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Goa showcases business potential at Dubai Expo

A glimpse from the Gala Dinner hosted by Government of Goa at Expo 2020 Dubai

The state pitched for investment opportunities in Tourism & Hospitality, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, Agro-based and Food Processing Industries., reports Asian Lite News

The Goa Week at India Pavilion, EXPO2020 Dubai concluded on Thursday. Inaugurated on 14th January by J. Ashok Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister, Sports & Youth Affairs, Tourism, Industries Trade & Commerce, Handicrafts Textile & Coir, Government of Goa and Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General of India at EXPO2020, the state has successfully highlighted its business potential across sectors such as Tourism & Hospitality, Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology, Agro-based and Food Processing Industries.

Dr Puri also presided over other key events of the state.

The delegation, led by J. Ashok Kumar held various business meetings with global investors showcasing the investment-friendly policies and the availability of skilled labour in the state.

Talking about Goa’s participation at EXPO2020 Dubai, J. Ashok Kumar, said, “The state’s participation at the Expo 2020 was a great success. The Goa delegation had the opportunity to visit several other country pavilions as well as meet with key investors of the region. We look forward to building upon the relationships that we were able to establish in this brief time and host interested investors in Goa soon. My special congratulations to team India for their hard work.”

Mr. J Ashok Kumar, Secretary, Industries & Tourism, Government of Goa with Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Secretary – Revenue, IT, Labour & Employment and Ms. Swetika Sachan, CEO, Goa-IPB and Mr. Gavin Dias, General Manager, Goa Tourism Board at the inauguration of Goa Week at India Pavilion, EXPO2020 Dubai

The Goa delegation also met with Indian Business & Professional Council (IBPC) that resulted in a potential for investment collaboration with the state. The meeting was attended by J. Ashok Kumar, Secretary to Chief Minister, Sports & Youth Affairs, Tourism, Industries Trade & Commerce, Handicrafts Textile & Coir, Sanjay Kumar, Secretary – Revenue, Information Technology, Labour & Employment and Smt. Swetika Sachan, Director, Directorate of Industries, Government of Goa, at the India Pavilion Dubai EXPO2020, Dilip Sinha, Secretary-General, IBPC along with other distinguished members of IBPC.

Sanjay Kumar, Secretary – Revenue, Information Technology, Labour & Employment said, “The Expo is a marvellous exhibition of the technologies of not only today but also the future. Through our interactions with other delegates, investors, and innovators, we see the endless opportunities and will strive to implement their suggestions back home in the short term, while planning for the long term.”

Swetika Sachan, CEO, Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board said, “The Dubai Expo 2020 has become a great place for countries to come together and pave the way for innovation and advancement. The state of Goa participated to showcase its business potential in the fields of Tourism, Financial Service, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotechnology to global investors. We actively engaged with the business community of Dubai to strengthen our ties and reassured them of our commitment towards ease of doing business. Personally, I am excited about the investment opportunities that will make a difference in the lives of the people of Goa.”

Besides the focus sectors, the state of Goa also showcased its prowess in the start-up segment. Goa is the first state in India to have two consecutive start-up policies with a supportive ecosystem. It is also one of the most preferred destinations for start-ups across industries. The IT Policy 2017 and Start-up Policy 2021 offer attractive incentive packages to the budding start-ups in the state.

Trivikram Dhol Tasha’s performance at the India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai marking the conclusion of Goa Week.

Goa is the smallest state in the country with a rich heritage, serene atmosphere and well-developed infrastructure. Goa’s economic growth is driven by the strong performance of its industrial sectors such as tourism, fishing, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

Tourism is the backbone of the state’s economy, with 40% of the population directly or indirectly dependent on it. The state has recently framed a new tourism policy to offer a uniquely Goan experience to visitors by presenting a versatile concoction of historic, natural, ethnic, cultural locations and attractions. Besides Tourism, the state is also expanding its presence in sectors such as Light Engineering and R&D, Aviation and Technology.

