Putrajaya, Feb. 6 : Malay Indian and the chairman of the Nam Fatt Corporation Bhd, Ajit Singh, who features in the list of 20 most prominent Indians living abroad, has been appointed as a member of the newly constituted Indian Global Advisory Council, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Indian High Commission released a press statement on Thursday saying that Ajit Singh was picked for his experience as a distinguished diplomat who had served in various positions in Malaysian missions abroad and the Malaysian Foreign Ministry as well as due to his experience as ASEAN's first Secretary-General, The Star reported.

The council chaired by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also includes the country's External Affairs Minister, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister, and senior government officials.

Other overseas Indians in the council are Nobel laureate and economist Dr. Amartya Sen, academicians Jagdish Bhagwati and Lord Bhikhu Chotalal Parekh, parliamentarian Ela Gandhi, industrialists L. N. Mittal and Karan Bilmoria, corporate leaders Indra Nooyi, Vikram Pandit and Rajat Gupta, management guru C. K. Prahlad, former UN under-secretary Shashi Tharoor and prominent scientist and policy-maker Dr. Sam Pitroda.

The High Commission said the council would serve as an institutionalised dialogue mechanism between the diaspora community and the highest levels of the Indian Government.

The press statement said that the council will advise the Indian Government on how to facilitate dynamic engagement between stakeholders in India and the overseas Indian community.

"It will focus specifically on promoting business-to-business partnerships and creating appropriate institutional mechanisms that can leverage knowledge, skills and expertise possessed by overseas Indians for the country's socio-economic development," it said.

The council is also expected to channel the Indian diaspora's efforts in rooting out poverty, and empowering the education and healthcare sectors. (ANI)