The 19th edition of the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) to be held in Philadelphia Feb. 21 and 22 will feature some of India’s top industrialists and businessmen including keynote speakers Hital Meswani of Reliance India Limited and Punit Goenka of Zee Entertainment. This year’s conference with the theme “India” Delivering the Dream,” aims to evaluate the opportunities for success and the key factors that will be critical for India moving forward.
Showcasing four panels, one dedicated to this theme, WIEF strives to be a forum for delegates to reassess India’s economic growth trajectory, re-evaluate its regulatory landscape and draw up an action plan to ensure the country meets its full potential over the coming years.
Attendees include senior industry leaders from finance, venture capital, entrepreneurship, consumer goods and healthcare sectors. Prominent speakers include Jishnu Bhattacharjee, managing director, Nexus Venture Partners; Patrick Foulis, New York bureau chief of the Economist; Charulata Ravi Kumar, CEO, Razorfish India; Rehan Khan, CEO, Abbott India; and Shardul Shroff, partner, Amarchand Mangaldas.
Aside from being a forum for a debate on India’s most pressing issues, WIEF is unique in its focus on promoting entrepreneurship. This year, WIEF will host the second annual Startup Competition that will feature innovative India-focused start-ups. The competition comprises three separate Innovation Categories for established start-ups, and was launched in November, 2014. Winning entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch to an elite panel of venture capital investors on the day of the conference and will compete for prize money of up to $10,000.