The swadeshi government apparently does not believe in serving swadeshi food on trains and airlines. Though both union and state railway minister Nitish Kumar and Ram Naik are open proponents of swadeshi movement, they are yet to implement it in their own houses. This correspondent noticed ketchup, tea bags and dairy whiteners manufactured by a multinational being served to passengers on Shatabdi Express.

Water, water everywhere

40 tonne of steel, that had gone into the making of two huge hangar-type structures on the lawns of the Raj Mahal hotel for the summit, was unable to prevent the rain water from making its way inside the plenary hall during the inaugural session. As water came down in the form of a small cloud burst from gaping holes in the roof, delegates scurried for cover while the CII officials looked on helplessly. Fortunately, the drizzle did not turn into a downpour.

Sticking to his roots

South Africa's minister of posts,communications and information and broadcasting was wearing his Indian roots, literally. Dressed in a Nehru-jacket, Jay Naidu, in his speech, did not give the example of the likes of Bill Gates to invigorate the entrepreneurial spirit of Indian businessmen. Instead, he cited the case of his great grandmother who had left her native place in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu more than 120 years ago to explore the unknown land of South Africa.

Cold comfort

CII has used over 240 tonne of air-conditioning and power equipment at the summit but has once again been foxed by the weather gods. As Jaipur unexpectedly turned cold, delegates braved the weather and turned up in large numbers at key sessions. The delegates may have been more comfortable had CII put in a few more tonne to create a heating sysem in the plenary hall. The absence of both Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and finance minister Yashwant Sinha was the topic of many a debates among the delegates during coffee, lunch and dinner sessions.Some CII officials were seen telling delegates that the Prime Minister may arrive on Saturday, though his trip is as good as impossible, say insiders. Tongues also wagged among the industrialists over whether the government was giving a cold shoulder to CII. Interestingly, the BJP-led coalition government has organised and co-hosted a couple of big events with Ficci.