READ MORE: Goa: Incentives for investors

READ MORE: Goa invites global investors

ALSO READ: Indian startups impress global investors at Dubai Expo

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Indian startups impress global investors at Dubai Expo

A glimpse from Elevate VII- the pitching session

Sixteen start-ups pitched innovative ideas to global investors as part of the India Innovation Hub, reports Asian Lite News

Sixteen start-ups showcased their entrepreneurial spirit and pitched innovative ideas and scalable business solutions to investors from the UAE and the world over at the seventh edition of the ‘Elevate’ pitching series held recently.

Among the sixteen participants, six start-ups were from India, while nine were based out of the UAE and one was from the Netherlands. The Founders and Co-Founders of these start-ups presented their scalable business ideas to the investors highlighting solutions across sectors such as Technology, Health-tech, Agri-tech & Food Processing, Vocational Skills, Sustainable Energy Storage, Fintech and Edutech, among others.

‘Elevate’ series is a key initiative of the India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai that aims to display unconventional solutions created by 500 Indian start-ups over five months under the India Innovation Hub umbrella and is supported by HSBC.

Dr. Aman Puri met Dr. Juma Al Matrooshi, DG, DSO and Mr Ghanim Al Falasi, Senior VP, Technology & Entrepreneurship, Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus and discussed the opportunities for the collaboration of India Innovation Hub with DSO & Dtec.

The event saw representation from various investors, financial institutions, family offices and HNWIs. The event was crucial to the start-ups as it gave a global stage to the founders to pitch their ideas before global investors.
Some of the start-ups, which presented their business ideas include, Kamaxi Skills, which provides high-quality culinary training and soft skills to students with an aim to make India the culinary skill capital of the world; Panacea, a deep learning and hard-coded hybrid software designed to optimise the virtual learning experience for people of determination; Offgrid Energy Labs, a deep technology IP led company that has innovated in design, materials of batteries; PJP Tailorsmart Services Private Limited, an E-commerce platform for young and budding designers and Miracle Boocha, a wellness brand that aims at educating and promoting the health benefits of Kombucha, an ancient fermented beverage from the East among many others.

As part of the session, start-ups also learnt about the latest sectoral trends and participated in specially designed sessions with leading corporates along with fireside conversations with newage entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors.

Dr Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General of India at EXPO2020 said, “We are proud that startups from India as well as several other parts of the world, including the UAE and Netherlands have participated in this Elevate session. These sessions are becoming a viable platform for innovators and start-ups from various countries and can be a huge opportunity for investors from the UAE and across the globe.”

“We are glad that our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has declared January 16 as ‘National Start-up Day’. There is a huge emphasis on start-ups in India and we have several start-ups that we are hoping will turn into unicorns this year,” added Dr Puri.

The Indian start-up ecosystem today has over 60,000 DPIIT-registered start-ups from 628 districts across all 28 States and 8 Union Territories. India ranks in the top 50 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) and is the 5th most start-up friendly country in the world (leading in Asia). Embodying the true spirit of a self-reliant India, and despite the extreme challenges posed by the global pandemic, 42 new unicorns came into existence in India, taking the total number of unicorns to 82. Today, India is the country which in 2021 is amongst the top three creators of unicorns in the world.

The event was attended by eminent dignitaries including Shri K. Kalimuthu, Consul (Eco & Com), Consulate General of India, Dubai; Mr Antony Jos, Executive Director, Joyalukkas Exchange; Mr Pramendra Garg, CEO, Yas Holding; Mr Kamal Vachani, Group Director, Al Maya Group; Mr Kuber Rai, Managing Partner, Corniche Capital; Mr Venkatesh Mahadevan, Chief Information Officer, Dubai Investments; Mr Sanjay Siroya, Director, Belgium Diamond Jewellery; Mr Chandra Sen Hada, Head Investment Operations, Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) & Mr Varun Sharma, Investment Associate, Wamda Capital among others.
The next Elevate session will happen on 27th January 2022.

