WEF meet sees exits before start

Nawaz Sharif, Angela Merkel, K M Birla, Chanda Kocchar, Anand Mahindra among no-shows for the meet

As this Swiss ski resort town gets ready to host World Economic Forum’s annual meet, some have announced their no-shows at this talk fest of the rich and powerful from across the world. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has cancelled his visit after a Taliban attack in his country.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to cancel her trip after a skiing accident. From India, chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, will not be attending the meet, despite his initial confirmation. Compatriots Chanda Kochhar, managing director and chief executive officer of ICICI Bank, and Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, had decided to skip the meet despite being regulars here for the many past years.

NO-SHOWS

Pakistani Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
German Chancellor
Angela Merkel
Aditya Birla Group Chairman
Kumar Mangalam Birla
CICI Bank MD and CEO
Chanda Kochhar
Mahindra & Mahindra CMD
Anand Mahindra

 

Among Indian businessmen, it remains to be seen whether Vijay Mallya manages to make it to the summit, as troubles at his now-defunct airline venture Kingfisher has resulted into problems for his other ventures and have also cast a shadow on his big-ticket sale of majority stake in United Spirits to global liquor giant Diageo.

 

The top officials of Diageo are also among those expected to be present and those scheduled to meet them include Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, who is on his maiden foreign visit as head of the Western Indian state with eyes on foreign investments.

 

Among other Indian leaders, Tata group chief Cyrus Mistry and Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani are so far expected to be present, but neither of them are as yet scheduled to participate in any officials sessions.

 

However, both of them are expected to be separately attending a number of private meetings with businessmen and political leaders from across the world, which assume significance in the wake of overseas revenues accounting for a bulk of the respective top-lines of their groups.

 

The two top Indian industrialists are expected to come face to face also at a number of dinners and receptions hosted on the sidelines of WEF summit, including one hosted by Mistry himself on behalf of his group's IT arm TCS and an India Reception by industry body CII.