About

An Impressive History...

Since its inception 12 years ago, the Wharton India Economic Forum (WIEF) has been, and continues to be, the leading business forum focused on India in the United States. WIEF was launched in 1996 at The Wharton School with a mission to engage the world's attention, on India's enormous potential and the limitless possibilities the country offers. India's evolution both as an emerging economic power and as an increasingly important contributor to the global community has helped the conference to broaden its perspectives. Since the first forum, WIEF has stimulated energetic dialogue between current and future leaders from various walks of economic, social and political life, and has been covered in over twenty-five leading global newspapers and magazines. Most recently, in 2006, WIEF attracted over 500 attendees, including prominent business figures, policy makers, professionals and students, to debate pertinent issues, relevant to the Indian economy, under the expansive theme "Realizing the Indian Dream".

An Even Brighter Future...

As we look ahead, we aim to continue and build on the forum's impressive history and the past successes we have had, in order to further our outreach and broaden our examination of issues. Past forums have duly focused on how to mobilize and prepare India, as a nation, to define and deliver on its incredible potential and the expectations that come with it. We now take the debate a step further, go beyond the ordinary and explore new frontiers for India as it establishes itself firmly on the world stage. Our conference theme this year is "Imagine" and it is in an originative and inspired mood that we wish to consider and examine what lies in store for India. We aspire to be a forum for discussing, not just India's economic prospects in the world, but also how it can be a politically active and socially responsible power. It is essential, given the current state of world affairs that India be prepared to go beyond the ordinary and truly actualize itself as a country, in terms of its immense resources, human and material, as well as everything else it has at its disposal. Our aim, going forward, is to be thought leaders and foster a creative dialogue on how this might be possible, what indeed India is capable of and how it, as a country, can transcend expectations and realize its true place in the world.