Some 273 potential investors from 27 countries and nearly 500 industrialists and entrepreneurs from within India led by Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of the Reliance Group, will participate in the first ever Global Investors' Meet that the Kerala government is organising in Kochi on January 18 and 19.

Kerala Chief Minister A K Antony, fresh from his successful bid in convincing Infosys Technologies to invest in the state, is said to be banking hugely on Ambani.

Official sources said that Ambani is expected to announce a slew of projects in oil and infotech fields in Kerala during GIM.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who inaugurates the Meet on Saturday will also announce special investment promotional packages for Kerala. They will include the final clearance for the multi-billion international transshipment terminal at Vallarpadam near Kochi and a host of tourism projects.

In an official statement, the Antony government on Monday claimed that the forthcoming investor meet will be the biggest one any state has organised in the past.

"The Global Investor Meet held in Bangalore by the Karnataka government in the year 2000 was attended by around 1,000 participants. We expect more than 1,500 participants," the statement said.

The largest contingent of delegates to the GIM is coming from the United Arab Emirates -- 54.

The United States follows with 53 delegates, Malaysia with 26 and United Kingdom with 14. Other delegates are from Australia, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, South Africa, Thailand and other Gulf countries.

Ministers and leading industrialists from various Gulf countries, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Germany lead the business delegations from those countries.

To ensure that the investor-meet is held without troubles from the opponents of globalisation, especially in a state like Kerala, the Antony government has invited nearly 1,000 people as special delegates.

They include ex-chief ministers, members of Parliament, leaders of opposition, socio-political leaders, bankers and leading industrialists.