India's central bank chairman to address inaugural small business conference

The man responsible for introducing a slew of innovative commercial and inclusive banking measures, resulting in an exponential boost to the Central Bank of India (CBI), Srinivasan Sridhar will officially open Jamaica's inaugural Small Business Conference (SBC).

The event, being staged by the Small Business Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) and the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC) under the theme 'Jamaicans Taking Advantage of Business Opportunities' takes place at the Wyndham Hotel, New Kingston on September 21.

The CARICOM Secretariat is sponsoring the visit of Sridhar, who took over as chairman and managing director of the CBI in March 2009.

He arrives here this weekend.

Laying the foundation

"It is timely that Sridhar has agreed to address small business operators at a forum that will lay the foundation for facilitating dialogue on common issues," said Dalma James, president of the SBAJ.

His comments come in light of the pivotal role the CBI chairman had in boosting his bank's profitability and profile. Most notably, CBI has been appointed the official bank for the Commonwealth Games - 2010 and is also the lead institution in several states for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Sridhar's visit also comes at a time when the SBAJ is seeking to unite the efforts of private sector organisations representing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in lobbying for the creation of a business environment that fosters the growth and development of the sector.

Conference purpose

"The purpose of the conference is to bring together as many of the stakeholders to exchange ideas and to discuss matters affecting their development," said James.

He is convinced that the SBAJ and MIIC could not have selected a more notable speaker to open the event.

Prior to joining CBI, Sridhar was the chairman and managing director of the National Housing Bank (NHB) - India's apex housing finance institution and regulator, a position that he continues to hold as an additional responsibility. As NHB's head, Sridhar was instrumental in introducing innovative concepts like productive and affordable housing, reverse mortgages for senior citizens and India's first housing price index - RESIDEX. Prior to joining NHB, he was executive director and chief operating officer of the Export-Import Bank of India, where he spearheaded the growth of the bank into one of the most profitable financial institutions in India.

Sridhar, who started his career with State Bank of India, the country's largest banking conglomerate, has more than three and a half decades experience in the banking and financial services sector. He is seen as a dynamic and friendly banker. Sridhar is a post-graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

The Small Business Conference, the first of its kind by the SBAJ and the MIIC, is being powered by communications company, Flow. The event is sponsored by Jamaica Air Shuttle, Guardsman Group of Companies and the Jamaica Public Service.