India as a country is deeply aware of climate change and is working hard to mitigate its effects. With the Government’s support, the country is implementing a range of alternative energy projects and promoting pioneering measures for sustainable urban development. Ernst & Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index ranks India as the third country globally by the size and scale of its clean energy-related activities.
The I Spain-India Forum, organised by SICF in December 2014, already revealed the opportunities for cooperation between Spain and India in this area. That’s why this year’s edition of the Indian Leaders Programme focused on sustainable urban development in order to enhance the two countries’ knowledge of the matter by strengthening contact networks between companies, professionals and institutions and showing the participants Spain’s progress, strengths and capacities in the field.
The Programme took place in Bilbao, Madrid and Santander. Through the various sessions, the participants had the chance to visit the offices of some of the Foundation’s patrons, as well as prominent Spanish companies, institutions and public bodies with strong ties to India. The delegation’s agenda focused on innovation, infrastructure, energy, transport, education and economy, whilst also making time for culture and leisure.
The participants in this year’s Programme were:
- Shri Sahadeva Singh, Executive Director (Civil) at Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Ltd.
- Dr Manvendra Deswal, Head of Smart City Mission (SCM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
- Ms Akshima Tejas Ghate, Associate Director, Cities and Transport Sustainable Habitat Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
- Mr Kunal Rajnikant Purohit, Principal Correspondent, Hindustan Times
View their full profiles in the Documents section of our website or by clicking on this link.
The first edition of the Programme featured a multidisciplinary approach, with opinion leaders in the business, academic, research and media sectors. The following edition, in 2013, focused on the Indian media, and nine prominent journalists took part. The participants in the 2014 edition were six experts in higher education. Lastly, the Indian Leaders Programme in 2015 brought five Members of Indian Parliament to Spain.
Follow the Programme on social media through SICF’s Twitter account and the hashtag #IndianLeaders.
V Indian Leaders Programme activity summary
