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Investing in India: A 20/20 Perspective
Overview
On behalf of the Columbia Business School’s South Asia Business Association and the School of International and Public Affairs’ India Initiative, we are delighted to welcome you to Columbia's 2nd Annual India Business Conference, titled “Investing In India: A 20/20 Perspective”. The Conference will be held on April 14, 2006 at Columbia University Faculty House in New York City.
About the Conference
As a brief prologue: until recently, India has adhered to a Fabian socialism-inspired approach, with strict government control and an unbelievable quantity of red tape over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. Since the early 1990s, India has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by abolishing the “License Raj” and reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment. As a result, privatization of public-owned industries and opening up of certain sectors to private and foreign players has picked up steam amid political debate.
Today, India’s economy is the fourth-largest in the world as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), with a GDP of US $3.36 trillion. When measured in USD exchange-rate terms, it is the tenth largest in the world, with a GDP of US $691.87 billion (2004). India was the second fastest growing major economy in the world, with a GDP growth rate of 8.1% at the end of the first quarter of 2005–2006.
The country's economy is largely service-oriented, though two-thirds of the Indian work-force earns its livelihood directly or indirectly through agriculture. In recent times, India has also capitalized on its large number of highly educated people who are fluent in English to become an important location for global companies’ outsourcing customer service and technical support call centers. It is also a major exporter of skilled workers in software services, financial services, and software engineering. India’s domestic consumer markets are also seeing unprecedented growth. However, India faces several socio-economic problems including burgeoning population and lack of infrastructure, as well as growing inequality and widespread unemployment. Poverty also remains a problem although it has seen a substantial decrease since the 1980s.
Objectives
This year’s Conference brings together a unique collection of alumni, faculty and industry leaders to discuss recent trends and emerging issues in India’s continued development. As India marches on its quest to becoming one of the world’s economic powerhouses, this year's Conference seeks to address how the landscape has changed over the past several years and what we should expect in years to come. We intend to facilitate enlightening discussions that will provide insight for both practicing and prospective professionals seeking to invest in India. We are thankful that you have chosen to support us in our effort to share our vision of India and foster networks among students and professionals in industry.
Highlights
The conference boasts of over fifteen distinguished speakers from a cross section of roles that intimately influence business and economy. This includes keynote addresses by Sam Pitroda, Former Advisor to Rajiv Gandhi and Chairman of WorldTel and C-SAM Inc and Kanwal Rekhi, Founder of TiE, Managing Partner, Inventus Capital Partners.
Conference Co-Chairs
Columbia Business School - South Asia Business Association
Marketing Partners:
