Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Open

"Asia's Technology Future: Transforming Business"
The Asia Society's 12th Annual Corporate Conference
in Bangalore, India, March 11-13, 2001

Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee will present the opening keynote address at the Asia Society's 12th Annual Corporate Conference in Asia, entitled "Asia's Technology Future: Transforming Business." The conference, which will take place March 11-13, 2001, at the Taj West End Hotel, will explore technology's impact on business and society in Asia. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., a long-time cosponsor of the Asia Society's Annual Corporate Conference in Asia, is a coorganizer again this year along with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Dubbed India's "Silicon Plateau," Bangalore has rapidly gained recognition as a leading technology hub. It is home to over three hundred software companies and one hundred technology multinationals, making it one of the top ten software producing cities in the world.

According to Marshall M. Bouton, Executive Vice President of the Asia Society, "For over forty years, the Asia Society has been committed to educating Americans about India and facilitating dialogue between Indians and Americans. Some of the highlights have been honoring Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Prime Minister Inder K. Gujral at major dinners; the establishment of the Center for India-U.S. Education in 1991; a major symposium on the Indian experience in the U.S., in conjunction with the Festival of India in 1985 and 1986; the exhibition "Gods, Guardians and Lovers: Temple Sculptures from North India" in 1993; and the annual publication of India Briefing, which began in 1987. In 1994 the Society led a study mission to Bombay and New Delhi to examine financial sector reform and in 1997 we held our 7th Annual Corporate Conference in Asia in New Delhi. We are delighted to be convening another Conference in India as Asia is playing a critical role in the digital revolution and Bangalore is at the vanguard of this technology revolution."

The Conference is being organized in cooperation with the Government of Karnataka; the Ministry of Information Technology, Government of India; National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM); The American Chamber of Commerce in India; The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE); and McKinsey & Company.

In addition to Prime Minister Vajpayee, high-level Indian government and business representatives, and prominent executives from Asia's information technology and business sectors, will attend the conference. A keynote address will also be given by Cheow Tong Yeo, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Singapore. Other speakers include S. M. Krishna, Chief Minister, Karnataka, India; N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister, Andra Pradesh, India; Liz Kniss, Mayor of Palo Alto, California, U.S.; Yong Ying-I, CEO, Infocomm Development Authority (IDA), Singapore; Othman Yeop Abdullah, Executive Chairman, Multimedia Development Corporation, Malaysia; Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Chairman and CEO, BPL Communications Ltd.; W. Bowman Cutter, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus, U.S.; James B. Hunt, Jr., former Governor, North Carolina, U.S. and Attorney at Law, Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice; William Janeway, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus, U.S.; Peter Kann, Publisher, Chairman and CEO, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.; Matthew Miau, Chairman, The MITAC Group, Taiwan; Roberto R. Romulo, Chairman, e-ASEAN Taskforce, Philippines; and Tsun-yan Hsieh, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, McKinsey & Company, Singapore. These leaders and others from North America, Europe and Asia whose firms are at the forefront of Asian commerce and new technologies, will participate in Executive Roundtables and Concurrent Sessions.

Participation by some 700 senior executives and officials from Asia and the global business community is expected.

This year, speakers will specifically examine regional and industry trends and business opportunities, profiling new technology centers, technological innovations and their practical applications, technology transfer, human resource issues, finances, government approaches to technology, and recent lessons from global experiences with technology and business. Case studies drawn from several industries and economies will elucidate the latest successful practices across Asia.

American International Group, Inc. is the Lead Corporate Benefactor of the conference. Other supporters include Warburg Pincus; bpl innovision; Ford India Limited; Bank of America; Citibank, N.A.; Goldman Sachs; ICICI Limited; Infosys Technologies Limited; Silverline Technologies Ltd.; Global Internet Ventures; Rediff.com India Limited; Mahindra-British Telecom Ltd.; Satyam Computer Services Ltd.; Cisco Systems; Lucent Technologies; eAsiaFinance.com; and Rabo India Finance Pvt. Ltd. The opening dinner and the luncheon on the first day of the conference will be sponsored by the Government of Karnataka. A gala reception on the second evening of the conference will be sponsored by Taj Group of Hotels. Ariba Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. will host the lunch on the second day of the conference.

In response to the severe earthquake in Gujarat, the Confederation of Indian Industry has established a mechanism to provide relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction to the Bhuj area. During the Conference services will be in place to accept tax free contributions to provide ongoing disaster assistance in 35 villages.

Previous Asia Society Annual Corporate Conferences have been held in Shanghai (2000), Manila (1999), Hong Kong (1998 and 1989), New Delhi (1997), Seoul (1996), Beijing (1995), Singapore (1994), Tokyo (1993), Taipei (1992) and Bali (1991). Together they have attracted over 10,000 business and policy leaders, government officials and media from the Asia Pacific region, the U.S. and Europe.

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the Asia Society is the leading U.S. institution dedicated to fostering public understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. The Society presents a wide variety of educational programs on Asian contemporary affairs and cultures for professional audiences, including business executives, foreign affairs specialists, the media and the general public. The Society's Policy and Business Programs, through
meetings, briefings, study missions and conferences in Asia and throughout the U.S., provide a leading forum for several thousand executives each year to meet the policy makers and business leaders who shape U.S.-Asia commerce. The Asia Society is headquartered in New York City, with Regional Centers in Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and Melbourne, Australia, and Representative Offices in San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai and Manila.

The Asia Society's expanding family of websites includes: www.asiasociety.org for information about the Society; www.askasia.org, a comprehensive website for K-12 Asian and Asian American studies; and www.asiasource.org, the Society's online service for the most up-to-date information and news on everything to do with Asia. Recently the Society also launched www.AsiaBusinessToday.org, for information on U.S.-Asia economic and business affairs, and www.AsiaFood.org, a resource on all aspects of Asian cuisine, as part of its AsiaSource site.

For further information on the conference, the public contact: Bangalore Conference, Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021-5088, U.S.A. Tel: (212) 327-9360; Fax: (212) 517-8555 or -8315; Email: bangalore2001@asiasoc.org or visit the conference website at www.asiasociety.org/conference.

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