Bangalore, Dec. 1: Indian Institute of Technology alumni from across the globe will gather at Delhi?s Pragati Maidan on Christmas Eve for a two-day conference on IITians: Empowering India.

The conference, to be hosted by PanIIT, an umbrella organisation founded by Infosys Technologies Ltd chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy, will allow 5,000-odd CEOs, bankers, entrepreneurs and journalists who have graduated from the seven IITs to discuss their role in shaping India?s global competitiveness.

The conference and exhibition in Delhi is the third in recent years. The previous ones were held in Bangalore and Silicon Valley in the US. The next event will be organised in Washington DC next April.

Prominent IITians include venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, Infosys Technologies Ltd CEO Nandan Nilekani, McKinsey Ltd CEO Rajat Gupta, banker Victor Menezes, Purple Yogi founder Rakesh Mathur and Sandipan Deb, managing editor of Outlook.

Pawan Kumar, chairman and CEO of vMoksha Technologies Ltd, Bangalore, and chairperson of PanIIT?s executive council, said: ?We will take stock of what IITians have contributed to the nation in the past and try to determine what role we can play in the future. Around 5,000 IITians from around the world are expected to participate in this conference and exhibition. The exhibition will showcase the products and services of IITian entrepreneurs and their contribution to technology, R&D and in visualising a powerful India for the future.?