RBI-OECD Workshop: Delivering Financial Literacy: Challenges, Approaches and Instruments

Workshop Information

The RBI-OECD Workshop on Financial Literacy will take place on March 22-23, 2010 in Bengaluru (Bangalore), India. The Workshop is co-organised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with sponsorship of the Japanese government.

Venue
The Workshop will be held at the ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru, India
Address: No.1, Residency Road, Bengaluru 560 001, India

Tel : (91) (80) 22119898
Fax : (91) (80) 22119999
Email : reservations.itcroyalgardenia@itcwelcomgroup.in
Website: http://www.itcwelcomgroup.in/Hotels/itcroyalgardenia.aspx

Registration
Please note that participation is by invitation only. Those invited to participate may kindly fill out the registration form of the event available at: http://www.rbi.org.in/rbioecd/registration.aspx

You may contact, for further registration enquiries:

For OECD invited participants:
Ms. Angelique Servin, OECD, email: angelique.servin@oecd.org
Fax: +33 1 45 24 18 33 and +33 1 44 30 63 08


For RBI invited participants:
Ms. Alpana Killawala, RBI, email: alpanakillawala@rbi.org.in
Fax: +91-22-22660358; and 91-22-22658269

Meals and Social Events
Lunch
Lunch for the participants will be provided on both the days of the Workshop i.e., on March 22 and 23, 2010.

March 23, 2010: Lunch hosted by the OECD.

Dinner
March 21, 2010: Dinner hosted by RBI

March 22, 2010: Dinner hosted by Mr. V.K. Sharma, Executive Director, RBI.

Dress Code
Dress code during the Workshop will be business-casual.

Accommodation and Hotel Booking
We have obtained a negotiated rate with the ITC Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru, where a block booking has been made for registered participants of this Workshop. Some rooms have also been blocked for the Workshop participants at Hotel Chancery Pavilion and Hotel Chancery. Kindly note the deadline for booking in all the hotels and book your accommodation well in advance.

Workshop Venue - Hotel ITC Royal Gardenia
“ITC Royal Gardenia” - Being tagged as a 7 star hotel, ITC Royal Gardenia is situated in the heart of Bengaluru. All the main commercial and leisure hubs of the city are within easy reach of this hotel. The hotel offers 292 large and well equipped rooms, including 13 suites and a Presidential suite.

Second Hotel near the Workshop Venue
“The Chancery Pavilion” - Bengaluru’s new-age 5 star luxury business hotel is situated in the heart of Bengaluru on Residency Road. The Chancery Pavilion is the perfect destination for business travelers, tourists, and professionals. The Chancery Pavilion is also close to Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. The Chancery Pavilion has 234 well-equipped rooms, including dedicated floors for non-smokers and lady travelers.

Third Hotel near the Workshop Venue
“Chancery Hotel” - A 4-Star Deluxe hotel, with 5-Star luxury, “The Chancery” has splendid classic Gothic design, 120 exquisitely furnished rooms, 24-hour service, fabulous restaurants, amenities like special business lounges and a fitness centre.

Reservations at the hotels must be made latest by March 5, 2010. After this date, the group booking made for the Workshop participants will no longer be held and reservations thereafter will be subject to availability.

Neither OECD nor RBI would be responsible for any costs associated with the participants’ hotel rooms. Each participant is responsible for the reservation and payment of his/her hotel room and all incidental charges by his/her personal credit card.

Working Language
The official language of the Workshop is English. The Workshop documentation will be in English.

Passports and Visas for India
Valid passports are required for all participants entering India. Please also note that a visa is required for most nationalities to enter India and it is strongly recommended that participants verify requirements with the embassy/consulate in his/her country.

In order to get updated information on how to get your visa, please refer to your local Indian Consulate which contact you may find on the following link: http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in or www.meaindia.nic.in

Registered participants who require an official invitation letter for visa purposes should contact RBI by sending an email to finlitworkshop2010@rbi.org.in

Bengaluru Airport
Bengaluru Airport meets the standards set by Airports Authority of India, International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Air transport Association.

