World Economic Forum said on Thursday its annual India Economic Summit will be held in the financial capital over the coming week-end, the first time that it is travelling out of New Delhi in its two-decade history.
"Coming to Mumbai this year is symbolic of bringing the discussion from the centre to the states," WEF's senior director and head of Asia, Sushant Rao, said, stressing that apart from economic leaders, civil society leaders, youth, social entrepreneurs will also be speaking at the summit.
Maharashtra is the size of Mexico, a G-20 member, and WEF chose it for being an economically important state.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan said it is an opportunity for the state, which has been at the forefront of
economic development in the country, to showcase itself as a favourable investment destination.
The central theme for the summit, being organised in partnership with industry lobby Confederation of Indian Industry, will be 'linking leadership with livelihood".
Vice president Hamid Ansari, Union ministers Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal and Jairam Ramesh, deputy chairman of the plan panel Montek Singh Ahluwalia and chief ministers of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh will also be addressing sessions, a statement issued in New Delhi said.
Over 800 delegates from 40 countries are expected to attend the event and those who would be addressing the gathering include who's who of India Inc Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, chief executive of largest software exporter TCS N Chandrasekaran and the chairman of country's largest bank SBI Pratip Chaudhuri.