The S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai and the ESB Business School at Reutlingen University, Germany and their joint initiative, the Centre for European Business Studies (CEBS), organized its Inaugural International Conference on November 26-27, 2010 at Lotus Room, Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. The conference was funded by the European Commission. It was supported by FICCI, Bloomberg UTV and the Council of Indo-EU Chamber of Commerce.

India established diplomatic relations with European Economic Community since 1962. From 2005, Indo EU summit initiatives have culminated in negotiations for an Indo - EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The proposed FTA is expected to be fully WTO compatible covering not only trade in goods and services but also investment and Intellectual Property Rights. The proposed India-EU FTA is of great significance to both India and the EU.

The EU funded Conference aimed to bring together industry professionals and leading academicians, from both India and the EU countries to explore current issues, challenges and opportunities in the proposed India-EU FTA. The objective of the Conference was to debate and discuss the various implications of such an FTA, thereby providing sufficient insights to policy makers, business entities and all other parties involved facilitating the effective implementation of the agreement.

Inauguration

The Conference was inaugurated on 26th November morning by lighting of the lamp by an eminent delegation comprising of Dr. Sesha Iyer, the Director of SPJIMR, Dr. Dennis De, the Director of ESB Business School Reutlingen University, Dr Leopold-Thedore Heldman, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai who was also the key – note speaker, Mr. Peter Young, Counsellor, Head of Trade and Economic Affairs, Delegation of the European Union to India and Dr. Preeta George, Faculty of Economics and the Conference convener at SPJIMR.