India’s largest and most prestigious global investment forum returns for its fifth year in September 2008 as a two-day private event for portfolio and direct investors seeking to leverage investment opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing and most dynamic markets. The 5th Annual India Investment Forum is co-hosted by Citi and Kotak, leading financial institutions in the world’s two largest democracies, and it continues our tradition of bringing top government officials and corporate executives from India to meet investment executives from U.S. institutions.
The timing could not be better. Maximizing the visit of the country’s official delegation to the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Forum is expected to gather India’s highest level government officials and business leaders. According to the government’s Central Statistical Organization, the Indian economy will cross the US$1 trillion threshold in 2008 with GDP is projected to grow at 8.7 percent in 2007-2008. The country is now the third largest economy globally after the United States and China.
India has become a global market mover having experienced phenomenal growth in a wide array of industries, but at a cost: The country’s inflation rate hit its highest level of 11.42 percent in 14 years in mid June. What steps will the government take to control the inflation surge? And how can the government fight inflation effectively while continuing to focus on skill development and technological advancements in order to tackle competition from market rivals? What economic, financial, political, and social challenges does the country need to overcome in order to maintain this growth rate? Further, what strategies does India need to take to continue its successful integration into the global economic architecture?
This year’s Forum will provide fresh perspectives on India’s economic growth, financial markets and key industries in the year ahead. The 5th Annual India Investment Forum presents a platform for investors to gain market intelligence in order to excel in investment decision-making so as to better access the investment opportunities to be found in India’s key sectors. Investors will gain first-hand knowledge of new regulatory and legal developments in India, in-person analysis of the size and growth potential for the most attractive sectors, and a keen realization of investment value represented by Indian assets.