Spain To Spend $6.6m On Showcasing Achievements

The Spanish government is spending nearly 1000 million pesetas (about $6.6 million) on Expotecnia 97 , a five-day exposition on Spanish industry and technology to be held in New Delhi from October 1.

Ramon Merce Juste, executive vice president of the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (ICEX) said that apart from the Spanish government, nearly 200 business houses, chambers of commerce and industry will participate in the exhibition.

According to the Spanish ambassador to India Alvaro de Castilla y Bermudez Canete, Spain has, for years, focused on Europe, where it exports 60 per cent of its products, and Latin America. It is only recently that the country has turned towards China, South-East Asia and now India. The last Expotecnia was held in Bangkok.

The exposition will also serve to alter the image of Spain anchored in agricultural and consumer goods. Nearly two thirds of the total exports out of Spain consists of engineering and other capital goods. The sectors being targetted are food processing, machine tools, civil works and construction, electronics and electrical technologies, transport and public works. ICEX foresees about 80 per cent of the exhibitors forging collaborations with an Indian firms at the end of the exposition.