WEF co-chairman and chief of Bajaj Auto Rahul Bajaj called for a strong government and a strong prime minister for the country. That is the need of the hour, he asserted at a press conference at the WEF meet."Politically, we have a weak government. We want a strong government and, of course, a strong prime minister", he said in his concluding remarks at the three-day world meet.Elaborating, he said he preferred a one-party government at the Centre. If it was not possible, he would not mind a Congress-led government or a BJP-led government. But certainly not a UF-type government, he added.In an animated speech as is his wont, Bajaj said: "we (in government) know what should be done. But we don't implement it". He remarked alluding to a reference by an earlier speaker that implementation was slow in the country.

Pleading forcefully in favour of reforms, Bajaj said globalisation must go on. At the same, he added, the country must be cautious against situationlike those in South East Asian countries recently. Too much short-term funds should be avoided, he said.

He said the country wanted a strong manufacturing base. For this certain laws needed to be amended.

Partying with a long face

The economic pundits arrived with their dooms' day predictions and the transnationals wore pessimism on their sleeves. Indian corporate chiefs preferred to be non-committal and the mandarins of the ``mantralayas'' (ministries) swore by all the policy decisions taken by three different governments since the economic reforms began.

Everything was as usual at the biggest corporate bash of the year, the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum, except that it was a much bigger bash than it has ever been. The World Economic Forum's India partner, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) estimates that 400 delegates attended the two-day conference this year, compared to roughly 350 last year.

Close to half the delegates were from overseas. There were also moreCEOs listening and taking part in the brainstormings on the Indian economy, than ever before. But ask CII director general, Tarun Das, what the mood was at the summit and he prompts says, ``wary.'' The Southeast Asian crisis (why Southeast Asia ? the global economic downturn) was obviously rubbing off on business everywhere, lending a sombre note to all parleys on pecuniary issues.