US President George W Bush will arrive in India on Wednesday evening to take the fast growing Indo-US relations to new heights.
According to official sources, President Bush, along with First Lady Laura Bush, will check into Hotel Maurya Sheraton. There is no public engagement lined up for the President on Wednesday.
On Thursday, he will be given a ceremonious 21-gun salute at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will then visit Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial to pay floral tributes to the Father of the Nation.
He will then be back to business at Hyderabad House, the government of India's official convention center-cum-dining hall.
This is where the most of Bush's important engagements are slated.
First among them is his summit level meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where the two leaders will review progress in all sectors mentioned in the July 18 agreement.
Lined up next is the meeting both the leaders will have with members of the CEOs Forum that was formed in July 2005. The forum will present a report to both leaders and give its suggestion to boost Indo-US trade and businesses.
The Indian CEOs Forum is headed by Tata Group chief Ratan Tata while Paul Hanrahan of AES Corporation leads the US CEOs forum. Mukesh Ambani and Deepak Parekh of HDFC are members too.
Following this meeting, President Bush and Dr Singh will meet the press. Normally in such press conferences, each leader take two questions each from the Indian and foreign media.
After the press conference, Dr Singh will host President Bush for lunch at Hotel Taj Palace.
Taj Palace was chosen as the Hyderabad House has a dining hall that can cater to only about 70 to 80 people.
Even Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had to move out of Hyderabad House for dinner. During that visit, Dr Singh hosted the General at Hotel Ashoka.
After lunch, the President will get back to Hotel Maurya, which is next door, and where Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani and Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi will call on him.
Dinner will be at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President A P J Abdul Kalam will host an elegant dinner for around 100 guests.
On Friday, President Bush will fly to Hyderabad. Details of the trip will be made public only at he last moment. Sources say the historic city is set to witness a unique mixture of political, cultural and social messages.
The first engagement will be at the Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University. Both countries are all game for joint research in the agricultural sector.
Dr Singh is envisaging a second green revolution with the help of US collaboration. A knowledge initiative on agriculture was initiated last July.
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who handles all non-strategic issues between India and the US, has put together a core team to focus on infrastructure, agriculture and science and technology, which have emerged as the main focus areas following Dr Singh's state visit to the US in July.
So, President Bush has chosen all those areas carefully and in Hyderabad, he will be looking to kick-start a partnership in agriculture sector, something the Left parties have already started protesting against.
President Bush is expected to announce $50 million or more and India too will pump in as much to inject life and advance research in the stagnant sector.
Also, the two sides will look into how biotechnology and nanotechnology can help Indian agriculture, with the US lending a helping hand in water management.
Bush will also visit the Indian School of Business, which has forged academic associations with three of the worlds leading business schools - Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School and London Business School. Here, he will meet young entrepreneurs, young economists, and IT and biotech experts.
The last engagement for the President in Hyderabad will be of great interest to the Telugu biddas living in US. He is expected to announce the opening of a US Consulate in Hyderabad.
Two pieces of outstanding statistics have forced the US administration to request the President to make this announcement. A survey conducted a couple of years ago had found that 30 per cent of the Indian IT workforce in the US were from Andhra. And, in the last 20 years, the largest number of US visa seekers have been from the state. They are forced to travel to Chennai, New Delhi or Mumbai for visa interviews.
President Bush will then fly back to New Delhi and give a speech at the Purana Killa, the grand venue that will make for a great photo opportunity with its sepia-toned stone walls and natural surroundings.
Here he will speak in presence of a few MPs, academicians, artistes, members of FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM.
(Source: rediff.com)
According to official sources, President Bush, along with First Lady Laura Bush, will check into Hotel Maurya Sheraton. There is no public engagement lined up for the President on Wednesday.
On Thursday, he will be given a ceremonious 21-gun salute at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He will then visit Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial to pay floral tributes to the Father of the Nation.
He will then be back to business at Hyderabad House, the government of India's official convention center-cum-dining hall.
This is where the most of Bush's important engagements are slated.
First among them is his summit level meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, where the two leaders will review progress in all sectors mentioned in the July 18 agreement.
Lined up next is the meeting both the leaders will have with members of the CEOs Forum that was formed in July 2005. The forum will present a report to both leaders and give its suggestion to boost Indo-US trade and businesses.
The Indian CEOs Forum is headed by Tata Group chief Ratan Tata while Paul Hanrahan of AES Corporation leads the US CEOs forum. Mukesh Ambani and Deepak Parekh of HDFC are members too.
Following this meeting, President Bush and Dr Singh will meet the press. Normally in such press conferences, each leader take two questions each from the Indian and foreign media.
After the press conference, Dr Singh will host President Bush for lunch at Hotel Taj Palace.
Taj Palace was chosen as the Hyderabad House has a dining hall that can cater to only about 70 to 80 people.
Even Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had to move out of Hyderabad House for dinner. During that visit, Dr Singh hosted the General at Hotel Ashoka.
After lunch, the President will get back to Hotel Maurya, which is next door, and where Leader of the Opposition Lal Kishenchand Advani and Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance Sonia Gandhi will call on him.
Dinner will be at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President A P J Abdul Kalam will host an elegant dinner for around 100 guests.
On Friday, President Bush will fly to Hyderabad. Details of the trip will be made public only at he last moment. Sources say the historic city is set to witness a unique mixture of political, cultural and social messages.
The first engagement will be at the Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University. Both countries are all game for joint research in the agricultural sector.
Dr Singh is envisaging a second green revolution with the help of US collaboration. A knowledge initiative on agriculture was initiated last July.
Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, who handles all non-strategic issues between India and the US, has put together a core team to focus on infrastructure, agriculture and science and technology, which have emerged as the main focus areas following Dr Singh's state visit to the US in July.
So, President Bush has chosen all those areas carefully and in Hyderabad, he will be looking to kick-start a partnership in agriculture sector, something the Left parties have already started protesting against.
President Bush is expected to announce $50 million or more and India too will pump in as much to inject life and advance research in the stagnant sector.
Also, the two sides will look into how biotechnology and nanotechnology can help Indian agriculture, with the US lending a helping hand in water management.
Bush will also visit the Indian School of Business, which has forged academic associations with three of the worlds leading business schools - Kellogg School of Management, The Wharton School and London Business School. Here, he will meet young entrepreneurs, young economists, and IT and biotech experts.
The last engagement for the President in Hyderabad will be of great interest to the Telugu biddas living in US. He is expected to announce the opening of a US Consulate in Hyderabad.
Two pieces of outstanding statistics have forced the US administration to request the President to make this announcement. A survey conducted a couple of years ago had found that 30 per cent of the Indian IT workforce in the US were from Andhra. And, in the last 20 years, the largest number of US visa seekers have been from the state. They are forced to travel to Chennai, New Delhi or Mumbai for visa interviews.
President Bush will then fly back to New Delhi and give a speech at the Purana Killa, the grand venue that will make for a great photo opportunity with its sepia-toned stone walls and natural surroundings.
Here he will speak in presence of a few MPs, academicians, artistes, members of FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM.
(Source: rediff.com)