The Hindu Business Line : Brand India out to charm US

New York, Sept. 23 In a country “where signals matter”, corporate India under the aegis of the CII and eight Indian ministries, led by the Tourism Ministry, have come together to showcase 60 years of Indian Independence to the US.

In a weeklong exercise that kicked off on Sunday in New York, the financial capital of the world, leaders from corporate India such as the CII President and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, and the co-chairman of the Board of Infosys, Mr Nandan Nilekani, will participate in a series of meetings to show that India cannot be ignored any longer.

Addressing a press conference on the eve of the Incredible India@60 campaign, that has earmarked a budget of $10 million to be shared equally by corporate India and the Government of India, Mr Mittal said this exercise was a “carry forward” from the initiatives that began in Davos in 2006 and continued to the subsequent year’s meet in January 2007.

“This country (US) works on signals and finally they are getting the signal that the Indian economy is growing at an annual 8-9 per cent and we have planned a series of exercises in various fields that will leave a very strong impression of India — as a confident nation that is ready to engage with the world.”

Mr Nilekani, who is Chairman of the Incredible India@60 initiative, added that such a massive effort — the biggest ever in India’s history — had been timed to coincide with a session of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. The “unique collaborative effort” of business and government comprises 41 events, 13 conferences and panel discussion, nine cultural programmes, and several dinners and receptions over four days, beginning Sunday.

‘Evoking huge interest’

CEOs from several American corporates were scheduled to participate in the various events, which also had partnership from Yale and Harvard Universities. On Monday, Mr Ratan Tata would preside over a meeting of the Indo-US CEO Council to be held in New York.

Mr Nilekani added that over the past 27 years that he had been dealing with the US, he had never seen “this kind of a huge interest in India, so this is the right time to undertake such an exercise. The argument always was that democracy is a luxury for a poor country like India... that argument has now been blown out. Even 15-20 years ago Indian companies were being asked ‘who are you’, but today we find a big sea change.

“India now gets far more visibility and impact in the US,” where not only the success of Indian entrepreneurs was being noted, but also the potential of the growing Indian consumer market.

Mr Mittal said confirmations for the various events/dinners were overflowing. “India generally evokes a kind of quizzical interest; but this time things are different.”

For members of the huge Indian delegation, it was a virtual treat to sight huge banners of “Incredible India” all over the Manhattan/Times Square area. Mr Mittal acknowledged the personal interest taken by the Tourism Minister, Ms Ambika Soni, in this public-private partnership to showcase India, and regretted that she won’t be attending the event; “we’ll miss her”, he said.

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