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UP makes strong pitch to global investors at Expo

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, through a video message kickstarted the proceedings at the inauguration of UP floor at the India pavilion, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The state of Uttar Pradesh will be showcasing its business attractiveness, sectoral developmental growth journey and investment opportunities across key sectors like food processing, tourism, textiles, MSMEs, healthcare, education and start-up at the India Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai, as the state week commenced from Friday.

Manish Chauhan, Director Industries, Government of Uttar Pradesh, set the objectives of Uttar Pradesh’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai to showcase its growth story and explore areas of collaboration with our investor partners and the diaspora in the UAE. The state has seen tremendous improvement in infrastructure and business environment, under the visionary guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and our dynamic Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he further added.

The chief minister, through a video message kickstarted the proceedings at the inauguration of Uttar Pradesh floor at the India pavilion. He stated that ‘Uttar Pradesh is one of the biggest industrial market. Under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, by following the principle of ‘Reform-Perform-Transform’, the state has taken numerous initiatives to transform its industrial landscape.’

The state launched Nivesh Mitra; one of the largest single window system and sectoral policies, complimented by ideal law & order environment, which helped the state to achieve the 2nd rank in the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in 2019-20, in comparison to 14th rank in 2015-16.

He further highlighted the vision & achievements of the state and said:
Approximately INR 3.5 lakh crore worth of private investment actualized on-ground, as part of investment outreach; Highest number of MSMEs in the country; Launch of the One District One Product (ODOP) Scheme in 2018 to promote the indigenous craft of each district ;4 functional expressways i.e. Yamuna Expressway, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, Purvanchal Expressway and Delhi Meerut Expressway. The foundation laying for the Ganga Expressway; one the longest expressway in India, to be done by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 18th December 2021.

Concluding his address, the chief minister said, ‘Despite highest population in India, the state’s effective Covid-19 management and vaccination of 17 crore population is indicator of the preparedness of the administration. He also highlighted the cultural richness of the state, birthplace of Lord Rama and Krishna, land of Lord Shiva and River Ganga, which continue to guide the people.’

K Kalimuthu, Consul (Economic, Trade & Commerce), in his address spoke about Uttar Pradesh being the land of varied cultures, highest registered MSMEs in India, ideal agro-climatic conditions, inspiring youth eager to contribute to the economic growth and nation building. He added, UAE & India had a trade of USD 60 billion pre-Covid and the recent economic partnership will further bolster the bilateral trade.

Cabinet Minister – NRI, MSME & Textile, Shri Siddharth Nath Singh, in his keynote address stated UAE being the 3rd largest trading partner and 9th largest FDI contributor to India, in infrastructure, power, tourism, metallurgical and services sector. Also, the large Indian community based in the UAE is a key contributor in the economic development. He highlighted the achievements of the state and performances indices as the testimony of the highly effective policy driven governance and business environment.

He further added the remarkable growth of the MSME sector in Uttar Pradesh. With ~9 million MSMEs, Uttar Pradesh is the hub of MSMEs in the country, contributing ~14% to the total MSME population in the country. He spoke about the new MSME Act which facilitates operations of MSME units within 72 hours of application, banks loan disbursement worth ~US$ 33 billion to state’s MSMEs, in the last four years (2017-18 to 2020-21) and the aspiration ‘One District One Product (ODOP) Programme’ to develop the indigenous craft & artisans of the state by creating an effective value chain, market linkages and export opportunities. In addition, he highlighted global private sector investment of over ~US$ 59 billion through MoU implementation and dedicated helpdesk, across sectors.

Concluding his address, he stated that Uttar Pradesh is one of the major suppliers of manpower to most of the gulf countries, including UAE. The NRI Department has taken steps like a dedicated recruitment agency – UPFC Overseas Manpower Recruitment Agency (OMRA), to help sourcing employees for potential employers aboard; hosting a ‘Migrant Resource Centre (MRC)’ at OMRA, which is committed to ensure safe and legal migration of UP labour; and setting up ‘UP NRI Grievance Redressal System (GRS)’, a single window to resolve all the issues faced by the diaspora.

