Event Summary
Nandan M. Nilekani, cochairman of Infosys Technologies in Bangalore, delivered the Institute's eighth annual Niarchos Lecture May 7, 2009, on the topic of "India in the World Economy." Mr. Nilekani recently presented his comprehensive outlook for his country and its impact on the global economy in Imagining India: The Idea of a Renewed Nation, which was favorably reviewed in the latest issue of the Economist.
A key emerging country, India is likely to become the world's third largest economy over the next couple of decades. Some observers, including Mr. Nilekani, believe India will soon start recording faster growth rates than China. It is already a major player in world trade negotiations and the new G-20 steering committee for the world economy, and its global role is likely to rise considerably further. The "India miracle" has been spurred by its high technology companies, of which Infosys is one of the leaders and standard-setters including in terms of corporate governance.
Event Materials
Niarchos Lecture brochure and program [pdf]
About the Speaker
Mr. Nilekani was a cofounder of Infosys in 1981 and CEO of the company for an extended period before becoming cochairman. Time magazine listed him as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and Forbes called him the Businessman of the Year for Asia in 2006. He was chairman of the Government of India's IT Task Force for Power and a member of the National Knowledge Commission and is president of the National Council of Applied Economic Research. He is a member of the Institute's board of directors.
About the Niarchos Lecture Series
The Niarchos Lecture is the Institute's premier annual event. Previous speakers in the series, which began in 2001, have been Alan Greenspan, Ernesto Zedillo, Lawrence Summers, Long Yongtu, Mario Monti, Heizo Takenaka, and Petr Aven. These events are made possible by a generous grant from the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation, whose support enables the Institute to present a major program each year on a topic of central concern to the US and international policy communities.
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Series
About This Series
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Lecture was presented at the Institute between 2001 and 2019 by such noted economists turned global policymakers as Agustín Carstens, Alan Greenspan, Mervyn King, Mario Monti, Lawrence Summers, Jean-Claude Trichet, Long Yongtu, and Ernesto Zedillo. This annual event was made possible by the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.