss seminar organized at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, focused on ‘Global Institutions and Global Governance, Lessons Learned and Ways Ahead’. The 100 participants at the hearing discussed the future of the UN, the multi-stakeholder involvement in global governance and a possible third generation of global institutions.

In his opening remarks, Lord Malloch-Brown, Senior Adviser to the Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative and former UN Deputy Secretary-General, stressed that “We have shifted from a G8 world to a G20 world. There are now major stakeholders at the table. We will see an acceleration of G20 like governance reform, first the International Monetary Fund (IMF), then the World Bank and finally the United Nations. There is no doubt that the burning platform from last year has created a huge new interest on how countries and governments can better organize to solve problems they cannot solve in their own way”, he added.

The Forum’s Global Redesign Initiative is a multistakeholder dialogue addressing the challenges of the 21st century. The interdisciplinary and cross-civilizational dialogue aims to develop recommendations to support the adaption, evolution and improvement of the structures and systems of international cooperation. The initiative was launched by the World Economic Forum in early 2009 under the patronage of the governments of Qatar, Singapore and Switzerland.