By Arun Kumar
Washington, June 9 (IANS) India’s leading businessmen Anil Ambani and Azim Premji, as also author Vikas Swarup of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame, will be honoured at a Synergies Summit summit here next week to “reboot” US-India ties.

While Wipro Chairman Azim Premji will be honoured with the Global Vision award, Anil Ambani of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group will receive the Global Leadership award for their outstanding contribution in corporate sector at the US-India Business Council’s (USIBC) 34th anniversary summit on June 16 and 17.

Sy Sternberg, former chairman and CEO of the New York Life Company, will be presented with the Business Excellence award on the occasion.

Vikas Swarup, on whose novel “Q&A”, the Oscar award winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” is based, will receive USIBC’s 34th Anniversary Award for “Cultural Ties That Bind” for his contribution illuminating aspects of society that facilitate a deeper understanding and abiding respect for humanity.

Azim “Premji possesses the capabilities and skills to articulate how global sourcing is a positive force - one that provides our businesses the opportunity to remain globally competitive - an essential ingredient to creating jobs here at home and abroad,” USIBC said.

Anil Ambani “is at the cutting-edge advancing telecom, energy development, and entertainment - and, significantly, is fostering the convergence of these exciting sectors.”

“Sy Sternberg has been a passionate advocate for opening India’s insurance sector, which will contribute greatly to establishing a long-term debt market - necessary to fund India’s massive infrastructure build-out,” USIBC’ s President Ron Somers said.

“On the occasion of USIBC’s 34th Anniversary, these three business icons represent the best of the US-India commercial relationship.”

Headed by Pepsico’s Indian American CEO Indra K. Nooyi, USIBC represents some 310 American companies who have presence in India. Of them 220 firms figure in the list of Fortune-500.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)