The Embassy of India, in partnership with the Sweden-India Business Council, organized the ‘Energy and Smart Cities in India Day’ in Stockholm at Sheraton Hotel on 24 March 2017 to encourage Swedish companies to set up collaborations in India and to promote expansion in Swedish investments there. The day-long business event attracted over 130 participants, among others, from Swedish Government, trade agencies and corporates. 

Ambassador Monika Kapil Mohta opened the event with her welcome remarks, highlighting India as a world economic power, a destination full of excellent opportunities for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) under ‘Make in India’ and other flagship programmes recently launched by the Prime Minister of India, ease of doing business, and steady progress in India-Swedish trade and economic relations and need for expansion. Swedish Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy, H.E. Mr. Ibrahim Baylan, gave a keynote address, justifying India-Sweden partnership as a ‘perfect match’. He said that India’s ambitious goal of providing energy to additional 300-400 million people in all corners of India in the next couple of years is quite achievable. He was impressed with the economic progress made in India in the last few years. While he committed Swedish support in India’s mission to meet its energy needs in a timely manner, he emphasized on befitting long-term policies and regulations in India for sustainable collaborations between Indian and Swedish stakeholders. Other speakers in the forenoon session included: Ms. Suja Chandy, Vice President, Invest India, who spoke on ‘Investing in India’; Mr. Rajendra Iyer, Group Vice President, Business Strategy, Power Grids Division, ABB, who highlighted ABB’s success story of working in India in the energy sector for several decades. 

The event was conducted in two segments with panel discussions followed by Q&A. 

The first segment was held on ‘Energy for Smart Cities in India’ to highlight opportunities in the energy sector in India, with the following panellists – Ms. Rebecka Andreasson, Business Development Executive, Metrum Sweden AB; Mr. Rajendra Iyer, Group Vice President, Business Strategy, Power Grids Division, ABB; Mr. Andreas Molin, CEO, PPAM; Mr. Staffan Ahl, Director, Swed Partnership, Swedfund; and Mr. Ludvig Lindström, Senior Advisor, Swedish Energy Agency. 

The second segment on ‘Enabling Smart City Business in India’, aimed at the development of Smart Cities in India. Main speakers at the second segment were Mr. Håkan Agnevall, President, Volvo Bus Corporation and Co-Chair for Smart Cities in India-Sweden Business Leaders’ Roundtable; Mr. Allan Larsson, Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission, Initiator of the Hammarby Sjostad 2020 (a Smart City project) and former Swedish Finance Minister; and Ms. Lisa Tullus, Business Sweden, New Delhi. The panel discussion in this segment included the following panellists – Mr. Jennie Cato, Head of Products and Markets, Teknikföretagen (Smart Cities Sweden, India Chapter); Mr. Narayanan Thiruvengadathan, Director and Manufacturing and Logistics Leader, Larsen & Toubro Nordic Region; Mr. Mikael Kullman, MD, Delling Energy; Mr. Allan Larsson, former Swedish Finance Minister; Mr. Will Sibia, Sustainable Development Director, Sweco; and Mr. Bo Jerlström, Advisor to the Association of Swedish Engineering Industries and former Swedish Ambassador. 

The event was moderated by Mr. Bo Normark, Senior Advisor, Ryal Academy of Engineering Sciences and Swedish Energy Agency, in the first segment, and Mr. Robin Sukhia, Secretary-General, Sweden India Business Council (SIBC), in the second segment. Mr. Sanjoo Malhotra, CEO, India Unlimited, a platform created by the Indian Embassy to promote Indian business and culture, gave a glimpse of upcoming events to mark India@70 – a ‘Mega Business Event on Make in India’ in Autumn 2017, a Curtain Raiser Business Event on 17 August 2017 on the sidelines of the Stockholm Cultural Festival from 15-19 August 2017 with India as the main theme. 

Mr. Håkan Kingstedt, Chairman, SIBC, gave the concluding remarks. 

Indian cuisine was served during the break between the two segments of the event. 

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Stockholm, 24 March 2017