The Chandigarh chapter of the PHD Chamber recently organised an interactive session of industrialists in Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Nothing unusual about the interactive event by UKTI with industrialists, which is a regular feature, except the event was held in Baddi. UKTI maintained the session at Baddi was their first session in the industrial town of Himachal Pradesh.
UKTI is a British government organisation that helps UK based companies identify new markets and also assists Indian companies to bring their high quality investment in the UK. Currently UKTI has a network of nine offices across India.
Prior to Baddi, UKTI had organised similar session in places like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Kanpur and Lucknow. Similarly, Australian Trade Commission last year organised a seminar with industrialists in Ludhiana, their first seminar in Ludhiana.
The Australian trade commission better known as ‘Austrade’ facilitates inward and outward trade to Australia.
The interest being generated by trade and investment agencies in the smaller cities essentially comprising of Tier-II and -III cities goes on to reflect how industrialisation is spreading fast across nook and corner of the country.
United Kingdom Indian Business Council (UKBIC) in a survey conducted last year had identified 13 emerging cities across India. In order to catch the business at a young stage, UKTI is focusing on new smaller cities which would be critical for expanding trade and investment ties in the coming years.
Austrade Business Development (Chandigarh) Manager Ankur Bhatia maintained, each and every city offers new opportunity and the agency was just trying to identify the new opportunities available, which could possibly offer new vistas to companies back home.
Trade and Investment (India) new South Wales government Business office Director Rohit Manchanda maintained the smaller cities had enormous trade potential and trade council by penetrating deeper and was looking at the opportunity for business with these cities.
