Sweden-India week to focus on improving business ties

The eighth edition of Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week begins here Sunday, with a series of seminars and debates focusing on "improving business" between the two nations.

The theme of this year's edition is "Sweden Makes in India: Co-creating the Future", and Swedish Ambassador Harald Sandberg told IANS this "fits very well with this idea of innovation and ideas for the future."

"There are currently around 135 Swedish companies in India, employing 1,50,000 people and hundred thousands more indirectly. I believe that improving the ease of doing business will generate further investments from Sweden in India," said Sandberg.

Sandberg also elaborated how Sweden could contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Make in India" campaign.

"This campaign is designed to facilitate investment, innovation and build leading manufacturing infrastructure which goes hand in hand with Swedish know how," he said.

Referring also to the "Swachha Bharat" campaign, Sandberg said: "Clean India campaign aims to mdernise sanitation where genuine Swedish knowledge within waste management and sustainability matches the needs."

Similarly, he pointed out that Swedish companies could contribute with a "holistic and sustainable view" on urban development for "smart cities."

Every year, this annual event showcases the innovations of Sweden and Swedish companies with an aim to further enhance the knowledge of Sweden in India.

This year the event will take place in Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Guwahati and Indore. It will end Nov 1.