A unique standalone exhibition of Indian products ‘Indiana’ will be held here in March 2017, bringing together about 300 leading manufacturers from the Asian country with an aim to strengthening the trade and economic relations between Qatar and India.
The one-of-a-kind exhibition, which has received the licence from the Qatar Tourism Authority, would be a mix of B2C (business to consumer) and B2B (business to business). It is being organised by the Indian Business and Professionals Network (IBPN) and supported by the Indian embassy as well as other key government departments of both the countries.
An announcement regarding this was made by Indian envoy P Kumaran in the presence of IBPN president K M Varghese.
The four-day exhibition will be held at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre from March 17 with the active support of Square Exhibitions Management. The manufacturers from India come across various verticals ranging from fabrics, to electronics, to fashion, arts, crafts, spices, inventions, properties and engineering technology.
“With its vast resources from oil and gas revenues, Qatar is being transformed into a vibrant and modern state and we are happy that India, with its vast manufacturing base; world-class service industry and state-of-the-art techno-innovations, is a natural partner in its journey” Kumaran said.
Considering that B2C segment is also partaking in the exhibition, which would mean sales from business to consumer and hence the possible involvement of taxes, the Indian envoy said efforts are also to bring in Qatar’s customs department on board.
Moreover, plans are also afoot to have roadshows in India to ensure maximum participation with the help of leading chambers, Kumaran said, adding the embassy is also trying to bring in a ministerial-delegation to inaugurate the event.
Kumaran said trade between Qatar and India stood at $14bn with Qatar’s exports at $13bn and India’s at $1bn.
Quoting Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), he said Indian companies have invested about $450mn in Qatar, creating 2,000 jobs.
Indian companies from across sectors such as infrastructure, banking, insurance, information technology and consulting have been present in Qatar for over several years and among them are Larsen & Toubro, Voltas, Shapoorji Pallonji, ONGC Videsh, TCS, SBI and ICICI Bank.
Kumaran (centre) and Varghese (right) unveil u201cIndianau201d at a press conference in Doha yesterday.
