Galaxy of corporate gurus confirm participation
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The first Pakistan-India management conference is to kick off on September 20, 2012 in Lahore, with top corporate and business leaders from both sides of the border in attendance.
The two-day conference jointly organised by Aman ki Asha – the peace initiative of the Jang Group and the Times of India – and Nutshell Forum aims to establish relations between management practitioners and professional institutions in both countries.
The event is expected to be attended by some 600 delegates who will share their management experiences and challenges with a view to learning from each other, evolving best practices and establishing linkages that will result in an enduring and sustainable institutional relationship.
Since its inception in January 2010, the Aman ki Asha initiative has organised a number of events designed to boost economic and trade ties, promote cultural ties and resolve the political issues bedeviling bilateral relations. In May 2012, business leaders from both sides of the Wagah border attended the second Aman ki Asha conference in Lahore as a follow-up to a similar moot held in New Delhi in May 2010.
In line with the philosophy pursued by Aman ki Asha that durable peace needs the involvement of the state as well as individuals, the management conference in Lahore will feature a healthy mix of public and private sector leaders. The Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, has been invited to inaugurate the Summit as Chief Guest.
He is expected to speak about the transition from hostility to interdependence at the inaugural session of the conference. One of the most powerful speakers from India will D Shivakumar, Managing Director for India and Senior Vice -President for Middle East of Nokia. Mt Shivakumar, who is also a senior representative of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), will deliver the keynote address titled ‘The power of partnership’.
The first session titled ‘Towards Tomorrow’ will discuss the potential pitfalls in the path to greater economic connectedness and its challenges. Speakers include Subodh Bhargava, Tata Communications chairman; Syed Babar Ali, adviser to Packages Limited and among the founders of LUMS and Avinash Vashistha, chairman and managing director for Accenture India. The second and third sessions are designed to lay stress on the need for strategic leadership.
In addition to Arif Ejaz, the Adviser to the chairman of Mapleleaf Cement, speakers include Ali Akbar Group Chairman Ijaz Mohammad Khan; CeNext Consulting and Investment Chairman Dr. Ravi Chaudhary; former commerce minister Razzak Dawood and Horst Simon, who is the regional director for the Global Association of Risk Professionals. American Business Council President Saad Amanullah Khan is among the other panelists at the third session.
The second day of the summit will focus on the quest for talented human resource; the opportunities afforded by the knowledge economy and the need to institutionalise partnerships for significant and durable gains.
The closing session ‘Believe’ is to be addressed by State Bank of Pakistan Governor Yaseen Anwar. Federal Minister for Finance Dr Hafeez Sheikh has been invited to deliver the key note address, but his confirmation is awaited.
Given the sporting interests of most delegates, the summit is to be followed by a friendly Pakistan-India golf match.
