Conference on "Improving India's Investment Climate"

A Conference on ‘Improving India’s Investment Climate’ was organized by the World Bank and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on November 24, 2004.  The venue of the conference was the Taj Land's End, Bandra, Mumbai.

Agenda

Conference Presentations Key Investment Climate Themes from the 3 Reports :   Simon Bell  Recent Changes in India Investment Climate: Priya Basu  Why does Infrastrucure and Business Regulation matter  :  Priya Basu & Taye Mengistae WDR 2005  Warrick Smith (4.11 mb) Improving the Regulatory Climate for Business - Experience from Australia: Rex Deighton WDR 2005 A better Investment Climate: Saumitra Chaudhuri ICRA

It provided a forum to discuss the key constraints and challenges to competitiveness facing India’s private sector, reviewed recent progress made by the center and the states in addressing these constraints, exchanged ideas on how best to overcome investment climate bottlenecks, and explored ways in which the Bank could partner with Government and business to create a more investor-friendly environment.

Opening Session :

• Inaugural address : Mr. Praful Patel, Vice President, South Asia Region, World Bank
• Keynote speech : Mr. Deepak Parekh, Chairman HDFC
• Enhancing India's Manufaturing Competitiveness : Mr. Rajesh Shah, Managing Director, Mukand Ltd. 
• Key Investment Climate Themes from the 3 Reports :    Simon Bell, Sector Manager, South Asia Finance and Private Sector Development
• Recent Changes in India Investment Climate:   Ms. Priya Basu, Lead Specialist, South Asia Finance and Private Sector Development, The World Bank,

Session II: The World Development Report 2005 :  A better Investment Climate for Everyone
(Chair: Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Chief Economist, CII. Discussant: Dr. Saumitra Chaudhury, Economic Advisor, ICRA)

• Key Messages from WDR 2005  Warrick Smith (4.11 mb)

• WDR 2005 A better Investment Climate: Saumitra Chaudhuri

Session III:  What Constrains India's Business Competitiveness? 
(Chair : Hari  Sankaran, Joint Managing Driector, ILFS. Panel: Mr. Gajendra Haldea, Chief Advisor, NCAER; Mr. Vinayak Chatterjee, Chairman, Feedback Ventures; Mr. Umesh Kumar, Joint Secretary DIPP, Govt. of India; Mr. Rex Deighton-Smith, Director, Jaguar Consulting Ltd. Australia ).

• India: Investment Climate Assessment 2004 : Why does Infrastrucure and Business Regulation matter  :  Priya Basu & Taye Mengistae

• Improving the Regulatory Climate for Business - Experience from Australia: Rex Deighton

Session IV : Overcoming Constraints to India's Business Competitiveness - An Agenda For the Future
(Chair: Michael Carter, Country Director India; Panel : Mr. V. Dhumal, Principal Secretary-Industry, Maharashtra, Mr. Jalaj Srivastava, Secretary Industries, Delhi and Dr. S. Sen, Principal Secretary-Commerce and Industry, West Bengal

The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Vilas Rao Deshmukh, delivered the concluding address at this Conference.