Dr. Shri Palaniappan Chidambaram has given a number of lectures at both domestic and foreign universities.

On Wednesday 24 October, the NorwegianSchool of Management BI, in collaboration with the Indian embassy in Oslo invited the Indian finance minister to give a lecture. Over 300 people signed up to hear the finance minister give the lecture titled “India’s Emergence as an Economic Power – The Road Travelled and the Way Forward.”

International collaboration

BI chairman Inge K. Hansen welcomed the Indian finance minister. In his welcoming speech, he highlighted BI’s goal of being an internationally oriented management school with a focus on international collaboration. BI has over 700 students from 72 nations at the School of Management in Oslo.

Internationalisation

“It is a sign of recognition for BI that the finance minister wanted to come to BI, and a milestone within BI’s strategy for further internationalisation,” said Inge K. Hansen.

“A good school and a good student will always attract each other,” said Dr. Shri Palaniappan Chidambaram. He rates education extremely highly and he himself has a background as a lawyer and an education from MadrasUniversity and HarvardUniversity.

Increased economic growth

In his lecture about how India has grown into a major economic power, Dr. Shri Palaniappan Chidambaram placed an emphasis on openness.

“The key to growth is openness,” he said. The country has gone through three economic growth phases. Since 1991, India has experienced rapid economic growth. This is due to India’s objective of creating an open economy. Between 1991 and 2000, India’s gross national product increased by an average of 5.7% every year. In 2006-2007 the GNP increased by no less than 9.4%.

Gradual success

Even though it is already possible to see a positive trend, the country still faces many challenges in raising the quality of life for many people. Despite a rapidly growing economy, there are still many children outside the education system, poor healthcare facilities, and a lack of jobs. Dr. Shri Palaniappan Chidambaram emphasised that India’s success so far is only the beginning of a long journey in order to lift the country out of poverty.

Vice-president Bjørn Hennestad closed the lecture. He also spoke warmly about international collaboration and how exchanges are important in order to give each other knowledge and bring about economic growth.