Moon talks of development goals with India Inc

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Saturday held talks with business leaders in the financial capital on a host of issues relating to furtherance of initiatives under the Millenium Development Goals programme.

Ban, who is on a three-day visit to the country, arrived in Mumbai on Saturday morning and headed for a luncheon meeting.

"In tangible ways, we can use our business acumen to advance progress already underway to ensure healthier, stronger futures for women and children," Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, who is also an MDG advocate, said in a statement before the meeting that was out of bounds for the media.

Other representatives from India Inc, including Arun Nanda from the Mahindras and S Ramadorai from the Tatas, were also seen entering the star hotel where the meet was hosted.

"The private sector is a critical partner in the Every Woman Every Child initiative I launched a year and half ago...Much progress has been made in India, but to meet the Millennium Development Goals and save the lives of 16 million women and children, a collective effort from all sectors is required," Moon was quoted as saying in the statement issued by RIL.

Discussion on market opportunities for Indian companies in scaling up optimal, affordable, and high-quality products and services in the pursuit of MDG was expected to be a key theme for the meet, the statement said.

Specifically, the gathering was to discuss public-private partnership to end child diarrheal fatalities which result in the death of 2.37 lakh kids under 5 years each year at present, the statement said.

Other subjects to be discussed at the meeting include malaria and tuberculosis where Indian pharma companies can benefit, it added.

After the luncheon meeting, Moon went to the Cama Hospital for women and children and the J J Hospital run by the state government, a UN spokesperson said.

Moon is expected to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan at a government guest house after which he will head to south Mumbai's Antilla, Ambani's residence, for a private reception hosted by the country's richest man where personalities from the world of sports and entertainment would be present, the UN spokesperson said.

The Secretary General is expected to fly to Myanmar in the early hours on Sunday, he added.