ET GBS 2020: PM Narendra Modi, seven ministers to speak

NEW DELHI: The two-day Global Business Summit 2020 starts today and the speakers’ list, not to mention the blue chip audience, makes it, for the sixth year in a row, India’s marquee event. Heading the list of political leaders, global and Indian CEOs, tech entrepreneurs, management gurus and top notch economists is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Like each of his GBS speeches, today’s will also make headlines and trigger substantive conversations and debates.

Seven key ministers of Modi’s government will also speak at GBS over two days. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Commerce & Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Textiles Minister Smriti Irani are members of the Cabinet. Plus, there are ministers of state with big remits, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri and Power Minister RK Singh.

If the ministerial line up is so power-packed, so is the list of speakers from business, technology and social space.


The man who has been called the new king of Wall Street, Blackstone chairman and co-founder Stephen Schwarzman will speak at the event. Private equity groups don’t get bigger than Blackstone.

GBS to Feature Top-notch CEOs Panel
Fittingly, Schwarzman will speak on creating sustainable businesses.

Among those speaking forthrightly and sharply on women’s empowerment, it’s hard to get someone with a more weighty profile than Cherie Blair, who will also address the audience.

Meet the entrepreneur who created a new-age app centered around meditation. Headspace cofounder Andy Puddicombe will talk on how to stay calm and focused.

And to tell us all about the decade of disruption ahead we have a top-notch CEOs panel — India’s business leaders Ajay Piramal, Suneeta Reddy and Sunil Munjal, Nepalese billionaire Binod Chaudhary, Ronnie Screwvala and Boston Consulting Group’s Asia Pacific chief Neeraj Aggrawal.

There’s much, much more. Don’t miss it – GBS 2020, in New Delhi, March 6 & 7.