|
India flies the pashmina of democracy at Davos
(The Daily Telegraph, Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TO THE snowy mountains of Davos, where the great and good of the business world meet once a year to talk about what they know best - business.
At least that used to be the point of Davos, but in recent years the conference has been hijacked by the remarkably effective NGO lobby. It skewed the agenda of the four-day talk-fest to such an extent that many in business considered handing back their Davos membership.
Thankfully the World Economic Forum, the strange Swiss beast responsible for Davos, listened and this year's conference has a distinctly business feel. The conference rooms and hotels are once again dominated by conversations about the issues that matter - energy, technology, the rise of hedge funds and private equity.
Most of all the sessions are dominated by the rise of China and India and the threats they pose to European and North American economies.
And here is where the debate gets fascinating. Is it India and China, or India versus China? In trying to answer that, the South Asians have not held back. They have plastered Zurich airport with a simple, but provocative message - "India: Fastest Growing Free Market Democracy''. And just in case you missed it, Davos buses, bill boards, and shop windows have been littered with the same Chinese-baiting message.
There is even a dedicated web site, Indiaeverywhere.com, which details where to find the best Indian food and drink. More than 40 Indian chief executives are in attendance along with government ministers. Each delegate's room has a pashmina, a gift from the "Himalayas to keep you warm in the Alps''.
Not that there is a shortage of Chinese representatives. Senior government and business officials are in every session. But the message from the Indians is loud and clear - it is us, not the undemocratic Chinese, that you want to do business with.
tom.stevenson@telegraph.co.uk
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|