Business promotion mission to South India in June

Anjana Samarasinghe

MISSION: The Sri Lanka Chamber of Small Industry SLCSI together with the Department of Commerce and the Deputy High Commission office in Chennai have organised a 20-member business promotion mission to South India in June.

President of the SLCSI, Aloy Jayawardene said the main objective of the mission is to enhance trade between South India and Colombo. India is a vast market place for local products.

There is a good market potential for local products in India. Due to high quality of the local products we can compete with Indian products. Sri Lanka needs to get real benefits from the Indo-Sri Lanka trade agreement.

'During our visit we expect to meet respective counterparts to discuss possibilities of joint ventures. The Chamber has also focused on arranging a representative to promote local products in India. There should be a proper authority to promote Sri Lankan products in India, Jayawardene said.

The delegation will visit ACMEE 2006, an Indian industrial exhibition organised by the Ambattur Industrial Estate Manufactures' Association (AIEMA) and the AIEMA Technology Center.

Three members of the delegation will showcase their products at the event. These participants will showcase steel furniture and electrical panel boards at the event.

Participants from UK, Australia, and Korea will be participating in the exhibition.

The event will be an ideal opportunity to establish joint ventures and provide total guidance for product selections, he said.

The Chamber will enter into an MOU with India-Asean-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Chennai to participate in seminars, fairs, exhibitions and conferences in their respective states to promote contracts and trade relations between two countries.

There will be a joint committee which will discuss and encourage the business and economic community to establish committees and associations in their respective states.

The Chamber will specially focus on promoting rubber products, electrical fittings, kitchen equipment, steel and glass household, timber and steel furniture during the visit.