Internet services: All passenger areas inside the terminal are WiFi enabled.
Medical care: The airport provides a medical centre run by Columbia Asia Hospitals and provides world-class medical assistance in case of an emergency. The medical centre operates 24 hours, 7 days a week. The centre is fully equipped with an emergency room and a pharmacy to meet any emergency.

Contact Details of Bengaluru International Airport Limited
Tel: +91 (80) 6678 2425
Fax: +91 (80) 6678 3366
Email: feedback@bialairport.com
24 hrs General Enquiry & Flight Enquiry - +91 (80) 66782251 / 2255
For any queries on Lost & Found items please mail to Lostndfound@bialairport.com
Visit http://www.bengaluruairport.com/portal/page/portal/BIAL_PageGroup/BIAL_ARR_HOME for further information.

Transport
It is proposed to provide transport facilities for foreign participants from the airport to the hotel on arrival and from the hotel to the airport for departure.

Further Enquiries
For further logistical information or enquiries about this Workshop, please contact:
- Mr. Ashok Narain, email: ashoknarain@rbi.org.in
- Ms. Sabeeta Badkar, email: sabeetabadkar@rbi.org.in

OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

Language : English

Insurance and Medical Cover
The Workshop organisers do not take the responsibility for medical, travel or life insurance, and participants are advised to hold valid international personal insurance policies.

Water and Food: Bottled water recommended.

Malaria/Yellow Fever/Dengue
For the list of countries requiring yellow fever vaccination to get into India, kindly check http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/ (Select "Health Regulations")

Tipping : No specific rules

Electrical Appliances : 220V

Climate
Bengaluru enjoys a relatively mild climate through out the year. Temperature - highest maximum of 33°C to lowest minimum of 8°C

Currency and Exchange Rate
Currency - Rupees (Rs.)(INR)
For latest exchange rates please see:
http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi?Amount=1&From=INR&To=EUR&x=35&y=10

Communications
To make an international call, dial: 00 + country code + area code + telephone number.
To dial into India:
00-91-80-local number (Bengaluru)
00-91-22-local number (Mumbai)

Time Difference
The difference between GMT and IST is +5:30:05 hours. (for country specific details please visit http://time_zone.tripod.com/timezones2.htm or http://www.timeanddate.com/time/

Smoking
Due to legislation, the policy is no smoking in any area of the Workshop. Smoking is, however, allowed on the smoking floors of the hotel.

Tourism - Useful Contacts
Integrated Centre for Tourist Attendance

Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC)
49, 2nd Floor, Khanija Bhavan,
Race Course Road,
Bengaluru 560 001 India
Tel: +91 80 2235 2901
Email: info@karnatakaholidays.net

Karnataka Tourism House
A One-Stop-Shop
No. 8, Papanna Lane, St. Mark's Road,
Bengaluru 560 001 India
Tel: +91 80 4346 4351
Email: kth@karnatakaholidays.net

Badami House
Central Reservation Counter
Opp . Bhruhut Bangalore Mahanagar Palike Office, N.R. Square,
Bengaluru 560 002 India
Tel: +91 80 4334 4334
Fax: 080-4334 4353

(Open on all working days from 10 am to 5 pm.)

General Information about India
India, officially the Republic of India is the seventh-largest country in terms of geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the largest democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, the Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the Himalayas in the north, India is a subcontinent with a 5000-year old history, a civilization representing unity in diversity. India is a republic consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories and one of the fastest growing economies. A pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

Information about Bengaluru
Bengaluru is the state capital of Karnataka in South India. It has pleasant weather througout the year and becasue of it’s lush green cover is known as the “Garden City”". It is a cosmopolitan and multilingual city which welcomes everyone. The city was only known within India till a couple of decades ago and has now found its place in the World Map because of its software industry which has earned it the name “Silicon City”.

Languages
Regional Language: Kannada
Spoken Languages: English, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Urdu.

Details of the Hotels