The Hindu Business Line : PM urged to form global advisory forum

New Delhi, Oct. 29 The visiting Parliamentarians of Indian origin from Europe have expressed a desire that the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, have a global advisory forum.

“During the recent meeting that we had with Dr Singh, we requested him to consider having a global advisory forum, which would contain members of Indian origin who are associated with Parliament in other countries and he was very receptive to the idea,” Mr Karan Bilimoria, a member of Britain’s House of Lords and also the Founder and Chief Executive of Cobra Beer told Business Line.

According to him, such a forum comprising 20 leading NRIs, like Mr Amartya Sen and other economists and philosophers, can help the Government have access to them for advice on economic matters.

Mr Bilimoria, who is part of a delegation of Parliamentarians of Indian origin from Europe and North America visiting the country on an invitation from the External Affairs Ministry, said that India was keen on implementing reforms in a measured and calibrated fashion. Mr Bilimoria, who is also the co-chair of the Indo-British Partnership (IBP) from the British side, said that despite change of Governments, India has been moving ahead with reforms, key to attracting investments.

The IBP was set up in 1993 with the aim of promoting SME investments among other things. “We are opening representative offices across regions in the UK to attract Indian investments also there is an angel fund scheme in the UK for investing into India and mentor next generation Indian SMEs,” he said.