ADB President Visiting India Ahead of Annual Meeting in Hyderabad

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda is this week visiting India where he will meet with senior officials and review preparations for ADB's forthcoming 39th Annual Meeting in Hyderabad.

The Annual Meeting of ADB's Board of Governors takes place 3-6 May at the new Hyderabad International Convention Center - India's largest. The capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad is a city rich in history and culture located in the country's fastest growing high-tech corridor. The event is expected to attract 2,000-3,000 government leaders, representatives of civil society groups and the private sector, and journalists from around the world.

On his official visit from 9 to 11 March, Mr. Kuroda will view the convention center and meet with senior officials in both Hyderabad and New Delhi. In Hyderabad he will also speak at the Administrative Staff College of India and in New Delhi, he will host a press conference and speak at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Annual meetings are statutory occasions for the Governors of ADB members to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial, and operational directions. ADB previously held an Annual Meeting in New Delhi in 1990.

Among the issues expected to figure prominently at this year's Annual Meeting are ADB's medium term strategy, global imbalances affecting Asia, India's - and South Asia's - role in a region that is rapidly integrating, and the country's massive infrastructure needs.

The Annual Meeting includes a seminar series tackling such themes as Knowledge-Based Economies in the 21st Century, Transforming Asian Economies with E-Services, Asian Economic Integration, Infrastructure, and Sustainable Energy Development.

India, a founder member of ADB, is ADB's fourth biggest shareholder overall (behind Japan and the United States, and the People's Republic of China). ADB total lending assistance to end-2005 for India amounts to about $15.4 billion, while about $115.8 million was provided for TA grants.

According to the latest India Country Strategy and Program Update, ADB plans to scale up lending levels to India from an average of around $1.24 billion in recent years to around $2.65 billion by 2008.

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