HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA
PORT OF SPAIN

Press Release

High Commission of India Business Meet with Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce on the theme “Trade & Investment Opportunities between India and T & T”

The High Commission of India hosted a Business Meet event with the Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce on the theme “Trade and Investment Opportunities between India and T & T” on Friday11th February, 2022 at the Nal Ramsingh Auditorium in Couva.

2. The event was addressed by His Excellency Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, High Commissioner of India to T & T, followed by greetings from Mr. Ramchand Rajbal Maraj on behalf of Hon. Rudranath Indarsingh, Member of Parliament for Couva South. Remarks were given by Mr. Mukesh Ramsingh, President of Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce and Mr. Nal Ramsingh, Former President of the Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce. This was followed by Presentations from Mr. N. Lingi Chetty, Second Secretary, (Commerce), Mr. Azad Singh, Second Secretary (Consular) & Head of Chancery and Mrs. Ramya Ajay, Director of Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation (MGICC). The event also had a short cultural programme by the MGICC artists. Master of Ceremonies for the event was Ms. Anissa Ali.

3. Addressing the gathering, His Excellency Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, High Commissioner of India to Trinidad and Tobago outlined that there are ample opportunities for trade and investment between India and T & T. Mr. Sahu stated that in the recent budget presentations 2022-23, India’s Finance Minister estimated India’s economic growth at 9.2%, to be the highest among all large economies. While 'India’s bilateral trade with the Caribbean region appears not so significant on the face value' he pointed out that the actual volume of India’s exports to the Caribbean could be much higher than what is reflected because of some of the Indian imports getting routed through third countries. The High Commissioner stated that India is one of the largest growing economies globally and has a lot to offer in terms of quality and pricing of commodities and services. He went on to mention a few critical sectors that included Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology-Enabled Services (ITES), infrastructure including low-cost housing, pharmaceuticals and agricultural products, textiles and garments, fashion wear and ethnic wear, automobile and electrical machinery which have the potential for enhanced bilateral trade engagement. His Excellency called upon the Caribbean investors to also look at the new energy, wind and solar, tourism including medical tourism, Ayurveda, traditional medicine and wellness, film, music and entertainment for mutually beneficial engagement with India. He encouraged business persons to apply for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card which can allow them visa free entries into India and other tremendous opportunities that it entails. His Excellency ended with the saying, “Money attracts money” and given the immense growth potential he looks forward for an even stronger trade and investment linkages between two countries.

4. Mr. Ramchand Rajbal Maraj, delivered greetings of the local MP Mr. Rudranath Indarsingh at the event. Mr. Maraj spoke about the many business opportunities available in India owing to its robust economy and called on the local businesses to take advantage of the same. He extended his gratitude to the High Commission of India for organizing this successful business meet to sensitize Couva and environs about Indian business opportunities and his willingness to work with the High Commissioner’s office in fostering closer ties with India.

5. Mr. Mukesh Ramsingh, President of the Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce gave a brief address at the event. Mr. Singh spoke about the growing business opportunities in Couva and how they are managing to sustain the momentum despite challenges faced by the Pandemic. He assured that chamber members are open for business and investments from India and thanked the High Commission for organizing this initiative to inform the business community in Couva of the many business opportunities that India has to offer.

6. Mr. Nal Ramsingh, former President of Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce and of Pro- Sports Brand while giving some interesting remarks at the event spoke highly about India's trade opportunities. Mr. Ramsingh narrated his experiences he had with India and said that "As business persons we can tap into India's market by sourcing goods and services at reasonable prices." He suggested business members to visit India and try engage directly with manufacturers to get products at a very competitive prices. He also mentioned that he would like to engage the High Commissioner to implement visa free services for travel to India so that business persons can do more trade with India.

7. Mr. N. Lingi Chetty, Second Secretary (Commerce) at the High Commission, gave a detailed and informative presentation on India's economic strength and its vastly improved ranking in Ease of doing business. He gave a statistical analysis of trade between India and T & T and mentioned that there is a lot of potential for doing more business with India. He listed ten sectors which were earlier identified by the High Commissioner namely, (i) IT & ITES (ii) Pharmaceuticals, (iii) Agriculture & Agro-Biotechnology, (iv) New Energy (Wind & Solar), (v) Tourism including Medical Tourism, (vi) Textiles and Garments, (vii) Automobiles, (viii) Higher Education, (ix) Ayurveda and Wellness and(x) Films and Entertainment as focus areas for bilateral cooperation. Mr. Chetty also highlighted some of the successful commercial events hosted by the Mission which were geared towards increasing trade and investment opportunities between India and T & T. He mentioned that the commercial department of the Mission would be happy to address any concerns and facilitate anyone who is interested in doing business with India.

8. Mr. Azad Singh, Second Secretary (Consular & Projects) also delivered a presentation on consular services. Mr. Singh spoke of the many options in applying for an Indian VISA through online and the benefits in seeking to apply for an OCI card. He reiterated that anyone who wants to know more about VISA and OCI requirements, are free to contact the consular section of the High Commission of India.

9. Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation, cultural office of the High Commission, Mrs. Ramya Ajay, spoke about the recently newly built complex, Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Co-Operation, which is open to the general public for classes in tabla, dance, vocal, harmonium etc. Mrs. Ajay stated that the facility has hosted many cultural events and will continue to promote Indian culture and offer opportunities for the people in T & T. She also informed about scholarship programmes that are given through the cultural centre sponsored by Government of India. She strongly recommended interested persons to contact the Institute for further information on scholarship programmes, classes and in promoting and fostering Indian Culture in T&T.

10. The event had a vibrant Questions and Answers segment involving H.E. Mr. Arun Kumar Sahu, High Commissioner of India to T & T, Mr. Ramsingh, President of the Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce and the attending business community.

11. The guests at the event were also treated to an enticing dance performance by Ms. Sreeranjini Umesh, ‘Bharatanatyam’ Dance instructor, followed by a vocal recital by Dr. Sadanand Brahmbhatt, vocal teacher at MGICC who was accompanied by Mr. Arshad Khan and Mr. Rana Mohip.

12. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr. Patrick Smith, 2nd Vice President of the Couva/Pt. Lisas Chamber of Commerce.

Port of Spain
12.02.2022

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