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India-EU summit to focus on IT, infrastructure

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, June 5

THE one-day EU-India business summit scheduled to be held in Lisbon on June 27 is to focus on the trade and investment opportunities which India has to offer in the fields of information technology and telecommunication, energy and infrastructure, financ ial services and chemical, pharmaceuticals and bio-technology.

Senior officials of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) connected with the organisation of the event told Business Line that apart from the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and a host of senior Union Ministers, almost 30 CEOs representing the best of the Indian corporate sector will participate in the meeting.

Besides, the Portuguese Prime Minister, Mr. Antonio Guterres, who will head the EU delegation, the President of the EU Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, is also expected to join the summit.

``India is becoming a preferred destination for foreign investment and the European Union is our largest trading partner today. Keeping this in view, it was decided to organise the high profile first EU-India business summit,'' senior CII officials said.

Apart from the Indian Prime Minister, the Ministers for Finance, Commerce and Industry, Information Technology and senior bureaucrats including the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, and the Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr . N.K. Singh, are to participate in the deliberations.

While the Chairman, Asea Brown Boveri Ltd, Mr. K.N. Shenoy, is to chair the session on infrastructure where issues relating to ports, roads, power, airports and the Railways is to be discussed, the session on IT and telecom is to be chaired by the Chairm an of NIIT, Mr. Rajendra S. Pawar.

Similarly, the sessions on pharmaceuticals, biotech, research and development and financial services are to be chaired by well-known Indian names, Mr. Ajay. G. Piramal, Chairman, Nicholas Piramal India Ltd, and Mr. K.V. Kamath, Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Ltd, respectively.

Among the captains of Indian industry who have confirmed their participation include the Chairman, Hindustan Motors Ltd, Mr. C.K. Birla, Chairman and Managing Director, BPL Innovision Business Group, Mr. Rajeev Chandrashekhar, the Chairman and Managing D irector, Escorts Ltd, Mr. Rajan Nanda, and the Chairman and Managing Director, Jet Airways, Mr. Naresh Goyal.