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Omar Abdullah invites SA businessmen to India

Visiting Indian Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Omar Abdullah has invited South African businessmen to India and see for themselves the development that India has made in trade and industry.

Abdullah was addressing over 1,000 leading figures from political, business and professional arena from all over the country at a Gala Indian Evening at Gallagher Estates, north of Johannesburg, Wednesday evening.

Abdullah's address at the function was one of several that started Wednesday morning and will continue Thursday as part of the Made in India Show being hosted in Johannesburg by the Confederation of India Industry.

"Come and see how we have maintained some ancient traditions, but have still made amazing strides. Come and see the India where we still begin even an information technology function with the lighting of a lamp to seek peace, prosperity and success," Abdullah told the audience.

Earlier on Wednesday Abdullah officially inaugurated the Show, and Thursday morning he speaks on India and South Africa as emerging markets at a conference, organised by the African-Asian Society. Abdullah's theme is the challenges and potential for South Africa in the Indian business environment.

"We don't just want to sell goods, but to build on relationships that go back for generations," Abdullah said. "This is the relationship where Mahatma Gandhi made a name for himself in South Africa. It is the relationship that has seen India and South Africa work together to remove the scourge of apartheid from this great land," he added.

Abdullah said he wanted to see relationships being built at grassroots level as India attempted to help relieve "the immense poverty in rural areas."

The Made in India Show has 90 exhibitors from India displaying a huge diversity of wares from IT and industrial equipment to food and pharmaceuticals. But Abdullah said there was also "a very human side that we have brought with us."

SEWA, a women's self-help group from Gujarat, proved to be one of the most popular exhibitors on the opening day of the Show as visitors flocked to buy the handicrafts made by destitute women whose homes were destroyed by the devastating earthquake of January 26..

"When the government approached these women on how they could be assisted, they said they did not want any handouts, but that we should rather help them to stand on their own feet again," Abdullah said.

The Made in India Show continues until Saturday, and a number of seminars on healthcare, medicines, IT, trade and investment partnerships and opportunities for business cooperation have also been organised.

Indo-Asian News Service

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