GHANA TO HOST 2012 CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ‘INDIA-SHOW

A three-day Conference and exhibition of the 'India Show' is under the theme: Showcasing India in the 21st Century”. countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo along with Cameroun, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, Sao Tome etc.

The 2012 'India Show' which was schedule to take place at Ghana international trade fair will focus on the entire West African sub-region which constitutes the Republic of Congo.

More than 110 Indian delegates and exhibitors from sectors like agriculture and allied services, construction, consumer durables, health care and pharmaceuticals, information technology, infrastructure (power supplying companies, roads and railways infrastructure), logistics, minerals and mining, oil and gas, science & technology, and textiles, among others, are expected to participate in the upcoming event.

Meanwhile the show was powered by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)—the apex Chamber of Commerce in India—with support from the Indian Ministry of Commerce & Industry in partnership with ECOWAS countries and counterpart Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

In a news conference in Accra, yesterday, to kick-start the show, Mr. Wilson Attah Krofah, a representative from the ECOWAS private sector, said the 'India Show' promised to be the perfect opportunity and platform for African businessmen and institutions to seek partnerships for trade, joint ventures, technology transfer and investment with their Indian counterparts.

Mr Krofah explained that the event aimed at creating awareness about the best of Indian technologies and products; exploring opportunities offered by the West African region; and facilitating Indian investment into the West African region.

Stressing that the show will also created platform for business to be dialogue and to increasing trade exports between India and West African countries; enhancing the trade of Indian companies with West African countries; and strengthening co-operation ties between the two partners in existing and new areas of mutual interest.

Mr Krofah noted that the unfolding of a new economic global landscape, with a focus on strengthening South-South synergies, West Africa— with all its strong economic fundamentals and constituting 18.25 per cent of Africa's total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 30 per cent of its total population— held a great promise for the future sub-region.

In his remarks, the Indian High Commissioner in Ghana, H.E. Mr Rajinder Bhagat reiterated the fact that the India was the second largest trade partner of West Africa in value terms amongst the five sub-regions of Africa.

H.E. Mr Bhagat said India's trade with Africa had risen from US$25 billion in 2006/2007 to US$53.3 billion in 2010/2011 due to a rise in both exports to, and imports from, the Africa region.

He said India's exports to Africa had also risen from US$10.3 billion in 2006/2007 to US$20.9 billion in 2020/2011, primarily due to an increase in exports of transport equipment and petroleum products to Africa.