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|  | JANUARY 23, 2006
By Manjeet Kripalani Davos Days, Bollywood NightsDetermined to play a starring role at the World Economic Forum, India is getting a hand from prominent business leaders and cultural iconsWhen delegates to the annual World Economic Forum descend on the Alpine resort of Davos in Switzerland on Jan. 25, they'll find a warmer welcome than usual. On arrival at Zurich airport, they'll be greeted by large backlit billboards in blue and white announcing India's participation at the forum and heralding the country's achievements. "India: the world's fastest-growing free-market democracy," proclaims one sign. Others will extol India's growing business prowess (it now boasts 91 companies with revenues of $1 billion-plus), its $500 billion stock market capitalization, and its vast numbers of youthful professionals and consumers. Waiting for visitors at their hotel rooms will be gifts from India -- a pashmina shawl, an Apple (AAPL ) iPod loaded with Indian pop and classical music, a piece of traditional art, some ayurvedic oils -- along with a CD packed with all sorts of economic information about the country. "INDIA EVERYWHERE." The Indians have also lined up enough hot talent to melt the Alpine snows. In the evenings, the bars at several hotels will host India hours, where Indian wine, beer, and snacks -- such as samosas and kebabs -- will be dished up by the famous Indian chef Hemant Oberoi. A highlight of the five-day brain fest will be the gala soiree on Saturday, the conference's closing evening. That's when the contemporary and hip allure of the new India will be showcased in all its boisterous, vibrant glory. There will be dances by Bollywood choreographer Shamak Davar, music by DJ-of-the-moment Aqueel, and songs by oldie-goldie Usha Uthup. Don't forget to pack your Nehru jackets and satin saris, folks -- Indians dress to the nines, and the style and flash of the country's new designers will be on display. India's showy debut at Davos is yet another sign that this newly confident country is ready to strut its stuff on the world stage. Branding and marketing itself hasn't come easily to India, a culture where the preferred path is understated and unspoken. But some of India's most prominent native sons thought the time has come "to raise India's profile in the global community," says Nandan Nilekani, chief executive of $1.5 billion Infosys Technologies (INFY ) and the architect of the $3 million public-private promotional campaign dubbed "India Everywhere." BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL. Certainly, attendees at this year's World Economic Forum can expect to see something of India everywhere, every day. The country has been designated as one of summit's eight subthemes (others include China, innovation, and global employment). Prominent Indian businessman Mukesh Ambani of petrochemicals major Reliance Industries will co-chair the event, along with Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Nestle (NSRGY ). Indian speakers will be featured in 60 of the conference's 300 sessions. To put its best face forward, India has assembled a 115-strong delegation. That's nearly four times the size of the Indian contingent at Davos in 2005 and enormous compared to China's 30 delegates. The lineup this year will include India's Finance and Commerce Ministers (the ministers of top tourist destination such as Rajasthan and Kerala are coming); the rulers of such states as Rajasthan and Kerala, which have become magnets for foreign investment; and some of the country's most succesful businesspeople, including telecom king Sunil Mittal and financier K.V. Kamat. India's intellectuals and "beautiful people" will claim their space, too: Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen will discuss his new book, The Argumentative Indian. Also in attendance will be Pheroza Godrej, art historian, environmentalist, and author of A Zoroastrian Tapestry: Art, Religion and Culture, as well as actress and activist Shabana Azmi. The socialite wives like Parmeshwar Godrej will arrive, as usual, with their minks trailing behind them. Most Indians will converge on the Central Sporthotel in Davos Platz, where they'll take over the bar, as in years past, and sing Bollywood and Beatles numbers late into the night. POWERFUL INFLUENCE. It has been a long journey for India, traveling from the periphery of world affairs to the center of attention. Since 1990, when Indian businesspeople began showing up at Davos, the country's presence had been barely noticeable. In 1992, the year after India liberalized its economy, there was a burst of interest from foreign businessmen, but that waned once the first coalition government with all its contradictions and confusions came to power in 1996. After that, "the interest was little more than polite," recalls Jamshyd Godrej, CEO of Godrej & Boyce, India, and a Davos veteran. India rose to prominence with the tech boom, as the opening of the country's economy gathered pace. India, and the hullabaloo over outsourcing, became a hot topic of discussion at the 2004 Davos meeting. Meanwhile, the country was making its presence felt in other areas. Ajay Khanna, the deputy director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry, the powerful industry body promoting the Indian events at Davos, remembers how Infosys' Nilekani mused to him a year ago: "The Indian economy was doing well. We were becoming the world's back office. Our democracy is robust, yoga is globalized, Bombay Dreams ran on Broadway, Bollywood is hot, and spirituality is all the rage. So why aren't we everywhere at Davos?" SIGN OF HUBRIS? In the geopolitical arena, too, India was commanding new respect. Despite the serious tensions with Pakistan over the years, India demonstrated that it could act as a responsible nuclear power. This new international confidence is also visible in the business sector, with Indian companies starting to make overseas acquisitions. "All our ducks are lined up in a row now," says Nilekani. "India will achieve 8% growth this year as a democracy. Democracy allows free speech, which breeds creativity. Creativity creates a culture that's popular and inclusive." Some see a sign of hubris in India's new swagger. How can the country rightfully lay claim to the status of an emerging superpower when it still faces so many glaring problems, from massive poverty to deficient infrastructure to a huge public-sector deficit? What happens if the boom turns to a bust overnight, as has happened in places like Russia and Brazil? Nilekani brushes aside such concerns: "Yes, it could be an ego trip for India," he says, "but you gotta be heard!" The crowds at Davos will certainly get an earful this year.  Kripalani is BusinessWeek's India bureau chief Edited by Cristina Lindblad
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