Programme
9.00 hrs
Registration and Tea /Coffee
9:30–10:30 hrs
Inauguration Session Moderated by: Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI
Welcome Address: Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, M.P. and President, FICCI
An Overview of RIS Report: Dr Nagesh Kumar, Director-General, RIS
Keynote Address by: Mr Tariq Sayeed, President, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI)
Chairman’s Address by : Dr Arjun Sengupta, M.P. and Chairman, RIS
Launch of RIS South Asia Development and Cooperation Report 2008 and Inaugural Address by: Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister, India
Vote of Thanks by: Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI
10:30–11:00 hrs
Tea Break
11:00–13:00 hrs
Session – I:
Vision for South Asian Cooperation and Development’
Moderator: Dr Arjun Sengupta, M.P. and Chairman, RIS
Distinguished Panelists:
1 Prof. Muchkund Dubey, President, CSD, India
2 Dr. Kamal Hossain, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh
3 Mr. Nihal Rodrigo, Advisor to President of Sri Lanka & Former SAARC Secretary-General, Sri Lanka
4 Dr Bekh Bahadur Thapa, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nepal
5 Mr Sultan Chawla, Life Member, SCCI & Chairman - Research & Development Committee, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Open Discussion
13:00–14:00 hrs
LUNCH
14:00–15:15 hrs
Session – II
Deepening South Asian Economic Cooperation: Business Opportunities and Challenges
Chair: Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka
Presentation by Dr. Ram Upendra Das, Fellow, RIS
Panelists:
Mr. Rajeev Kher, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India
Mr M K Saharia, Executive Committee Member of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Open Discussion
15:15–15:45 hrs
Tea Break
15:45–17:00 hrs
Session – III
Exploiting Potential of Regional Cooperation: Issues in Physical Connectivity, Facilitation and Energy Cooperation
Chair : Dr Bekh Bahadur Thapa, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nepal
Presentation by Dr. Prabir De, Fellow, RIS
Panelists:
Dr. Kheya Bhattacharya, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
Mr Abdul Haque, Director, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Mr S K Aggrawal, Director, Vimal Organics Limited*
Mr R Dayal, Asian Institute of Transport Development, New Delhi
Open Discussion
17:00–17:45 hrs
Valedictory Session
Chair: Dr. Kamal Hossain, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh
Highlights of Discussions, Dr. Saman Kelegama, Executive Director, Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka
Valedictory Address by: Shri Jairam Ramesh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Commerce and Power, India
Vote of Thanks by : Dr Nagesh Kumar, Director-General, RIS

Note: Names for the Chair, Panelists, including business representatives etc. in different
sessions (tbc)

*to be confirmed