Horasis convened the 2015 Horasis India Meeting on 5-6 July in Interlaken, Switzerland, co-hosted by the Canton of Bern and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). The meeting gathered 300 senior decision makers from business and government from around the globe engaging them to shape India’s future directions. Download the report and visit the photo gallery.
The Horasis India Meeting was the first landmark business meeting on India to take stock of the state of the Indian economy after having seen the new government one year into power. The majority of participants had a firm belief in the steps taken by the government to usher in economic growth. In his welcoming speech, Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways, India, stressed the Indian government’s commitment to wide-ranging reforms. ‘The Indian government will push for more economic reforms in the months ahead,’ added Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India). According to Sumit Mazumder, Chairman, TIL; President, CII, India, Narendra Modi’s iconic style of leadership has come as a breath of fresh air for Indians. Edmond Alphandéry, Former French Minister of Economy, France, was confident that India will shed its gradualism. ‘We need more and better reforms to boost the economy,’ conveyed Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto, India.
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| His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Hans-Jürg Käser, President and State Councillor, Canton of Bern |
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| Minister Gordhan, South Africa, introduced by Deepak Premnarayen, Chairman, ICS Group | Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto and Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII |
Speaking on behalf of the Canton of Bern, Hans-Jürg Käser, President and State Councillor, Canton of Bern, Switzerland, welcomed participants to both start and continue discussions to further build on existing links between the Canton and India. Johannes Matyassy, Assistant State Secretary for Asia Pacific, Switzerland, said that ‘India holds great promise for economic engagement with Switzerland.’ Highlighting some of the advantages of investing in South Africa, Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, maintained that his country is the natural partner of India in the emerging markets realm. Arvind Kumar, Secretary Industries & Commerce, State of Telangana, India, reported that economic indications as rising stock markets and the strengthening rupee are good indicators of positive changes to come.
A special plenary focused on His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s unique contribution to societal well-being and inclusive growth.
Announcing the 2015 Indian Business Leaders of the Year, Horasis – together with our strategic partner PwC – celebrated four outstanding entrepreneurs who have been building successful Indian firms: Ashish Chauhan, Chief Executive Officer, Bombay Stock Exchange; Praveen P Kadle, Chief Executive Officer, Tata Capital; Sunil Kant Munjal, Jt Managing Director, Hero MotoCorp; and Nasser Munjee, Chairman, DCB Bank.
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| The Indian Business Leaders of the Year | On the top of the mountain |
The co-chairs were:
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Abdulmajeed Ismail Al Fahim, Chairman, Pearl Dubai, UAE |
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Edmond Alphandéry, Former French Minister of Economy, France |
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Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, India |
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Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto, India |
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Subodh Bhargava, Chairman, Tata Communications, India |
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Lord Karan Bilimoria, Chairman, Cobra Beer Partnership, United Kingdom |
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Naushad Forbes, Director, Forbes Marshall, India |
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Francesco Gherzi, Chairman, Gherzi Engineering AG, Switzerland |
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Sunil Godhwani, Chairman, Religare Enterprises, India |
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Rajive Kaul, Chairman, Nicco Group, India |
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Sunil Kaushal, Chief Executive Officer South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank, United Kingdom |
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Habil Khorakiwala, Chairman, Wockhardt, India |
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Sumit Mazumder, Chairman, TIL, President, CII, India |
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William Meaney, Chief Executive Officer, Iron Mountain, USA |
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Joachim Nagel, Member of the Executive Board, Deutsche Bundesbank, Germany |
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H M Nerurkar, Chairman, TRL Krosaki Refractories, India |
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Vachara Phanchet, Chairman, Sittipol Holdings, Thailand |
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Dilip Piramal, Chairman, VIP Industries, India |
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Deepak Premnarayen, Chairman, ICS Group, India |
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Gunjan Sinha, Chairman, MetricStream, USA |
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Ashok Trivedi, Co-Chairman, IGATE Corporation, USA |
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Urs Widmer, Chief Operating Officer, SIX Swiss Exchange, Switzerland |
The Horasis India Meeting is the foremost annual meeting of Indian business leaders and their global counterparts. With this meeting, Horasis offers business and government to discuss a wide range of issues related to the Indian economy. The location of the meeting rotates annually, and has been held in Munich (2009), Madrid (2010), Naples (2011), Antwerp (2012), Belfast (2013) and Liverpool (2014).
Horasis as an independent international organization is committed to enacting visions for a sustainable future through the active participation of global business leaders in series of annual meetings. In addition to the Horasis India Meeting, Horasis holds meetings on China, Russia and the Arab world.
Co-hosts:
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| Bern Economic Development Agency | Confederation of Indian Industry |
Co-organizers:
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| All India Management Association (AIMA) | CEO Clubs Network | Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce |
Strategic Partner:
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| PwC |
Knowledge Partners:
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| MetricStream | Quintessentially Lifestyle India | SIX Swiss Exchange | Standard Chartered Bank |
Accomodation Partner:
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| Victoria-Jungfrau Hotel |
Touristic Partner:
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| Jungfrau Railway Holding |
We have always had a special relationship between our countries
Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, United Kingdom
The Indian government will push for more economic reforms in the months ahead
N.K. Singh, Former Secretary to the Prime Minister, India
While the economic turnaround won't be quick, the ongoing reform process is reason to hope
Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament, Former Union Minister, India
Revenge was not our motivation. Change must always be accompanied by the crafting of a new vision
Mac Maharaj, Spokesperson of the Government of South Africa, South Africa
Now, with the optimism linked to the new government, economic growth is expected to come back to 8-10% within the next 3-5 years
Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto, India
Stock market indices zoomed to new highs in anticipation of the electoral outcome
Ashish Chauhan, Chief Executive Officer, Bombay Stock Exchange, India
Many Indian firms are increasingly looking to invest abroad to accomplish its motives of acquiring technology
Sunil Kant Munjal, Jt Managing Director, Hero MotoCorp, India
It is important to increasingly leverage global value chains
Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, NIIT, India