Delhi meet to focus on growth issues

How to revive growth in emerging economies will be the focus of a three-day conclave in Delhi, with speakers from 17 countries, including Singapore.

Sixty speakers will brainstorm on a range of issues, from the rise of China and India in global trade to meeting the water challenge to facilitating trade among countries, at the annual meeting of The Growth Net from today to Tuesday.

Deputy chairman of India's Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia will deliver the keynote address on the topic of "Reviving Growth: Reversing the Tide".

The meeting is the second instalment of the Growth Net series, which is focused on economy and development. The Institute of South Asian Studies, at National University of Singapore (NUS), is a Growth Net partner.

Speakers include Mr Stanley Bergman, chairman and CEO of Henry Schein Inc, a provider of health-care products and services; Mr Bundit Limschoon, secretary-general of the 33-country Asia Cooperation Dialogue; Mr Ronnie Chan, chairman of Hang Lung Properties; and Professor Tan Tai Yong, NUS vice-provost.

Growth in China and India has slowed, though emerging economies are still growing at a faster pace than most developed countries. "Clearly, this emerging bloc forms a potent factor in the global business landscape that no corporate or political strategy can afford to underestimate," Growth Net said in a statement.

Topics at the conclave include investment in the new growth economies, China's single-digit growth strategy, and dealing with changes in the global security environment - which will be addressed by India's National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.

gnirmala@sph.com.sg

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