NZ-India Business Summit – It’s Not Just Cricket

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

4 March 2015

Media Release

NZ-India Business Summit – It’s Not Just Cricket

Some of India’s most senior and influential business people will be in Auckland on March 13 for the second investment summit to be hosted by the India-New Zealand Business Council. “While the Cricket World Cup is the reason we are holding the summit now, one of the themes for this meeting is the urgent opportunity for New Zealand and India to move to a much deeper bi-lateral trade and investment relationship,” says Sunil Kaushal, chairman of the India-New Zealand Business Council.

Business pioneers such as Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of global software giant Infosys, leading economist Dr Reuben Abraham, and Jaya Kumar, CEO of Toonz Group, an animation production firm with global reach that is establishing operations in New Zealand, will be among the speakers.

“India is now one of the fastest-growing global economies, is opening up to international trade and investment. New Zealand firms need to engage now to understand the scale of the opportunities emerging.

“While much focus is on the prospect for a free trade agreement with India, waiting for its conclusion before acting risks missing the boat,” says Mr Kaushal.

This one-day summit will also bring together over 40 distinguished business delegates from India, for the first time in New Zealand.

Prime Minister John Key is showing the New Zealand government’s commitment to deepening ties with India, as one of a group of Ministers and senior trade and diplomatic officials who will also address the one day summit at the Crowne Plaza hotel. Hon Nathan Guy; Minister for Primary Industries, Hon Simon Bridges; Deputy Leader of the House, Minister of Energy and Resources, Minister of Transport and Hon Todd McClay; Minister of Revenue, Minister for State Owned Enterprises will be speaking on Inspiration, Innovation and Growth respectively.

The chairman of the peak Indian industry body, the Confederation of Indian Industries, Ajay Shriram of Shriram Group, looks forward to updating New Zealand businesses on the new dynamism in the Indian economy, including the latest developments following last Saturday’s first full Budget to be delivered by the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After the successful summit, in 2014, which is now the top industry event for International Trade with India, the tickets are now on sale for INZBC Business Summit 2015, which intends to create a strategic channel for creating opportunities and developing business between India and New Zealand.

Key note speaker Nandan Nilekani, from India is an acclaimed entrepreneur, bureaucrat and politician. ‘I am greatly looking forward to my first visit to New Zealand in March, to speak at the INZBC business summit! I see many opportunities for trade and cooperation between India and New Zealand to flourish in the coming years’, says Nandan.

Nandan Nilekani was most recently the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)—which aims to provide a unique identification number for all residents of India—in the rank and status of a Cabinet Minister.

Also joining the key Note speakers, is Dr Reuben Abraham, who is the CEO and Senior Fellow at the IDFC Institute, a think-tank set up by India’s largest infrastructure finance company. The IDFC Institute's focus is on the political, economic, and spatial causes. ‘I hope the INZBC summit will play a key role in dramatically improving ties between India and New Zealand, two natural allies, whose common interests start with cricket and a shared language, but ought to be much more substantive’, says Dr Reuben.

This summit would provide a distinctive platform for all members and Non-members of INZBC to directly interact with policy makers and business delegates from India.

Grow with India, buy your INZBC Business Summit tickets at inzbusinesssummit.com to explore how India and NZ could complement each other rather than compete. INZBC Business Summit; 8am to 5pm at The Crowne Plaza Hotel, followed by INZBC Networking Cocktails; 6pm onwards at The Cloud Business Lounge, Auckland, NZ.

This International Business Summit between India and New Zealand is organised by INZBC in association with local partners such as Westpac, Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, ATEED, Education New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Grant Thornton, Chapman Tripp, Asia New Zealand Foundation, Business Desk along with Indian counterparts Confederation of Indian Industries [CII].

For more information on tickets visit: inzbusinesssummit.com

-ENDS

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