Kamal Nath to lead WEF delegation

Commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath will lead a high-powered delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit beginning January 26 in Davos to be followed by a WTO mini-ministerial meeting.

The WEF meeting assumes importance as it comes at a time when Indian manufacturing and exports were looking up, and Nath is expected to use this opportunity to showcase the country as an ideal destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).

Nath is being accompanied by minister of state for science and technology Kapil Sibal and a 50-member CII delegation for the four-day summit.

With India emerging as a low-cost manufacturing centre for pharmaceuticals, a delegation of the industry is expected to go with the minister to Switzerland.

There will be four important meetings during the summit including a session on how India meets WTO obligations, Kamal Nath said.

He will also have a one-on-one meeting with outgoing US trade representative Robert Zoellick on January 28 - a day ahead of the mini-ministerial and G-20 meeting on the sidelines of the summit.