Gandhinagar: In continuity with Gujarat’s contribution in India’s G-20 Presidency, a series of G-20 events including the B20 (Business 20), G-20 Working Group meeting, and Ministerial meetings will be held in the month of July.

While the B20 meet will be held at Surat on July 1. The 3rd Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting will be held at Ektanagar/Kevadia from 10th to 12th July 2023.

Surat will host B20 meeting on July 1, 2023

About 200 delegates from G-20 countries representing various business sectors such as textiles, finance, banking, and diamond will attend the B20 meeting at Surat on July 1. The B20 meeting is a prestigious gathering which brings together influential business leaders, policymakers, and experts from all over the world.

These meetings will provide an opportunity for business representatives to share their perspectives, insights, and policy recommendations on various economic and business-related topics and will play a very significant role in shaping global economic agendas and policies.

This B20 meet will begin with deliberations on the priorities identified for global businesses. Speakers at the event include  Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Ministry of Ayush as the Chief Guest;  Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State – Home, Industries, Transport, Youth, Sports Government of Gujarat as the Guest of Honor.

Other dignitaries include Mr. Darshan Shah, Chairman-CII Gujarat; Mr. Anand Desai, Past Chairman-CII Gujarat, and Managing Director Anupam Rasayan India Ltd; Dr. Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power Ltd; Mr. Shreyans Dholakia, CEO, Shree Ramkrishna Exports; Dr. Ella Kokotsis, Director of Accountability, G7 & G20 Research Groups; HRH Datu Grand Prince of Orients; Dr. Gary Sum, Chairman, Swiss Capital Group, and SCG of Prince Royal Humanity Bank.

The first plenary session of the B20 meet will discuss ‘Opportunities for Trade and Investments in Diamond, Textile, and Chemical Industries for Global Value Chain.

This plenary session will be followed by a special address by S. J. Haider, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Industries and Mines Department, Government of Gujarat. There will also be a panel discussion chaired by Zarir Langrana, Executive Director, Tata Chemicals Ltd. The panelists include Dr. Venkatachalam Anbumozhi, Director of Research Strategy and Innovations at ERIA: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia; Rajen Udeshi, President, Polyester Chain of Reliance Industries Ltd; Naresh Patel, Vice Chairman, CII Southern Gujarat Zonal Council & Executive Chairman & MD Ami Organics Ltd; Vipul Shah, Chairman, The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and Kulin Lalbhai, Vice Chairman-CII Gujarat State Council & Executive Director, Arvind Ltd.

The second plenary session of the B20 meeting will focus on ‘Building a More Inclusive Future: Advancing Financial Inclusion for Economic Empowerment’. This session will be chaired by Gopal Agrawal, Managing Director & Head – Investment Banking, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd. The esteemed panelists will include Smt. Mona Khandhar, IAS, Principal Secretary, Panchayat, Rural Housing & Rural Development Department, GoG; Mr. Sundeep Sikka, Executive Director & CEO, Nippon Life India Asset Management Ltd; Mr. V.P. Nandakumar, Managing Director & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd; Mr. Ashish Chauhan, Managing Director & CEO, National Stock Exchange; Ms. Megha Jain, Senior Advisor, Private Sector, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Mr. Neeraj Choksi, Co-Founder & Jt. Managing Director, NJ Group of Companies.

A visit to the DREAM City and a diamond manufacturing unit is planned for the esteemed guests during this B20 meet.

3rd Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting

More than 120 international delegates from various G20 nations are expected to gather for the 3rd Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting to be held at Ektanagar/Kevadia from 10th to 12th July 2023.

It will begin with delegates participating in a seminar on ‘Trade Infrastructure’.

Two more panel discussions are planned which will see participation from key dignitaries across organizations like the World Bank and UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).

The panelists for the first session include Mihir Shah, Partner EY; Mr. Jan Hoffmann, Head, Trade Logistics Branch, UNCTAD; Ms. Shamika Sirimanne, Director UNCTAD, Technology and Logistics Division; Ms. Mona Hadad, Global Director for Trade, World Bank; Saroj Ayush, Senior Transport Specialist, World Bank; Prof. Ruth Banomyong, Thammasat Business School; Mr. Paul Romer, Nobel Laureate and former Chief Economist, World Bank.

The panelists for the second session will see participation from Cmdr. Madhvendra Singh, CEO, Gujarat Maritime Cluster (GMC);  S. Iswaran, Minister of Transport, Government of Singapore; Ingeti Srinivas, Chairman, IFSCA; Ashok Lavasa, VP, ADB and Mr. Luca Castellani, UNCITRAL. Other key sessions on Trade and Investment as focus areas are also scheduled during the 2-day event.

The delegates of this G20 event will be visiting some of Gujarat’s renowned attractions. This include, Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue standing as a symbol of unity and national pride. They will also explore Sardar Sarovar Dam, a testament to human engineering and resource management and discover the planned city-Ektanagar showcasing the rich cultural heritage and architectural marvels of Gujarat. This immersive experience will offer the delegates a glimpse into the unique blend of history, progress and natural wonders. DeshGujarat