ABOUT ASIA ECONOMIC DIALOGUE (AED)

The Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) is the flagship geo-economics conference of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India.

Into its seventh edition, AED is jointly convened by the MEA and Pune International Centre (PIC).

The theme this year is ‘Asia and the Emerging World Order’.

The sessions will discuss:Technology and Talent for Global Success; Global Growth Prospects: Looking Forward; India’s Vision for Its G20 Presidency; How the Global South will Shape the G20 Agenda; Making Semiconductor Supply Chains Resilient; India’s Climate Commitments: Challenges and Breakthroughs; Meeting Climate Targets: The Road Ahead; FTAs: The Way Forward?; Metaverse: Understanding the Future; Pioneering Socially Responsible Business in the Emerging World Order; and Revolutionising the Economy: Integrating Payment Systems and Digitising Currencies.

A major international conference to be held over three days from February 23 to 25, AED 2023 will feature 40-plus speakers including eminent experts, policy makers and industry leaders from India, Brazil, USA, Taiwan, UK, South Africa, Bhutan, Maldives, Switzerland and Mexico.

THE SPEAKERS

Introduction

Amb. Gautam Bambawale, Convener AED 2023, former High Commissioner to Pakistan, and former Ambassador to China and Bhutan

Amb. Bambawale began his career as Desk Officer for China in the Ministry of External Affairs, later serving as Director in the Americas Division. He then moved to Berlin, Germany, to become Director of the Indian Cultural Centre. After that, he returned to Beijing, China, to serve as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy. He then joined the Prime Minister’s Office as Deputy Chief for the Division of National Security Affairs, Defence and International Policy. Amb. Bambawale was then appointed Minister (Political) and Head of the Political Wing at the Embassy of India in Washington DC., where he played a role in transforming India-U.S. relations. He also served as the first Consul General of India in Guangzhou, China, and later as Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, responsible for relations with Japan, China and South Korea, among other countries. Amb. Bambawale has also been Ambassador of India to Bhutan and High Commissioner of India to Pakistan.

Opening Remarks

Dr. Raghunath A Mashelkar, President, Pune International Centre

Dr. Raghunath A. Mashelkar is a renowned scientist and leader in India, and the President of Pune International Centre. He has served as the Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for 11 years and was also the President of Indian National Science Academy and President of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK). Dr Mashelkar is on the Board of Directors of several companies, and has been awarded the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, Padma Shri (1991), Padma Bhushan (2000) and Padma Vibhushan (2014). He has also been honoured with honorary doctorates from 30 universities, including the Universities of London, Salford, Pretoria, Wisconsin and Delhi. Dr Mashelkar has played a critical role in shaping India’s Science and Technology (S&T) policies, and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet.

INAUGURAL SESSION

Hon. Dr. S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, Government of India

Dr. S. Jaishankar began education from The Air Force School and graduated in Chemistry from St. Stephen’s College at the University of Delhi. After that, he pursued M.A. in Political Science and M.Phil. and PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University. A former diplomat who served as Foreign Secretary, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was inducted into PM Modi’s cabinet as a Union Minister of External affairs in 2019. Prior to diving into the Indian political sphere, he served as Indian Ambassador to the United States, China and the Czech Republic. In addition to this eminent portfolio, he also served as High Commissioner to Singapore (2007–09). He played a vital role in negotiating the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement and played a pivotal role in reinforcing economic, trade and cultural relations between India and China. Jaishankar speaks Russian, English, Tamil, Hindi, conversational Japanese, and some Hungarian. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2019.