28 July 2007

Professor John Hood, Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Sunil Bharti Mittal, President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 26 June 2007, confirming their intention to collaborate on establishing an Oxford University India Business Centre, to be located both in India and the UK.

Areas of engagement between the CII and the proposed Centre will include policy debates on the Indian economy and the identification of ideas that will help support the Centre’s activities across the business community in India.

In announcing this initiative, Dr John Hood, said: “The primary objective of this research centre is to learn from India’s business success - for the issues faced by India are a microcosm of those in the world. A clear understanding of these issues and their innovative solutions, as India transitions from poverty to prosperity, will form a guide to future generations of countries attempting similar transitions.”

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was attended by a delegation of senior Indian CEO’s, including:

• Mr Uday S Kotak, Executive Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
• Lt Gen. (Retd.) Shamsher S Mehta, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry
• Mr Dhruv M Sawhney, Past President, CII & Chairman and Managing Director, Triveni Engineering & Industries Ltd.
• Mr Phiroz Adi Vandrevala, Co-Chair, IBP India & Executive Vice President, Tata Consultancy Services
• Mr Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India