UAE India Economic Forum all set to enhance discussions on business and investment opportunities in India

Thursday 12 November 2015

Dubai - MENA Herald: The inaugural UAE India Economic Forum is all set to open its doors to delegates next week (November 16-17 in Dubai) when it will play host to an elite gathering of senior dignitaries, government officials and business leaders including a distinguished panels of speakers who will discuss strategies and solutions to investor challenges in India. The UAE India Economic Forum will be inaugurated by Minister of Finance for India- Mr. Arun Jaitley who will also give the opening address.

Several leading corporates with strong business interests in UAE and India have also endorsed the forum as sponsors and will contribute to the success of the forum with their insights and ideas on leveraging the potential for trade between both nations. These include NMC Group, SBI Bank, IFFCO Group, Barjeel Geojit and Abu Dhabi Ports.

This two-day event will bring together over 200 delegates, consisting mainly of political and business leaders from United Arab Emirates and India. The forum will encourage debate and dialogue on several areas of opportunity such as in Energy (traditional and renewable), infrastructure, financial services and tourism including medical and wellness tourism in addition to prospects in the Indian Digital space.

According to Dr. B. R Shetty, CEO & MD, NMC Group and UAE Exchange, "As India and the UAE deepen and strengthen their already strong bilateral economic, social and cultural ties, there are many new avenues for collaboration between the countries, including innovation in energy, education, healthcare, financial services and other service based industries. Our business across healthcare, financial services and food and beverage have a footprint across both the UAE and India. UAE Exchange, which carries the name of the UAE, is the single largest inward remitter responsible for ten percent of India’s inward remittances. We see a lot of synergies between our UAE and India businesses, and plan to make big investments in both countries in the months ahead."

“The relationship and trust between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) goes beyond political, economic and social factors, “said Vishal Pandit, Group Director, IFFCO Group. “The two economies continue to grow briskly despite a global slowdown. IFFCO Group looks forward to continued investments in both countries, specifically in the area of preservation, value-addition and branding of agricultural commodities and food products. IFFCO Group will leverage its existing distribution network and brands to value-add in food products manufactured from agricultural commodities produced in India."

Mr. Adeeb Ahamed, CEO, Lulu Financial Group who will be a speaker at the forum said, “The UAE India Economic Forum is a great platform for countries to come together and speak on matters that matter, and find concrete solutions that go beyond just pen and paper. UAE is India’s third largest trading partner, valued at around $60 billion, after China and US. It will also be a great opportunity for regional companies to explore the opportunities that India has to offer. I am confident that this forum will help bolster investments on both sides and increase trade as well.”

According to Krishnan Ramachandran, CEO of Barjeel Geojit, “Barjeel Geojit has been pioneering India centric forums and events over the last 15 years and we believe that such initiatives serves to elevate the business and trade prospects between India and UAE. There are many areas of bi-lateral investment collaborations that are possible between the two countries and events such as these serve to solidify the foundations of the trade relations of the two great nations".

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, stressed the importance of sustaining the trade relations between the UAE and India by investing to ensure they remain successful. “Participating in this forum allows us to showcase the integrated service offerings provided by our Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad) and Khalifa Port; providing a platform to welcome Indian businesses to the zone. Our commitment lies in enabling maritime trade business as well as providing a hub for manufacturing and logistics industries. We are keen to support the aspirations of Indian industries to expand their reach through Khalifa Port to the world”.

Apart from the Finance Minister, the event has an impressive line- up of over 25 speakers which include the following:

  • Dr. Jyotsna Suri, President, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
  • H.E. Marwan Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO, Shurooq
  • H.E. Sharief Al Awadhi, CEO, Fujairah FZ
  • Ravi Khanna, CEO of Solar Business at Aditya Birla Group
  • Ashish Chauhan, CEO, Bombay Stock Exchange
  • Adeeb Ahamed CEO, LuLu Exchange
  • Dr. B.R. Shetty, CEO and MD, NMC Group and UAE Exchange
  • Mr. Vivek Nair - Chairman Of Hotel Leela
  • Chirag Shah, Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, DIFC Authority
  • Mohammed Shaal Al Saadi, CEO, Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai
  • Jammu & Kashmir Finance Minister Mr. Haseeb Drabu
  • Professor Abhishek Mishra, Hon'ble Minister in Charge, Government of Uttar Pradesh,

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