A visiting CEOs delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to Washington DC outlined the vision of the new government in India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a public event jointly organized by CII and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP). The session, titled “India’s New Growth Story: An Opportunity to Revitalize US-India relations” highlighted the growing sense of optimism amongst both the public and industry in India following the recent watershed election results which brought the BJP to power with a landslide majority.
The panel comprising of India's top CEOs, emphasized the tremendous mood swing and positivity in India since the installation of the new government.
Mr. Ajay Shriram, CII President described the unique nature of the recent elections, in which the BJP came to power solely on the campaign promise of growth and development, which speaks to the aspirations of India's young people. Pointing to the visionary Union Budget 2014-15, Mr. Shriram commended the new government for moving very actively to ease and facilitate the way business is done in India. "Success in India will come with leadership, mindset change, philosophy and action." said Mr. Shriram. Mr. Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII also appreciated the government's vision and receptivity to new ideas and thoughts, especially from industry.
Dr. Naushad Forbes, Vice President, CII and Director, Forbes Marshall Private Limited focused on the promising steps being taken in India’s education sector and the increasing role of the market in this sector which is having a net positive impact on issues related to quality and equity of access . He also specifically mentioned the community college model in the US as one worth looking at in India as well. Mr. Vikram Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited; highlighted the importance of the manufacturing sector and pointed out that the role of industry in this sector related to enhancing quality, competitiveness and innovation.
Mr. Rajan Navani, Chairman, CII National Committee on India@75 and Managing Director, Jetline Group of Companies spoke about the need for India to channelize the power of India' youth through skilling and leadership development. He also spoke of the use of technology as a major potential game changer in India.
The wide ranging discussion that followed came at a critical time in India's engagement with the United States, with the resumption of several stalled bilateral dialogues , beginning with the US-India Strategic Dialogue in Delhi next week.
The panel, moderated by Ms. Jessica Matthews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace covered a wide range of issues relating to the Indian growth story. These issues included India’s energy deficit, the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement, innovative SMEs, healthcare, women’s development and the question of corruption. The session ended on a high note emphasizing that steps, both big and small, were being taken in the right direction by the new government in India which instills a new sense of hope in India's future growth trajectory as well as for the future of US-India bilateral relations.
Washington DC