Uttar Pradesh high-level delegation will be meetings potential investors and global companies to explore trade and investment opportunities for the state. The delegates from Uttar Pradesh will participate in incubator Meet & Mock Pitching Sessions, panel sessions on ‘India’s Strength in Education: STEM, Medicine and Business’ & ‘Liberal Arts Education in the making of a Global Citizen: The India Advantage’, industry visit to Allanasons Factory in Sharjah & DP World Jabel Ali Port, business meetings with industry associations (Dubai, Sarjah & Abu Dhabi) and many more business and cultural engagements.

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-Top News EXPO 2020 India News

With 5 lakh visitors, India Pavilion stands tall at Expo

“Delighted to see the response from the visitors who wish to immerse themselves in Modern India’s confluence of opportunities and potential,” Indian envoy to UAE Sunjay Sudhir said, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has achieved another milestone by recording half a million visitors’ mark since its inauguration on October 1, 2021 by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles.

In his tweet message on this landmark achievement, Goyal said, “#IndiaAtDubaiExpo stands tall, showcasing our capabilities in achieving ambitious goals for global good, which reflects India’s Partnerships, Pride & its People.”

Talking about the success of the India Pavilion, Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE said, “India is honoured to participate in Dubai EXPO – a global platform where different nations have congregated to showcase their business potential and cultural heritage. As India is an important and growing investment destination, EXPO2020 Dubai has given us a unique opportunity to network with global stakeholders and secure investments for our country.”

He added, “We are delighted to see the response from the visitors who wish to immerse themselves in Modern India’s confluence of opportunities and potential. The visitors have participated enthusiastically and have rejoiced in the festivities at the India Pavilion. We will ensure that the momentum is sustained, and our visitors get to experience the real essence of India as we move ahead in our journey at the Expo.”

CGI Dr Aman Puri and Ambassador Sunjay Sudhir

The India Pavilion has hosted various meetings and events pertaining to investments across focus sectors and states along with cultural events for the visitors since inauguration. Besides showcasing India as an attractive investment destination on an international platform, the Expo has been pivotal in strengthening the bilateral trade relations with the UAE and cultural ties between India and the rest of the world.

The India Pavilion has been recognized as one of the most iconic pavilions at the Expo by American Institute of Architects and is one of the most visited pavilions at the EXPO2020 Dubai. The Pavilion has played a key role in showcasing the Indian start-up ecosystem amongst global audience through the Innovation Hub bus.

Among the states, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and UT of Ladakh have already showcased their business potential and have secured investment opportunities in key sectors. The Pavilion has also promoted India’s key sectors such as New and Renewable Energy, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Oil & Gas and Textile during their respective weeks.

Leading voices from the government and industry including Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, Darshana V Jardosh, Minister of State for Textile & Railways, Government of India, Shanti Kumar Dhariwal, Minister for Urban Development & Housing, Government of Rajasthan, Subhash Desai, Minister of Industries, Government of Maharashtra, Aditi Tatkare, Minister of State for Industries and Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and Dr K. Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) & Secretary Department of Space have been a part of the sessions at the India Pavilion.

The India Pavilion has hosted several cultural activities during Dusshera and Navratri celebrations. These included folk dances, storytelling and music for countless visitors and dignitaries. It hosted Diwali Week from November 2-5 which was celebrated with great enthusiasm. The festival of Diwali was celebrated with colourful installations and lighting in the form of Swarangoli or LED Rangoli, virtual display of firecrackers and events including performances by leading Indian artists like Salim-Sulaiman, Vipul Mehta and bands like Rooh and Dhruv.

The upcoming weeks at the India Pavilion will witness participation from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, UT of Jammu & Kashmir among others and sectors such as Healthcare, Electronics and Information Technology, Energy Conservation, Environment & Sustainability, Tribal Affairs, Spices & Tourism to name a few.

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