India Today Conclave to focus on 'Securing the global promise'
Introduces ThinkTent, a platform for aspiring professionals and students to interact with speakers; live budget analysis roundtable; addresses by Pranab Mukherjee, Akhilesh Yadav, Imran Khan and Henry Kissinger, to name some
BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | March 12, 2012
The India Today Conclave, India's largest thought festival, is scheduled to take place in the capital on March 16-17, 2012. The theme this year is 'The Asian Century: Securing the Global Promise'. The focus, as usual, is on contemporary concerns as well as on innovations. But the Conclave will have a wider reach this year. Because India Today firmly believes that more the ideas shared, the bigger they become.
The India Today Conclave goes free. ThinkTent is a new innovation introduced this year that is aimed at increasing the reach of the Conclave and to engage the India of tomorrow – young executives and management students. Conceived as an outdoor event in a massive and comfortable tent, ThinkTent will beam proceedings live, via giant screens, concurrently with the Conclave. Not just that, the audience will get the opportunity to interact with Conclave speakers, who will also be available for photo ops and autograph sessions. One can register for ThinkTent at the Conclave website and, if selected, can be a part of ThinkTent for free.
The Conclave will also present a debriefing session from the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, just a day after he presents the budget. March 17, Day 2 of the Conclave, will open with the Finance Minister's keynote address where he will explain his budget. Delegates will get an opportunity to interact with him at a Q&A session.
Meet and greet Akhilesh Yadav, the most talked-about new face of tomorrow's India. On March 17, the young Samajwadi Party leader who has pedalled his party to a sweeping electoral success, will address the Conclave. But he will not be the only one. There will be an opportunity to listen to a range of new heirs of political dynasties from across India and its neighbours – from Namal Rajapaksa, MP, Sri Lanka, to Sajeeb Wazed, Special Adviser to Awami League, Bangladesh, Omar Abdullah, CM of Jammu & Kashmir, and Shehrbano Taseer, a journalist from Pakistan.
With India Today's culture of being in step with news, this year there will be a concurrent session, 'The Business Today Budget Studio@India Today Conclave' on March 16. The live budget coverage will be accompanied by senior editors from Business Today and finance experts explaining the implications of the budget.
As usual, the Conclave promises to be a star-studded affair. Beginning with an inaugural keynote address by social activist Anna Hazare on 'Yeh Dil Maange No More Corruption', the two-day conference will reflect the full range of contemporary interests, passions and concerns – be it India's favourite cricketers Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh on the zigzagging fortunes of Indian cricket, or actor Kareena Kapoor on the rise of the 'New Heroine' in Bollywood, to His Excellency Anwar Bin Ibrahim, Leader of Opposition and Former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, and a keynote address by Henry Kissinger, Former Secretary of State of the USA and Nobel laureate.
The Conclave will close with Imran Khan, Pakistan's legendary cricket captain and chairman of the political outfit, Tehreek-e-Insaf, delivering the Dinner Keynote address. The event will be followed by a gala dinner, specially created by British gourmet chef Rob Rees.
With some of the finest minds from around the world assembling in New Delhi, The India Today Conclave will once again provide the perfect platform for a free and frank exchange of ideas.