Distinguished Indian businessman Mr. Vinay Rai and his wife, Dr. Harbeen Arora Rai, will be visiting Côte d’Ivoire from March 29 to 31, 2025, to explore investment opportunities.
The visit to Côte d’Ivoire of one of the world’s richest men, Indian Vinay Rai, who will be accompanied by Dr. Harbeen Rai, a woman of international leadership, was made possible through lobbying by the former Ivorian Minister of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Euphrasie Kouassi Yao.
The former Minister of Women and Children, Ms. Euphrasie Kouassi Yao, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire on Gender, holds the UNESCO Chair in “Water, Women and Decision-Making Power” (CUEFPOD).
On a mission to India in February 2025, where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy by Jharkhand Rai University, she invited the Rais and potential investors to consider
Côte d’Ivoire as a “must” for the development of their activities.
This enthusiasm was sparked by the impact of the Compendium of Women’s Skills of Côte d’Ivoire (COCOFCI), a unique development program, cited as an example worldwide. It facilitates gender exchanges in her country and in Africa.
The Compendium of Women’s Skills of Côte d’Ivoire (COCOFCI) was voted the best African program for the development of women’s skills in 2017 by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Prospects for Cooperation
During her stay in India, Ms. Euphrasie Kouassi Yao met with investors and diplomats, where she took stock of raw materials and extractive resources (oil, gas, mines), including critical minerals found in Côte d’Ivoire.
These major advances, supported by a favorable business environment and macroeconomic stability, are in line with the vision of President Alassane Ouattara, who has successfully positioned Côte d’Ivoire as a benchmark for development in Africa.
The Rais expressed keen interest in the major economic and social advances made by Côte d’Ivoire and are in awe of the country’s abundant potential.
This is what led them to plan this visit. During his stay, Mr. Rai will analyze prospects for cooperation and investment in both the hotel industry and Côte d’Ivoire’s raw material processing industries (cocoa, coffee, cotton, cashew, rubber, etc.).
He will also focus on financing issues in the renewable energy sector, among others, as well as in several other areas of activity. These sectors offer opportunities for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
To this end, several meetings are planned with Ivorian authorities, the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d’Ivoire (CGECI), employers’ organisations, Ivorian economic champions, cooperatives, women’s groups, and civil society organizations.
Viny Rai, Investor and Philanthropist
Considered one of the world’s richest people, Mr. Vinay Rai is an Indian businessman and philanthropist recognised for his commitment to education and the economic empowerment of youth and women through the Rai Foundation, founded in 1996.
Forbes USA ranked him among the 200 richest people in the world in 1999. A graduate in science from the University of Delhi and holder of a master’s degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he began his career as a scientist and engineer before joining the family business, which he transformed into a successful conglomerate. A true messenger and protagonist of India’s rapid emergence as a major power, he co-authored “Think India: The
Rise of the World’s Next Superpower and What It Means for Every American,” published in 2007, which explores India’s emergence on the global stage.
As a captain of industry, Viny Rai has held the Indian flag high, holding leadership positions in various industry associations, including as president of the Cellular Operators Association of India,
the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association, and the Electronics Components Industries Association.
Dr. Rai, an icon of global female leadership
Dr. Harbeen Arora Rai is a global leader committed to women’s empowerment. She is the founding president of the G100 Global Chair, an influential network of women leaders, of which Minister Euphrasie Kouassi Yao is the global chair in charge of First Ladies.
She is also the founder of several global initiatives supporting women’s entrepreneurship and equal opportunity, such as the All Ladies League (ALL), the Women Economic Forum (WEF), and the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WICCI). Her work earned her recognition as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019, alongside figures such as Queen Elizabeth II and Oprah Winfrey.
Holding a PhD from the Sorbonne Nouvelle, University of Paris III, and a degree in economics from the University of Delhi, and a former student of London University and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Dr. Harbeen Arora Rai is a businesswoman with businesses in the energy, healthcare, e-commerce, hospitality, and real estate sectors, among others.
Dr. Harbeen Arora Rai will focus on Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to promote gender equality. The country is the African champion of equal opportunities for men and women, according to the OECD’s SIGI 2023 report, with a significant decline in discrimination against women.
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