Run-up to PM Washington visit;India,US to set up CEOs Forum

NEW DELHI, Jun 16 (UNI) In the run-up to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington in July, India and the US have decided to set up a CEOs Forum comprising top ten industry leaders from each country.

Tata Group head Ratan Tata will head the Indian side of the CEOs Forum.

Deepak Parikh and Ashok Ganguly will also be the members of the prestigious forum while Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been asked to choose the remaining seven CEOs from India.

Informed sources told UNI that the US has already identified the CEOs for the Forum from different sectors like energy, construction, finance, media, agriculture and technology.

The CEOs Forum would meet at least three times in the next 18 months.After the first meeting in July, the Forum would meet in January/February 2006 when President George Bush is likely to pay a return visit to India.

They said the Economic dialogue with the US, during the Prime Minister's visit, would take place in four broad categories of finance,trade,trade facilitation and environment.

India and the US have also set up a working group in the area of energy.

This group will cover broad areas like nuclear energy,oil and gas, new technology and the renewable energy sources.

Dr Singh would be accompanied to the US by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath who would pursue the Economic dialogue.