While Union Commerce and Industry Minister hosted mocktails and snacks at Red Fort with three live Army bands on Monday evening, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit organised a cultural extravaganza the next evening at Purana Quila — complete with traditionally decorated elephants, performances by Shiamak Davar’s dance troupe and Louis Banks’ band belting out jazz and fusion.

After Nath’s do at the Red Fort, a dozen personalised dinner parties were on concurrently in the Capital — the 300 visiting delegates were split into a dozen groups and treated at the homes of Delhi’s who’s who — from corporate and industrial families to fashion designers, entrepreneurs and Government officials. Apart from industrialists Gautam Thapar, Azim Premji (who played host at a friend’s residence), Gautam Dalmia, Hari Singhania, Navin Jindal, designer Priya Paul were also those who played host.

The visiting heavyweights included the likes of Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein, Motorola’s chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior (who steers the company’s $4 billion R&D programme), Dell chairman Michael Dell, Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers among many others.

Bob Bierman, President, Fortune Conferences, said he was more enchanted with India’s hospitality than its economic potential. “Indians are very hospitable. And, trust me, I went to some of the most incredible Indian homes last night,” he recalled.

Dinner-hopping Bierman attended 10 of the 12 private dinners that night while Hugh Wiley, Publisher of Fortune Magazine, attended six. The intimacy and “personal touch” at the dinners have made Wiley’s India experience “incredible”. Another CEO who refused to be quoted said his experience at Nath’s house was “phenomenal” and he found the minister from Doon School “very sophisticated” and “cool”.

On Wednesday morning, at a power breakfast, women achievers from both India and the US sat down to discuss social issues.

“What they got to see was an empowered India where women made it to the top with sheer hard work. The theme was to (find ways to) use this empowerment to help others and many ideas were exchanged,” said Kiran Bedi, who along with Sindhushree Khullar of the Finance Ministry represented IPS and IAS officers at the meeting, respectively. Time Inc’s Dawn Bridges was heard telling her peers how Dikshit gave her own Pashmina shawl to her, when she was feeling cold at the Purana Quila event.

After three evening soirees hobnobbing with the capital’s movers and shakers, they will fly to Kolkata on Thursday.