In planning this Conference the esteemed President of the Asian Association of Management Organization, Dr. Ram S. Tarneja and othe distinguished organizers have brought to bear upon the Conference their vision of a new Asia and their insights into the global process of economic development. Asia, in the past, gave birth to some of the vital movements in history spanning religion, philosophy and culture, literature and the arts, science and technology, and the science and the art of living. In the age of colonialism most of the countries of Asia went down as subject nations losing their independence, missing out on the industrial recolution that made the nations of the West Advanced and powerful

The liberation of Asia and Africa after the second world war was the historic setting for the present spectacular progress of the Asia Pacific region. In the midst of some of the dizzying economic successes achieved by many countries of the region one should not forget the contributions made by the leaders of our nationalist movements to the freedom and progress of Asia. It the AAMO is to-day discussing the question of management in transition in the Asia Pacific region, it is because of the struggles and scarifies of our leaders and peoples in that period of nationalist revolution..

To-day when we are experiencing a second revolution of profound social and economic significance and discussing the question of continental as well as trans-oceanic co-operation in Asia, we have to recall the vision and the audacity of those who assemble in New Delhi in the Asian Relations Conference in 1947, and in the Asian - African Conference in Bandug in 1955. We should also remember those who formulated the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence which have now been accepted as the basis of international relations. And what about the efforts by Jawaharlal Nehru and others for cessation of the Korean and Indo-China wars, which if continued and escalated, would have plunged Asia and, perhaps, the world into another was dashing to the ground all our hopes of economic and social progress in the region. In 1944 even before India became independent Jawaharlal Nehru, sitting in a British jain, wrote in his book “Discovery of India”: “The Pacific is likely to take the place of the Atlantic in the future as the nerve centre of the World.” He also pleaded for the closest possible co-operation among the nations of Aisa, bot in opposition to any other nations or groups, but in harmony with the interest of all countries and in the context of larger international co-operation. .

It is gratifying that Asia, in spite of all its problems of poverty and population, has today forged ahead in economic development and in the demonstration of its political independence. The development of the Asian “tigers” -- South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore -- is almost a romantic story of economic progress being followed closely by Thailand, Malasia and Indonesia. ASEAN has consolidated itself as a very successful regional grouping. Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) is emerging gradually as a grand over-all regional organization, while the concept of the East Asia Economic Group or Caucus promises to become a significant core economic grouping. SAARC, in spite of tardy progress, contains all the elements of a major economic co-operation system in South Asia. Japan is already an economic super-power, and China, a great political power, is racing towards the status of a new economic giant.

India too by virtue of its variegated infra-structure, built over the years, it abundant man-power skills and natural resources is well on the way to economic success in the present era of liberalisation. Countries of the North and South Pacific are also making remarkable progress and Australia and New Zealand have become important developed partners in regional co-operation. Thus the picture of the Asia-Pacific that is emerging is one of achievements and expectations. Already the countries of the region account for a share of 25% of the GNP of the world as against 4% in 1960. In the 1980’s the value of trade across the Pacific exceeded trans-Atlantic trade, and it is anticipated that in 1990’s trade among the countries on the Asian side of the Pacific Rim will surpass trans-Pacific trade.

When one talks about transition in the Asia-Pacific region, one has to look at the grand effort to organise the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC). It will be a vast sprawling organisation which has yet to acquire both cohesiveness and comprehenciveness. Several important countries of the region are still not included in it. Until recently China was a conspicuous omission. The Chinese Foreign Minister had then remarked that APEC would be incomplete without China. The States of Indo-China and Russia are other missing links in the chain of co-operation. India is not included, though it was one of the most constructive players in the region in the past.

India and SAARC have every right to be in it and would be capable of contributing significantly , to both economic and political developments in the region. India also is a sub-continent which just into the India Ocean which is an enormous extension of the Pacific. It has a coastline of 7500 Kms. Its Exclusive Economic Zone is tow million square kilometres in area. In the Central Indian Ocean it has a mining site of 150,000 sq. Kms. Allocated by the United Nations. It is a member of the Antarctic Treaty system with two permanent stations in that continent. It has a compact navy and sizeable merchant fleet.

