Asian Infrastructure Forum-Plenary session & IO Operational & Business briefing (June 26, 13:30 – 14:50), Tata Theatre, NCPA

Objectives

  • Creating business development opportunities for participants.
  • Understanding the key themes, opportunities and challenges facing infrastructure development in Asia.
  • Understanding the macro considerations in the infrastructure development.
  • Exploring the possibilities of Collaboration and Innovation in Infrastructure sector.


Background

This year’s AIIB Annual Meeting will see the launch of the inaugural Asian Infrastructure Forum (AIF). The AIF is a flagship event focused on creating business development opportunities for participants drawn from project sponsors, financiers, project delivery companies and government. The AIF programme includes a high-level plenary session where leading expert speakers will consider the state of infrastructure and requirements in Asia and beyond. After the plenary session the AIIB Chief Investment Officer will also give a briefing on the AIIB’s investment operations. After that all delegates will be invited to attend one of a series of workshops, designed to stimulate practical discussion and information sharing in support of business development.

Plenary session discussion topics:
  • Way forward for Infrastructure in Asia.
  • Opportunities for Infrastructure Development in India.
  • The importance of Collaboration for Infrastructure Development.
  • The critical role of Infrastructure Development through Public Private Partnership, in Economic Development.


Workshops:


Speakers

Dr. D. J. Pandian-Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, AIIB (Moderator and IO Operational & Business briefing)

Dr. D. J. Pandian leads the investment portfolio for the Bank, having oversight for all sovereign and non-sovereign lending. In this role, he and his team of specialists are responsible for the end-to-end management of the Bank’s project pipeline from identification to implementation. Before joining AIIB, he had an extensive career spanning 30 year with the Indian Administrative Services, holding key positions at the state, national, and international levels in the energy (oil and gas, power, renewable), infrastructure, finance sectors. During his career, he served in the Government of Gujarat in various capacities including: Chief Secretary; Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Mines; and Principle Secretary, Energy and Petrochemicals Department. Dr. Pandian received his PhD in energy security and MBA from University of Madras, India. He is a national of India.

Mr. Pierre Gramegna-Minister of Finance and AIIB Governor, Luxembourg

Pierre Gramegna was born on 22 April 1958 in Esch-sur-Alzette. Following secondary school studies in Esch-sur-Alzette (classical mathematics section), Pierre Gramegna pursued studies in law and economics at the Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), where he was awarded a master’s degree in civil law in 1981 and a degree in economic sciences in 1982. He completed his post-university education with a DEA (post-graduate diploma of advanced studies) in Community law. Following the legislative elections of 20 October 2013, Pierre Gramegna joined the government as Minister of Finance on 4 December 2013 in the coalition government formed by the Democratic Party (DP), the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the Green Party ("déi gréng"). A career diplomat, Pierre Gramegna joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1983. He was subsequently appointed political and economic affairs advisor to the Luxembourg embassy in Paris in 1988, an office he held for four years before being appointed consul general and director of the Board of Economic Development in San Francisco. From 1996 to 2002, Pierre Gramegna was Luxembourg’s ambassador to Japan and South Korea. He was subsequently responsible for the Directorate of International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2003, Pierre Gramegna took up the position of director general of the Chamber of Commerce, an office he held until his appointment to the government in December 2013. Prior to joining the government, Pierre Gramegna was a member of the executive board of several companies, including in particular Cargolux Airlines International SA (as chairman from 2004 to 2008), the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (Bourse de Luxembourg), the National Credit and Investment Company (Société nationale de crédit et d’investissement), the Del Credere Office (Office du ducroire), LuxExpo Luxembourg and BGL BNP Paribas Luxembourg SA. He has also been a member of numerous advisory committees, such as the Tripartite Coordination Committee (Comité de coordination tripartite), the Economic and Social Committee of the Greater Region (Comité économique et social de la Grande Région), the Advisory Committee on Foreign Trade (Comité consultatif du commerce extérieur), the Economic Development Committee (Comité de développement économique) and the National Committee for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship (Comité national pour la promotion de l’esprit d’entreprise).

Mr. Phillip Hammond – Chancellor of the Exchequer and AIIB Governor, United Kingdom

The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Government of United Kingdom.

The Rt Hon Philip Hammond was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer on 13 July 2016. He was elected Conservative MP for Runnymede and Weybridge in 1997. Philip was born in Epping, Essex in 1955 and attended school in Brentwood before studying politics, philosophy and economics at University College, Oxford.

