Manama to host Bahrain-India business meet next month

Seeking to enhance two-way investment flows and cross-border business partnerships, India will hold a major conference and exhibition in Bahrain, the Gulf's most progressive and fastest growing financial centre, next month.
"Bahrain's business-friendly environment and the liberal tax structure make it extremely inviting to Indian businesses," Confederation of the Indian Industry (CII) president S Gopalakrishnan said.
The conference, focusing on economic partnership between Bahrain and India, will be organised by CII in Bahrain's capital Manama on October 22-24, he told Bahrain News Agency (BNA).
The delegation's visit and India's participation at such major trade fairs and conferences in Bahrain will greatly augment two-way investment flows and cross-border business partnerships event, said Gopalakrishnan.

The event will be organised under the patronage of Bahrain's Minister for Industry and Commerce Dr Hassan Fakhro.
Pointing out the strategic location of Bahrain as an opportunity for Indian businesses to reach out to key markets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Gopalakrishnan said Bahrain is also the Gulf's most progressive and fastest growing financial centre, a key factor for drawing Indian companies to the Kingdom.

As a key strength, the CII head also commended Bahrain's ranking, ahead of G7 economies like Germany, France and Japan, as well as major emerging economies like India and China on the Index of Economic Freedom.

Referring to an Indian interest in the downstream industry in Bahrain's steel, aluminium, petrochemicals and allied sectors, the CII chief said that a feasibility study would soon be initiated. Much progress is expected in time for the next GCC-India Conference.
"I would also add that CII will facilitate the participation of leading Indian mining, energy and manufacturing companies in the Bahrain-India Economic Partnership Conference and Exhibition which will be held in Bahrain in October of this year," he said.
"These companies will be largely from the steel, aluminium, petrochemicals and allied sectors. Their participation at the exhibition will no doubt induce them to explore investment opportunities in Bahrain. We also expect these exchanges to cement existing and emerging bilateral business partnerships in the said areas," Gopalakrishnan said.

On the areas that CII would focus on with regard to India-Bahrain business ties and with Indian private investments in Bahrain, he said, "We believe Indian companies would benefit immensely from directing significant investments in Bahrain's untapped sectors of mining and minerals, tourism and infrastructure. These investments will also spur trade and investment flows between India and GCC as a whole."
The India visit of the Crown Prince and the First Deputy Premier, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in May 2012 set in motion several India-Bahrain bilateral cooperation endeavours.