30 CEOs to take part in trade show

NEW YORK: A visibly proud Nandan Nilekani, who has been camping in New York with Sunil Mittal over the last couple of days to see the Incredible India@60 campaign through said: "This is not the regular trade show kind of event that other countries organise. It’s a lot more than that."
The high decibel campaign orchestrated by the Indian government and CII, a trade body that represents Indian business, begins on Sunday and will continue till Thursday.New Yorkers and visitors to the city can choose from a mixture of events that include a potpourri of culture and business. Through the day, people can choose from a repertoire of Indian music, including performances by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Colonial Cousins and Remo; dance recitals by performers from across India; Bollywood-inspired shows led by Saroj Khan; food festivals, and fashion shows by Indian designers like Ritu Kumar and Wendell Rodrigues.
If this isn’t enough, there are conferences peppered through the day that attempt to tell the world why India is a great place to invest in. "In the past, India was always trying not to lose," said Sunil Mittal, chairman, Bharti Enterprises. "Now, we’re telling the world India is here to win," he added. "We’re trying to change the mindset here," said Nilekani.
The first of these events starts on Monday when Ratan Tata leads a group of Indian CEOs into meetings with their American counterparts to explore areas of collaboration between Indian and American companies. Over the next couple of days, "seven ministers and 30 CEOs from India along with the cream of American business and policy makers" will participate in 41 events, 13 conferences, nine cultural performances, three dinners and seven receptions, said Nilekani. Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi inaugurated the campaign as external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee was stuck at the UN meet.
That the buzz on India has percolated into the streets was evident when a policeman outside Newark airport asked this writer whether "pav bhaji", that quintessential Mumbai classic, would be served at the opening dinner in Lincoln Centre.