International Trade Conclave.

About 6th Annual International Business Conclave (IBC 2018)

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), a Deemed University, is a premier research and training institution in India. Established in 1963 under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, IIFT focuses on capability development in the field of international trade. It offers post-graduate courses from its campuses in New Delhi and Kolkata in India, and Dar-es-Salam in Tanzania. 

Singapore Business Federation (SBF) is the apex business chamber championing the interests of Singapore business community in the areas of trade, investment and industrial relations. It represents 28,500 companies, as well as key local and foreign business chambers. 

IIFT Alumni Association Singapore (IIFTAAS) is a Singapore-registered society with more than 100 Singapore-based IIFT alumni as its members. IIFTAAS organises several formal and informal events each year as platforms for knowledge-sharing and professional networking. One of its largest events is the IIFT International Business Conclave which focuses on discussions on emerging trends and developments related to global trade. 

The series of successful international conclaves from 2013-2016 leveraged the growth of trade and investment relations between India and UAE to understand the perspective of the corporate leaders on trade and investment.

Steven Cochrane	Dr. Manoj Pant	Augustine Anthuvan	Deborah Elms
Mr. K. V. Rao	Wong Chian Voen	Sanjay Mathur

The ongoing trade war between US and China has resulted in uncertainties in several markets. Further intensification of reciprocal measures, including raising of tariff and non-tariff barriers, is likely to increase volatilities, disturb and disrupt established integrated supply chains, and bring down business confidence levels. Several countries in South East and South Asia that supply raw materials and assemblies to either China or US, or both, are likely to be impacted. All major sectors – Commodities, Manufacturing, Services and Infrastructure Development – may face major challenges. Governments, businesses and individuals will need to react quickly to adapt to the new paradigms of business world. 

Such a period of uncertainty and disruption is bound to throw up promising opportunities to both existing and new businesses in South East and South Asia. Major structural changes, new regulatory frameworks, intense competition and alternative business models coupled with rapid technological advancements will enable new partnerships, collaborative ventures and innovative entrepreneurs to carve out a space for themselves in the new era of regional and global business. 

The Conclave facilitated discussions with and amongst thought-leaders, industry captains, academics and professionals from various business sectors on the challenges created by an intensified US-China Trade War, and the huge potential for new business opportunities that came up as a result.

International Business Conclave , 2017

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade’s 5th Annual International Business Conclave (IBC 2017) was jointly organised by Indian Institute of Foreign Trade and IIFT Alumni Association, Singapore on 29th September 2017 at NTUC Center, One Marina Boulevard, Singapore. It provided a platform for professionals from the industry and esteemed international organisations to put forward their perspective on current topics. The theme for the conclave this year was, "Disruptors of Global Business Landscape - Politics, business and Technology".

IBC-2017 Speakers

The following speakers graced the event with their presence.

• K. V. Rao - Resident Director, Tata Sons Ltd.
• Prasenjit Basu - Founder and Chief Economist, REAL-Economics.com
• Sid Haralalka, Accenture EDB Center
• Manpreet Singh - Senior Consultant, IBM Watson Solutions

International Conclave 2016

The Conclave in 2016 was hosted by IIFT on 24th September, 2016 in Dubai. It was inaugurated by Anurag Bhushan, Consul-General of India in Dubai. Ajay Mathur, CEO of ETA commodities and head of the Dubai Chapter of IIFT was one of the chief guests at the event. The panel discussion that followed the inaugural session was attended by more than a hundred delegates from wide ranging fields like trading, shipping, banking and consulting.

Coordinators