Rome, Jun 14 (IANS/AKI): Indian author Gurcharan Das will lead a debate in Rome next month on his country and its relations with Italy, inspired by his recent book "India Grows at Night".

Harvard-educated Das will kick off the debate July 1 at Rome's ancient Temple of Hadrian, with a talk entitled "India and Italy grow at night when their governments sleep".

"India Grows at Night" argues that India is being held back by its historically weak governance and that a strong, liberal state that enacts public policies to support private enterprise is what the country needs to reach its full potential.

Another speaker at the Rome debate, Sanjukta Das Gupta, professor of modern Indian history at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' and at the University of Calcutta will offer a historical analysis of relations between Italy and India.

Itala Occhi, former Italian ambassador to India and Bangladesh, will examine India's geopolitical role and its relations with other Asian states.

The debate is being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Indian Embassy in Rome and Rome City Council.