Modi to meet top business leaders at Melbourne roundtable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to meet top Australian business leaders, including BHP Billiton CEO Andrew Mackenzie and HSBC Bank Australia CEO Tony Cripps, at a roundtable in Melbourne next week.

The meeting will take place at the Government's house on November 18 after Modi has attended the G20 summit in Brisbane.

Governor of Victoria Alex Chernov is hosting the chief executives' roundtable during which the visiting Indian leader would interact with the who's who of the Australian industry and business houses.

Top Australian business leaders, including Visy Industries global chairman Anthony Pratt, BHP Billiton CEO Mackenzie, Rio Tinto (Australia) MD Phil Edmands and HSBC Bank (Australia) CEO Cripps, will attend the roundtable.

The meeting would also be attended by almost 20 top Indian industry leaders including Chairman of Essar Group Shashi Ruia, Gautam Adani of Adani group, Anand Mahindra of Mahindra Group, BP Rao of BHEL and Vishal Sikka of Infosys Ltd.

Other CEO's who will be part of the roundtable include ONGC CMD Dinesh K Sarraf, Chariman Emeritus of Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd Sudhir Mehta, Chairman of Lanco

Infrastructure L Madhusudhan Rao, President of SP Jain School of Global Management Nitish Jain, CMD of Gujarat NRE Coke Ltd Arun Kumar Jagatramka and Austalia India Institute director Amitabh Mattoo.

Members of Business Council of Australia including Chief executive Jennifer Westacott would also attend the roundtable. It is understood that during the meeting, industry leaders would be given an opportunity to discuss matters relating to their businesses and future plans.

Modi would also be invited to sign the visitor's book in the governor's hall. After the roundtable, Modi will address a large group of over 500 Australian Indian business leaders and deliver a speech.

Later in the evening, Modi would visit the Melbourne Cricket Ground where Prime Minister Tony Abbott is hosting a reception for 1,000 select guests.

Modi will become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Australia in 28 years, when he attends the upcoming G20 summit to be held from November 15-16.

He will also become the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Australian Parliament during his visit.