Top CEOs of India and the US are slated to do some brainstorming today to come up with a set of proposals, which officials and corporate leaders of both the countries say would help in taking the Indo-US business ties to the next level.
The CEOs Forum, which was reconstituted on the eve of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s State visit to Washington last year, is having its second meeting — the first this year.
“When this forum was rejuvenated during the visit of our Prime Minister in November last year and after identifying areas where India and the USA could co-operate and work together in close co-operation, both President Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, identified and mandated the CEOs Forum to work,” said Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
“Tomorrow, we would be having the opportunity of reviewing the identified areas where deficiencies exits and how to improve those deficiencies,” Mukherjee told a group of Indian and American CEOs at an interactive session organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry on the eve of the crucial meeting of the Indo-US CEOs Forum.
Mukherjee, who arrived in Washington yesterday, would be leading the official Indian delegation to the CEOs Forum meeting.
Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, and the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia would also attend the meeting.
Top officials from the Obama administration including the Secretary of State are expected to attend the CEOs Forum meeting to be held at the State Department.
“There are some big, bold recommendations, that are going to take courage on both sides,” President of the US India Business Council (USIBC) Ron Somers, who has been interacting with the CEOs on both sides, told PTI.
“It is our duty as industry to be making certain that our governments propel the relationship to the next level. It is exciting and we want to be supportive,” Somers said ahead of the CEO’s Forum meeting.
“We are talking major collaboration in the area of health care that I think is going to be the kind of transformational project that captures the imagination of both societies,” Somers said.
“On the Indian side, we are hopeful that the Monsoon Parliament can open the education sector for foreign investment and lift the FDI cap in insurance,” said the USIBC president.