He was previously Secretary of State for Transport from May 2010, when he was appointed as a Privy Counsellor. Prior to this, he held a number of shadow portfolios. He was elected to Parliament in 1997 and was Secretary of State for Defence from 2011 until July 2014. Philip served as Foreign Secretary from July 2014 until July 2016.

Philip had a business career in small and medium-sized companies in manufacturing, consultancy, property and construction, and oil and gas, both in the UK and abroad.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the government’s chief financial minister and as such is responsible for raising revenue through taxation or borrowing and for controlling public spending. He has overall responsibility for the work of the Treasury.

The Chancellor’s responsibilities cover: fiscal policy (including the presenting of the annual Budget); monetary policy, setting inflation targets; ministerial arrangements (in his role as Second Lord of the Treasury).

Mr. Jin Liqun-President, AIIB

Mr. Jin Liqun is the inaugural President and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Before being elected as the Bank’s first president, Mr. Jin served as Secretary-General of the Multilateral Interim Secretariat tasked with establishing the Bank.

Mr. Jin has rich experience across the private and public sectors, as well as with MDBs. He served as Chairman of China International Capital Corporation Limited, China’s first joint-venture investment bank, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of China Investment Corporation, and as Chairman of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds.

Mr. Jin previously served as Vice President, and then Ranking Vice President, of the Asian Development Bank, and as Alternate Executive Director for China at the World Bank and at the Global Environment Facility. He spent nearly two decades at the Chinese Ministry of Finance, reaching the rank of Vice Minister.

Mr. Jin holds an M. A. degree in English Literature from Beijing Institute of Foreign Languages (now Beijing Foreign Studies University). He was also a Hubert Humphrey Fellow in the Economics Graduate Program at Boston University from 1987 to 1988. He is a national of the People’s Republic of China.

Mr. Amitabh Kant-CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India

Amitabh Kant is presently CEO of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI). He is a member of the Indian Administrative Service, IAS (Kerala Cadre: 1980 batch). He is the author of Branding India-An Incredible Story. Kant has been a key driver of the "Make in India", Startup India, "Incredible India" and "God’s Own Country" initiatives that positioned India and Kerala State as leading manufacturing and tourism destinations. These campaigns have won several international awards. These campaigns have won several international awards and embraced a host of activities-infrastructure development, product enhancement, private-public partnership and positioning and branding based on extensive market research. Kant also conceptualized and executive the "Atithi Devo Bhavah"-"Guest is God" campaign to train Taxi Drivers, Guides, immigration officials and make them stake holders in the tourism development process. Amitabh Kant was also the National Project Director of the Rural Tourism Project of UNDP which made a paradigm shift in spreading tourism to Indian villages which had core-competency in handicrafts, handloom and culture.

In his capacity as Secretary (Industries) Govt. of India, he drove the Ease of Doing Business initiative and ranking of States on outcome parameters. He is the Chairman of the Committee to implement Digital Payment in India.

He has been the recipient of Economic Time Policy Change Agent of the Year Award, the Bloomberg TV Personality of the year Award, the NDTV Administrator of the year Award and the Distinguished Fellowship of the Institute of Directors. He is the recipient of One Globe Award-2016 for leadership in Transforming Governance for the 21st Century. He is a Member of the Steering Board of "Shaping the Future of Production Systems" of World Economic Forum. He is also the recipient of Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship awarded by the Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is also the recipient of Golden Peacock Award for leadership in Economic Transformation-2017.

Amitabh Kant has worked as CMD-ITDC, Joint Secretary-Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Secretary-Tourism, Government of Kerala, Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation, District Collector, Kozikhode and Managing Director, Matsyafed. During his tenure in Kerala he structured the Calicut Airport as a private sector project based on User’s Free and developed the BSES Power Project and Mattanchery Bridge under Private Public Partnership. He was also responsible for introducing new technology (fiberglass crafts and outboard motor) in the fisheries sector and launching beach level auctions which substantially enhanced returns to traditional fishermen.

Amitabh Kant did his schooling from Modern School, Delhi, graduation in Economics (Hons) from St. Stephens, Delhi University and M.A from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is a Chevening Scholar.

Mr. Ayumi Konishi-Special Senior Advisor, ADB

Mr. Ayumi was the Director General of the East Asia Regional Department at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) between June 2013 to September 2017 and moved to the current position in October 2017. He joined ADB in 1988 and has served in various capacities, including his last three positions as the Deputy Director General for the Pacific, Senior Advisor to the Strategy Policy Department, and Country Director for Viet Nam. Mr. Konishi is a career international civil servant with 36 years of experience. Prior to joining ADB, he worked for the UN in Baghdad, Iraq, New York, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.