The upcoming 2014 parliamentary election is a critical one for India – one that can change its destiny. Among the many vital discussions that will be held on our economy, society and politics, none are more significant for India in the rapidly globalising world than our external relations and foreign policy.
On April 1, Gateway House hosted a discussion with Sanjay Jha, National Spokesperson, Indian National Congress, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Member, Bharatiya Janata Party, Meera Sanyal, Candidate, 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Mumbai South, Aam Aadmi Party and Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Senior Fellow, India, Pakistan, and South Asia, Council on Foreign Relations, on India’s foreign policy agenda for 2014. The discussion was moderated by Anant Goenka, Director and Head, New Media, The Indian Express.
Sanjay Jha is the Executive Director of the Dale Carnegie Training operations in India. His area of professional interest and management science specialisation includes leadership development, creating the vision and mission map and enhancing employee engagement.
Prior to joining the BJP, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri served in Indian embassies in London, United Nations in Geneva, Brazil and New York in an extended career spanning 37 years. He also served in India’s missions in Tokyo and Colombo. Ambassador Puri has extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy, having served on three occasions as a member of India’s delegation to the GATT/ UN in Geneva where he was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative from 2002 to 2005.
Meera Sanyal is the AAP candidate from Mumbai South for the Lok Sabha elections this year. She has had a distinguished banking career of over 30 years with Grindlays Bank, Lazard’s, and most recently as the CEO and Chairperson of RBS India (formerly ABN AMRO). She serves on the Boards of NGOs such as Pradan and Right to Play, Liberals India for Good Governance, and is the Chairperson of FICCI’s Financial Inclusion Committee.
Alyssa Ayres is Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. She served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia in the Obama Administration. Dr. Ayres led the India and South Asia practice at McLarty Associates after serving in the U.S. Department of State as a special assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs.
Anant Goenka is Director and Head, New Media, The Indian Express. A Dean’s Scholar from the Annenberg School of Journalism in Los Angeles, he holds a master’s in print journalism. Before joining the Express in January 2012, he was a media manager at Spenta Multimedia in Mumbai.
Watch the Google Hangout video here.
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