INDIAis an engine of global growth by virtue of its large population

INDIAis an engine of global growth by virtue of its large population, capabilities and the enormous opportunities it offers, and the world should work towards ensuring the country's growth, said PepsiCo chairperson and chief executive Indra Nooyi in New Delhi on Sunday.      "India is a major player on the world stage and will continue to be so in the next few decades," Ms Nooyi said at the ongoing India Economic Summit.      She also said it was important that the US economy recovered from the current economic crisis and regained its status of the world's growth centre as it is the world's largest consuming country. The US is one of the most resilient countries and it will figure out a way out of this downturn, she said.      "It is in everyone's interest to see that the US continues to be a centre of growth and that the downturn is short-lived," she said.      She said her company was ready for any kind of eventuality, whether its a sharp growth or downturn.      Other honchos also spoke about the resilience of the Indian economy and how the country is emerging as a powerful brand. William D Green, chairman and CEO of Accenture (USA), said India has the opportunity to become a high performance nation.      Summit co-chair and Bharat Forge MD Baba Kalyani said India's growth rate would be 6-7% this year and perhaps reach double digits in the near future. He added that energy, infrastructure, social issues, health and education will be the sectors to focus on. FINGERS CROSSED: Nooyi