Grab the moment, it146;s not going to last forever!

The jury is undoubtedly out on whether the World Economic Forum8217;s WEF Annual Meet 2006 has delivered on its promise of finding creati...

The jury is undoubtedly out on whether the World Economic Forum8217;s WEF Annual Meet 2006 has delivered on its promise of finding creative answers to the major issues and challenges before the world. That was only to be expected. Answers to such issues cannot be found in five days, even with the best and brightest of brains chipping in.

But there8217;s no doubt that the 8216;India Everywhere8217; campaign seems to have delivered. Whether at the breakfast meeting on Saturday that saw the 8216;dream team8217;8212; finance minister P Chidambaram, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and the Confederation of Indian Industry CII president Yogi Deveshwar 8212; confidently field questions from an audience comprising more than 50 CEOs and senior members of the international press or at the jam-packed Indian soiree on the penultimate day of the Annual Meet, the signs were unmistakable.

There is a new awareness of India and of the global Indian entrepreneur; an eagerness to know more, a thirst to get to the country and participate in its growth story that is palpable. Whether it is simply a case of China fatigue is hard to tell, but as a veteran delegate to Davos put it, unlike in the past, when the stories one heard were of the frustrations of doing business in India, this time round one heard of how India gave international corporates a fair chance.

Yes, there are bureaucratic hurdles, there is corruption and the state of the country8217;s infrastructure leaves much to be desired. But at the end of it all, there is a confidence that here is country that gives you your due, that doesn8217;t take arbitrary decisions and best of all, no major player can afford not to be there.

For the moment, then, there is a buzz about India. But as another veteran delegate put it, the WEF is about creating a buzz. In the past the buzz has been about Japan, the SE Asian economies, China; and now to China and India. But if it is to translate into something more concrete and not become mere static, we need to do more. We need to grasp this fleeting moment and get our act together, put the right policies in place and crystalize this interest before it becomes another missed opportunity.