The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), India’s biggest trade association and advocacy group, plans to host a summit in Bahrain soon after activating an agreement signed with the Bahrain India Society, it has emerged.
This was revealed during a Press conference at the Crowne Plaza yesterday where key officials including Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava, Bahrain India Society chairman Abdulrahman Juma, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry second vice-president Mohammed Al Kooheji and Economic Development Board adviser Iain Lindsay shared highlights of the just concluded visit to India by a high-level trade delegation led by Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro.
Some of the concrete deliverables included signing of a memorandum of understanding between Bahrain India Society and the CII; as well as another memorandum of understanding between the SME Development Society of Bahrain with SME Chamber of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
Mr Srivastava said the productive bilateral meetings are expected to lead to a number of concrete business and economic collaboration proposals.
“Overall I am happy to note that our multifaceted bilateral ties have been on upswing in all areas of bilateral co-operation – be it political, defence and security, trade and economic collaboration, culture, education and people to people connect. We achieved record levels of bilateral trade of over $1.65 billion last year.
“This year also in the first 10 months, we have already crossed over $1.7bn. Investments have also shown an increasing trend,” he added.
Noting that as the pandemic period was over, Ambassador Srivastava added that he was looking forward to even greater bilateral interaction and exchanges as well as further deepening and diversification of bilateral co-operation.
The society’s vice-president P S Balasubramanyam shared that CII director general Chandrajit Banerjee has announced plans to form a team of ten industrialists from India and focus on creating an environment for closer industrial and trading collaboration between Bahrain and India.
“He also wanted the BIS to make a similar list of ten industrial/trading houses for closer co-ordination. He said they will also consider to host a summit of the CII in Bahrain. He also assured all help and full support from CII for closer co-operation between the two countries,” he added.
Besides Mr Juma and Mr Al Kooheji, the 62-member Bahraini delegation included Economic Development Board chief executive Khalid Humaidan, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority chief executive Dr Nasser Qaedi and Export Bahrain chief executive Safa AbdulKhaleq.
During the four-day visit Minister Fakhro met India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Narayan Rane.
The minister also held several meetings with government officials and business leaders in New Delhi and Mumbai.
avinash@gdnmedia.bh
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