Hundreds of Indian American and NRI professionals attended fifth annual world conference Organized by the World Hindu Economic Forum in the Grand Ballroom of central Orange County’s Hotel Irvine from November 18-20 to discuss ways to improve market access in India and help the nation sustain its path as a growing global player.

“With a larger part of Hindu population being youth, there is an inherent potential that is waiting to be unlocked,” Swami Vigyananand said in a statement, published for WHEF attendees. “WHEF is therefore an effort to create that platform which will trigger this creation of surplus wealth by effectively utilizing the available potential.”

He added the forum — the 5th Global Business Leaders Conference — and its annual meetings serve as a catalyst to facilitate greater market access through global collaboration and cooperation.

The World Hindu Economic Forum (WHEF) brings together financially successful elements within Hindu society such as traders, bankers, technocrats, investors, industrialists, business persons, professionals, along with economists and thinkers, so that each group can share their business knowledge, experience, expertise and resources with their fellow brethren. We encourage, support and mentor budding Hindu entrepreneurs. The end goal is to generate surplus wealth and make society prosperous.

Today, while some economies are passing through a turbulent phase, many emerging economies are providing us great opportunities. The issue is how to leverage the global situation for collective growth. Hindus should cooperate and collaborate globally so that market access is facilitated amongst them. We need to create market access across geographic zones and countries, spreading from Auckland to Alaska and Oslo to Johannesburg, cutting across the entire globe. Similar cooperation can be envisaged in the area of capital, enabling availability of appropriately priced capital. Also, technologically savvy Hindus should be matched with those who can convert technical innovation into business with ideas, funds and market access.

WHEF chairman Agarwal shared his perspective on businesses and the roles people play in companies around the world, saying, “It is time for us to remove barriers and show all are equal and every role being played by individuals is equally important. Can we take a place today that we will practice equality in our minds and our actions? […] Make money with 100 hands and share with 1000 hands.”

WHEF 2017 will be held in Nairobi, Kenya. The forum was previously held in Hong Kong, Bangkok, New Delhi and London.