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Phew! Is India on course to becoming one of world’s leading powers? Or is India too slow to catch up with other major powers to be able to match up with other leading countries to ever match them in the near future? The world’s strongest economy i.e. the U.S. has dark and ominous clouds hanging over Wall street and the world is awaiting a government bailout, the markets of most other developed countries are in no better shape , real estate prices are weakening and the bull run in most commodities are stifled-Dark clouds hover over most of the countries of the world but Indian finance minister proclaims that its country will be growing at a healthy 8% or if not more. Who are the drivers for these healthy proclamations? Who instill such healthy confidence for the otherwise bleak times ahead……Those Daring Indians…those…. In this column I will talk about four of them;

Mr Kamal Nath the controversial commerce and industries minister has represented India’s interests with certain missionary zeal. The way he manages a packed schedule and travels across the globe to seek FDI, negotiates commercial and trade deals all across the world with such élan leaves nothing for imagination. He has concluded a free trade agreement with ASEAN, a comprehensive economic co operation agreement with Singapore, resisted pressure from the U.S. and EU at the WTO, instrumental in efforts to get Tata group to takeover Corus in spite of stiff resistance, similarly backing L.N. Mittal when the Arcelor deal was opposed by some European Governments. At home too Kamal Nath pursues his responsibilities with zest as he has managed to make the SEZ’s a reality despite resistance. The introduction of Products patents is seen as another feather in his cap.

E. SREEDHARAN 76 started his career as a lecturer in civil engineering .As a deputy chief engineer Mr Sreedharan was in charge of investigation, planning And design of India’s first Metro Railway project in Kolkata. On retirement from the Railways in June 1990, he joined Konkan Railways as India’s largest railway project as CMD and completed in record time of seven years. His role in the execution of the Delhi Metro is almost a textbook case study for any urban planner. He proved that tight cost controls and innovative revenue models of leasing out additional space to retailers turned out to be a big source of revenue for the corporation. Mr Sreedharan has exploded several myths not only in infrastructure development sector but also in proving that a state run organization like the Delhi Metro can make an operating profit from its very first year of operation. Mr Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India referred him as “a Role model for India”