With 2,000 ethnic groups, 1,600 languages and dialects and a population of 1.2 billion – constituting the world’s largest democracy – India has become a land of allure and exploration for leaders and experts worldwide. 

Prominent leaders from international business, government, academia and law will gather on May 15 at the India Enterprise Forum, which will be held at the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management. The group will explore what is required for India to continue its growth trajectory and to fuel the global economy.

Dr. Sumit Majumdar

Dr. Sumit Majumdar, professor of technology strategy and conference organizer.

“India is incredibly multifaceted and complex and naturally compels people to learn more about the ‘Indian story.’ But more crucially, India has an undeniable role to play on today’s global stage. India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing nations with the potential to turn into a world leader in the years to come, and with this explosive growth comes many economic opportunities and challenges,” said Dr. Sumit Majumdar, conference organizer and professor of technology strategy at UT Dallas.

The inaugural event will bring together leaders from around the world, including Ambassador Hardeep Puri, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. They will discuss the economic opportunities and challenges associated with India’s rapid expansion.

A veteran of the Indian Foreign Service with extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, trade-related matters and dispute settlement, Puri will wrap up the daylong conference with a discussion about India’s multilateral system. He has been the permanent representative of India to the United Nations in Geneva and the ambassador of India to Brazil as well as the secretary for economic relations at the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.

Ambassador Hardeep Puri

Ambassador
Hardeep Puri

“While every sector is of importance to India’s growth, sectors such as energy and infrastructure have unique business models and regulatory elements that other sectors do not,” Majumdar said. “This may make the process of engaging in business in India and with Indian firms often quite unusual. Understanding the sector-specific business continuity, concerns and regulatory dimensions of the Indian business environment is an important concern of the forum.”

Panel discussions will feature experts in their respective fields who will focus on topics such as energy business opportunities, investment safety and business continuity and infrastructure business opportunities.

Other key speakers at the event include Ambassador Lakshmi Puri, assistant secretary general at the U.N.; Sir Geoffrey Owen, former editor of the Financial Times and senior fellow at the London School of Economics; Yashwant Bhave, chairman of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority in India; and Philip Ritter, executive vice president of government and stakeholder affairs at D/FW International Airport.

The forum will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Davidson Auditorium in the Jindal School. Cost is $200, which includes a reception at 5 p.m. after the conference. Click here for details and to register.