China plans to enter agri, pharma sectors in MP

China is getting ready to 'enter' various new areas and sectors as it has begun exploring possibilities in Madhya Pradesh.

The red dragon, which already poses a cut-throat competition to Indian manufacturing companies, is looking at newer areas like agriculture and allied products, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and even railways.

While Madhya Pradesh is looking at the China not only to get an international marketing platform, acquire latest technical know-how and product design skills for its for its rural products.

Madhya Pradesh State Livelihood Forum and India-China Economic and Culture Council discussed on partnering trade and marketing on "Haat of India" platform, which will take shape on 21-23 December this year.

"We are looking into some areas where we can import various products from India like pharmaceuticals, agriculture products, buffalo meat and infrastructure," said Wang Hejun, economic and commercial councellor of China to India said. "Even we are looking at construction of roads and other infrastructure. Also, we will soon explore the power and railway sector," he added.

State commerce and industry minister, Kailash Vijayvergiya and rural development minister Gopal Bhargava, however, insisted upon learning from Chinese entrepreneurs so that state can develop exportable rural products. "We have lot of scope to learn from China so that we can provide a marketing platform to the products made by our rural entrepreneurs at various self-help groups," Bhargava said.

China entered Madhya Pradesh through its construction and mining equipment maker Guangxi LiuGong Machinery Company Ltd (LiuGong), with Rs 150 crore investment at Pithampur near Indore in year 2009 for making earthmoving equipment. China's Jiang Sing Corrugated Machinery Limited had also committed an investment of Rs 50 crore in Pithampur and another firm Xiang Electricals in Mandideep (near Bhopal) for unknown sum in 2009.

At present Madhya Pradesh has a Haat in Bhopal that brings urban market closer to rural products but it is losing sheen. Madhya Pradesh state livelihood project has yet to explore markets for rural products made by self-help groups created under the project.

"We need to provide our rural products proper marketing platform and if we want investment from countries like China we will have to amend our labour laws to a flexible limit," said R Parasuram, outgoing chief secretary of the state. The Chinese Primer Li Keqiang visited India in May this year. In the joint statement published by New Delhi and Beijing both agreed upon enhancing cooperation in the railway sector, including heavy haulage and railway station construction.