Diaspora meet to focus on Bahrain-India trade

A key meeting of the Indian diaspora in Bahrain next week will set the stage for partnership agreements and investment announcements initiated during and after King Hamad's visit to India in February this year, a Bahrain daily reported Thursday.

"The Overseas Diaspora Engagement Meet will specifically focus on sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, health care, medical tourism, real estate and pharmaceuticals," Gulf Daily News quoted Ambassador Mohan Kumar as saying.

The objectives of the meet, to be organised by the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC) Sep 6, "are to acquaint the Indian community in Bahrain and nearby countries with the various investment opportunities in India," Kumar said.

The OIFC is a public-private partnership between overseas Indian affairs ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

The establishment of a regional office of the CII in Bahrain will also be revealed during the meet, the ambassador added.

"Inward investments will also be sought from both the Indian diaspora and Bahraini nationals."

In a statement, the OIFC said it aims to engage overseas Indians, mainly professionals and mid-sized entrepreneurs, and apprise them of the trade and investment opportunities in Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

"The aim is to bring unique economic opportunities to the Indian diaspora and foreign investors," OIFC chief executive Charu Mathur said.

The second such meet is scheduled to be held Oct 16-18 in London to coincide with the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, an Indian government event for non-resident Indians.