Speech

Presidential Address by Mr Yogendra Kr. Modi, President, ICC India

March 9 2007- New Delhi

• Dr Ajay Dua, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion
  
• Mr Saroj Kumar Poddar, President Elect, ICC India
  
• Members of the Executive Committee
  
• Members of the Diplomatic Core
  
• Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure in welcoming you all to the 76th Annual General Meeting of ICC India, Indian Affiliate of Paris based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

We are grateful to Dr Ajay Dua, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India, for sparing time to be with us today and share his perception on the theme of the Annual Meeting.

Set up in 1929, ICC India is one of the most active chapters of ICC and has been contributing significantly to the cause of developing countries' in the global policy making work of ICC.

On practical side of business, ICC India has been at the forefront in guiding bankers, corporates and lawyers on issues of international trade facilitation including documentary credits, arbitration, commercial practices, preventing trade frauds etc.

ICC was founded in 1919 with an overriding aim to serve world business by promoting trade and investment, open markets for goods and services, and free flow of capital. It was granted the highest level consultative status with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, a year after the creation of United Nations.
Ever since, it has ensured that the international business view receives due weightage within the UN system and at meetings of inter-governmental bodies such as the WTO where decisions affecting the conduct of business are made. It is probably the only business organization that presents the world business views to the leaders of the G8 every year at their annual meeting.

ICC is now represented in around 130 countries and has unrivalled authority as a rule making body for businesses the world over. It works through its various commissions on areas such as banking, finance & insurance, competition, WTO, e-business & IT etc.

The theme of our Annual Meeting "Globalization: The Way Ahead" is very topical.
Globalization today is a fact of life with ever expanding flows of trade, capital, labour and ideas across the world and it marks an unprecedented phenomenon on world economic scenario.

Without doubt, India is a success story, a model case study on globalization. Our policy initiatives have ensured our integration into the world economy and have borne fruits of faster growth and better living standards.

Thank you!