India-Africa Conclave to help prepare roadmap for next Forum Summit. Over 400 African delegates visiting India to discuss business

India, March 12, 2010 / IndiaPRLine / — Traditional partners India and Africa will be once again reaffirming their commitment to work in unison toward the development of their respective economies and to strengthen the tenets of South-South Cooperation. High-powered delegations from 34 African countries comprising senior ministers, business heads, bankers and development specialists numbering over 400 would be converging at the 6th CII-Exim Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership being organized in New Delhi during March 15 -16, 2010.

The Conclave, themed as ‘Developing Synergies: Creating a Vision’, will be guided by the objectives laid out at the historic First India Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in April 2008, and will seek to build a roadmap for the second edition of the Forum Summit which is scheduled to be held in the coming year. The deliberations at the Conclave will be linked to four sub-themes – India-Africa Partnership, Rural Economies, Africa Tomorrow and Going Green. In the true spirit of partnership, the discussions will involve two key areas, skills development and adaptable technologies, which are of key importance to many African economies.

The three-day interactive event will see 145 projects worth over $9 billion being discussed and numerous agreements arrived at. For the record, at 5th edition Projects worth over $7.2 billion spread over 193 projects were discussed, and over 58 MOUs were signed covering sectors such as agriculture, SMEs, and IT training.

The 6th Conclave will also provide a platform for Indian and African leaders to strengthen the bilateral and regional partnerships, increase Indian participation in Africa’s long-term development projects, enhance capacity building initiatives and resource mobilization programmes, as well as increase outreach of information on Indian enterprises in Africa.

From the Indian viewpoint, the Conclave will serve as a major opportunity for Indian government and industry to explore new avenues by which to scale up India-Africa trade to $70 billion in the next five years, promote geographical and product diversification of Indian exports to Africa, strengthen India’s trade agreements with regional blocs in Africa, and enhance the role of Indian industry in the regional infrastructure programmes in Africa.

The Conclave will be addressed by senior ministers and policy makers, Mr S M Krishna, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, Mr Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, Mr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, and Mr Arun Maira, Member, Planning Commission. Prominent industry leaders including Mr Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman, CII Africa Committee, Mr P Rajendran, COO, NIIT, Mr Karan A Chanana, Managing Director Amira Food Ltd, and Mr Chandrajit Banerjee, DG, CII will address the sessions.

Mr John Dramani Mahama, Vice President, Republic of Ghana, has confirmed to participate as the guest of Honour for the 6th CII Conclave. Among the other prominent African leaders present at the Conclave would be Mr Kotaye Moise, Minister of Small and Medium scale Industry and Commerce, Central African Republic, Ms Claudine Mounari, Minister of Commerce and Supplies, Republic of Congo, Hon. Felix C. Mutati, MP, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia, and Mr Guy Madje Lorenzo, Minister of Trade & Commerce, Togo, Hon. Eunice Kazembe, M.P. Minister of Industry and Trade, and others.

The conclave will also feature a CEOs Rountable wherein the key recommendations for India-Africa business engagements will be put forth an actionable agenda.