CII Partnership Summit will bring 59 countries to Visakhapatnam on 12 and 13 November, for the 31st edition of the Confederation of Indian Industry event. The summit carries the theme Navigating New World Order: Trade, Technology, Trust, and it will draw 15 foreign ministers, 350 foreign delegates and 900 Indian delegates. About 1,250 people are expected in all, with more than 40 international speakers and 400 business-to-business meetings planned. The event is one of the largest business gatherings in Andhra Pradesh this year.
The CII Partnership Summit is the 31st edition of the event, which the CII has run since the 1990s as a platform for trade and investment. The summit brings together governments, businesses and investors, and it is used to sign deals and set up partnerships. This year the event is being held in Visakhapatnam, a port city that Andhra Pradesh wants to build into a hub for industry and trade. The state has been pushing for investment in green energy, technology and semiconductors, and the summit is part of that push.
CII Partnership Summit delegates will take part in six themed sessions, covering trade, technology, trust and the other issues on the agenda. The summit will also host 400 business-to-business meetings, where companies can meet buyers, suppliers and partners. The meetings are the core of the event, and the CII says they are where the deals get done. The delegates include ministers, officials and business leaders from 59 countries, and the state expects the summit to bring new investment to Andhra Pradesh.
CII Partnership Summit themes and meetings
The CII Partnership Summit agenda covers trade, technology and trust, the three words in its theme, along with the issues that matter most to the state. Green energy is one of the focus areas, and Andhra Pradesh has been pushing for investment in solar, wind and green hydrogen. Technology and semiconductors are also on the agenda, and the state wants to attract chip makers and electronics firms. The summit will also look at MSMEs, which the state sees as the backbone of its economy, and at the speed of doing business, which the Chief Minister has made a priority.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the arrangements for the CII Partnership Summit with CII Director General Chandrajit Banerjee, and the state has been preparing for the event for weeks. The Chief Minister has said the state wants to move at the speed of doing business, and that it will offer escrow incentives to investors who set up in the state. The summit is the biggest test of that pitch, and the state expects the delegates to leave with a clear view of what Andhra Pradesh can offer.
CII Partnership Summit and the state push
The CII Partnership Summit puts MSMEs at the centre of the agenda, and the state says small businesses are the backbone of its economy. The summit will look at how MSMEs can grow, how they can get finance and how they can join the supply chains of larger firms. The state has said it wants to make it easier for small businesses to set up and grow, and the summit is part of that effort. The delegates will also hear about the escrow incentives the state is offering to investors.
For the CII Partnership Summit, the state has put in place the arrangements for 1,250 delegates, 15 foreign ministers and more than 40 international speakers. The venue in Visakhapatnam will host the sessions and the business meetings, and the state has arranged transport and security for the delegates. The Chief Minister has reviewed the preparations, and the CII has said the summit is on track. The event is one of the largest the city has hosted, and the state expects it to bring attention to Visakhapatnam as a business destination.
The CII Partnership Summit opens on 12 November and runs for two days, with the sessions and meetings spread across the venue. The delegates will leave with new contacts, and the state hopes they will also leave with new deals. The summit is the 31st edition of the event, and it is the first time it has been held in Visakhapatnam. For Andhra Pradesh, the event is a chance to show what it can offer, and the state will be judged on what the delegates take away.