How do you get a $13 trillion economy interested in a $1 trillion economy?

Of the thousands of ways, the $20 million Incredible India@60 campaign seems one. “We are looking at creating a presence, a space for India,” said Nandan Nilekani, co-chairman, Infosys Technologies. “This is a major initiative. We intend to leave a very strong impression of India,” said Sunil Mittal, president, CII and chairman and group CEO, Bharti Enterprises.

In a public private partnership of sorts between CII and Ministry of Tourism, India@60 is an event that will unfold here on Monday. In addition, there are eight other ministries and eight overseas partners including universities of Columbia and Yale, NYSE and Business Roundtable.

A short walk on Times Square or a drive through the signboard city throws up advertising banners on sidewalks and buses. “The idea is to have four days of high impact on business, diplomacy and culture,” said Nilekani. “The event will have the creamy layer of US companies,” said Mittal. These include Indra Nooyi, chairperson and CEO, Pepsi; Charles Kaye, co-president, Warburg Pincus; John Chambers, chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems; and L Brooks Entwistle, MD and CEO, Goldman Sachs (India). Apart from a strong corporate presence, India@60 will see Singapore foreign minister George Yeo; Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorin; and Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico. “This country works on signals,” said Mittal. “Signals generate momentum here. And this event will generate positive signaling.” What’s being sold here are essentially three Ds, democracy, diversity, demographics. Well, so what’s new?

... contd.