Trade Minister opens three-day India Show to explore investment

A three-day trade show to provide a platform for Indian companies to explore investment opportunities and partnerships in Ghana and other West African countries has opened in Accra.

Dubbed the “India Show”, it aims at providing a networking session for Indian firms with key stakeholders and policymakers, captains of industry, financial institutions, technology services providers among others.

The show, an initiative of the Indian Government, is to brand India to the African shores and offer Indian companies the opportunity to showcase themselves and learn about new trade and investment within the African Region.

The event is being organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and would end on July 11.

Addressing the opening session, Ms Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry said the hosting of the show in Ghana was a vote of confidence in the economy and urged the trade delegation to explore the untapped investment opportunities.

She said such fora could build partnerships and provided platform to discuss the growth and development of businesses, especially the diversification of investment.

She said Ghana and India had a long history of friendship and these could be translated into fruitful partnership in meeting the investments goals in infrastructure and services sectors.

Mr. Anand Sharma, Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles of India, said the holding of the show in West Africa was a demonstration of the special place that the sub-region occupied in the heart of India.

“We have come to engage with a clear message that we have come to diversify the engagement,” he said, adding that India was committed to fulfilling its pledges to the African continent.

Mr. Rajinder Bhagat, Indian High Commissioner to Ghana, said India had continued to play a role in Ghana’s drive for development in various sectors of the economy.

He said over the years, India had contributed to Ghana’s human resource development and capacity building through training of personnel under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme.

The High Commissioner said Ghana’s growing profile as an emerging economy provided an opportunity for the business community to invest in that area.

The show includes an India-West Africa Business Forum, exhibition showcasing latest technologies, services and products, Business to Business meetings and cultural extravaganza.

It will focus on agriculture and food processing, information and communication technology, mining and minerals, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and construction, textiles and handicrafts, education, energy and consumer durables.

More than a 200 member Indian delegation are attending the show.**