It is a sectoral dialogue partner of the ASEAN and has close relations with every country in the region. I should only like to say that APEC would be “incomplete” without South Asia..  It is,  however, encouraging that India and the countries of South Asia are active members of the Asian Association of Management Organisation. Management is the clue to some of the crucial questions of economic development and economic co-operation. As the present stage, to elicit most, out of an advanced industrial infra-structure, sophisticated and rapidly changing technologies, highly skilled professional services and educated man-power a good deal of freedom and new techniques of management are required.

That is a basic retionale behind the opening up and the economic liberalisation that is happening everywhere in the world. What has made this policy generally applicable are the basic affinities in varying degrees with regard to the stage of economic development and the state of technologies in most countries of the region. However, in my opinion, while pushing forward this policy, it is necessary to take into account not only the general applicability but also the specificities of situations in the economy, politics and society. Otherwise it would be like following a dogna in the very progmatic realm of economic development.

As far as Asia Pacific is concerned the question is how the countries of the region with deferent systems of government, economics, cultures and managerial ethos can co-operate together in order to make the region an effective player on the global plane..       There is one factor that is common at the current phase of economic development the world over. It at an earlier phase modernization, today it means largely information technology.

In the industrially advanced world today only 15% of the active population handles a product physically. The other 85% adds value to the product through transfer of technology, management and creativity. There is a significant shift towards a knowledge-based economy. Science and technology and research and development are, therefore, of utmost importance. That is needed not only in respect of high-tech for big industries but applicable technologies for small-scale an cottage industries as well as for agriculture and service industries. For Asia the importance of this latter cannot be over-emphasized. Technologists and managers in Asia have proved to be innovative and remarkable in their entrepreneurial qualities..

A major question in Asia - Pacific co-operation and management is what kind of relationship will emerge among the power-centers of the region, among Japan, China, India, the Asian “tigers”, the economic groupings like ASEAN, East Asia Economic Caucus, APEC and SAARC. It is for the first time in history that number of great or potentially great powers have emerged in Asia, and also economically important countries like the “Tigers” and influential groupings like the ASEAN. In addition as a result of the break-up of the Soviet Union, the newly independent nationals of Central Asia have also entered Asian politics and economic.

There is thus the problem of regulating relations among these large number of countries in the sprawling Asia-Pacific region and of bringing about an essential harmony interests and a basic thrust of commonality. Besides, with the emergence of a few great powers and power centres , one might say, quite objectively, that for the first time some sort of an indigenous balance of power has also emerged in the region. That is indeed a challenge to the higher managerial and diplomatic skills of economic and political leaders of Asia for fashioning a new system of co-existence and co-operation in the region. I believe that one has to go back, for this purpose, to some of the principles of non-alignment and the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence that earlier Asian statesmen had propounded..

It has been said that from the old stage of geo-politics the world has now entered a new phase of geo-economics and that the 21st century will be one of either world economic co-operation or economic warfare among nations. It is also said that the old bi-polar world has become a uni-polar one. It would perhaps be more realistic to say that it is a tri-polar world of the European Community, U.S.A. and Japan. In my view it is really a multi-polar world that has come out of the end of the cold war. Diffusion of power in the world rather than concentration of it in a few nations has been the objective of Asian statesmen in the past. That seems to be still the desirable objective for Asian nations. In this context the Asian-Pacific region will have to establish close and healthy relations with the great powers in the Pacific Rim or beyond in Europe. The U.S.A. is already include in a big way in the Asia-Pacific. Indeed U.S. is a major Pacific power.

Therefore, the management of Asia-Pacific co-operation involves the establishment of proper relations with the rest of the world particularly the great powers in the American and European continents. However in the midst of the economic-growth euphoria in the region we should not forget that there is till poverty, disease and want in the region on a big scale. Unless we have the understanding, empathy and wisdom to address these problems successfully the edifice of economic prosperity that we seek to build will be based on fragile foundations. I am confident that there is sufficient wisdom and ample resources, natural and human in the region to deal with such problems along with the pursuit of regional co-operation in the vast Asia-Pacific. It is also necessary to associate the youth of the region with this process of co-operation. I am, therefore glad that the Asian Management Computer Games were held in Delhi at the time of Conference. These games were held in India for the first time and we are happy about it..

May I wish the delegations of the Conference all success. I have great pleasure in inaugurating the Conference.....

Thank you.