New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) The US-India chief executives’ forum will be one of the side events during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Washington next month, according to US embassy’s minister-counselor for commercial affairs Carmine D’Aloisio.
“We are planning to have CEOs’ (chief executives) encounter during the state visit,” D’Aloisio told IANS on the sidelines of a function here.

The US-India CEO Forum was constituted in 2005 after an agreement between Manmohan Singh and US President George Bush.

The forum, comprising 10 top business leaders from both sides, submitted a roadmap to the two leaders for improving economic ties when they met in New Delhi in March 2006.

There is a move to reconstitute and revive the forum, with the US side already having begun the process.

“We have a formal process for businessmen to nominate themselves to the CEO Forum. There are many nominations from people who have interests in both countries,” said D’Aloisio.

“Small business leaders will be strongly heard through this forum,” he added.

Meanwhile, D’Aloisio said, the next round of negotiation for the bilateral investment promotion agreement will be held in December. “This next round will be very crucial,” he said.

The US diplomat said that there were still some areas to be ironed out, especially in terms of primacy of contracts so that American companies feel secure to do business in India and vice-versa.

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