A virtual networking session with India’s ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal, hosted by the Indian Business & Professionals Council (IBPC) Qatar yesterday, highlighted the various opportunities to enhance Qatar-India ties in different sectors.
In his opening speech, IBPC Qatar president Azim Abbas said the virtual event is part of the council’s initiative to promote trade between Qatar and India by hosting prominent speakers from Qatar-based Indian professionals to share their perspectives on business and industry challenges.
Other speakers in the virtual session included T Angeline Premalatha of the Indian embassy in Qatar; Dr Mohamed Althaf, director, LuLu Hypermarket, Qatar; Vashu Mulchandani, general manager, Al Maya Group; Dhanapal Anthony, country head, Larsen & Toubro Qatar; Subrato Mukherjee, executive manager, Qatar Design Consortium; Deepak David, vice president and regional head, Tech Mahindra; Shafeek Kabeer, founder and CEO, Azym Technologies; Suresh Ramanunjan, regional director, Emerson; Rony Paul, CEO, Petro-Q; Dr Mohan Thomas, chairman, Thomas Health Centre, and Cochin Medical City Tourism; Dr Munir Ali Ibrahim, general manager, Naseem Al Rabeeh Medical Centre, Doha; Hassan Chougule, president, DPS-MIS; Abdulrehman E P, managing director, Care and Cure; and Hemal Salot, general manager, Vijay Arabia Fire and Security Systems.
“The speakers’ perspectives in a wide range of sectors would help the ambassador understand the pros and cons, and in taking up these topics with the governments of India and Qatar, he said.
“I urge the ambassador to improve the presence of the IBPC in Qatar Chamber and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, so that we could interact better and create awareness of Indian products and Indian companies in Qatar,” he said. Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, in his speech, urged the IBPC “to take the lead” in presenting opportunities that the Indian business community could offer to its Qatari counterparts to boost trade and investment ties between Qatar and India.
Mittal also expressed optimism in the IBPC’s capability to serve as a repository of information to assist businesses and companies in Qatar seeking to learn more about the Indian economy and its investment climate.
According to Abbas, Qatar-India trade has “exceeded $12.33bn” in 2018-2019. India imported goods worth “$10.72bn” from Qatar, while Qatar imported goods worth “$1.5bn” from India, he said.
“As Qatar’s total import in 2019 stood at $30bn, we believe that there is great potential in Qatar’s consumer market and the import figures from India could also improve,” Abbas pointed out.
Abbas also spoke on the impact of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on Qatar and the global economy, and how India could utilise the pandemic as an opportunity to create jobs and promote Indian products in the international market, particularly in Qatar.
“The rapid outbreak of the pandemic presents an alarming health crisis that the world is grappling with. In addition to the human impact, there is also significant commercial impact being felt not only in Qatar but globally.
“With the repatriation of many Indian skilled workers and professionals due to the ongoing pandemic, it becomes our responsibility in Qatar to create more jobs in India by importing and marketing more Indian products, and at the same time, making our presence felt in a bigger way,” Abbas said.
He added: “The IBPC is planning, in association with CII, to have a webinar on Prime Narendra Minister Modi’s pilot project, which would be a win-win situation for India and investors in Qatar. IBPC looks forward to work closely under the able guidance of ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal for the growth of Qatar-India trade and investments on bilateral business.”
Business / Business
Indian business group underscores ‘great potential’ of Qatar’s consumer market
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