Made in India: Indian show makes presence felt in Lahore

LAHORE: The second Indian Show kicked off yesterday with Punjab citizens racing towards the Lahore Expo Center to catch a glimpse of the products on display. Around 120 stalls have been set up to exhibit different Indian products including textiles, gems, jewellery, embroidery, herbal medicine, electric products, paint, designing and engineering. The India show, displaying products made in the country, is a step taken by both commerce ministries to further improve bilateral trade relations. The business community and citizens expressed hope that more such shows would be organised. “The commerce ministries of both countries have played their role to enhance bilateral trade and bring it to its maximum under their capacities,” said Federal Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir. “Now, the other ministries and governments should play their due role in improving relations.” The key to improved bilateral trade is improved relations, said Dastgir, adding that India has stopped composite dialogue that would adversely affect trade. “The commerce ministries could push the trade to a certain level under their capacities which it has achieved.” “Visa is still the biggest non-tariff barrier (NTB), which needs to be addressed to maximise people-to-people contact between the two countries,” said Dastgir. “Bilateral trade relations will mutually strengthen the two countries and their populations,” said Dr Jyotsna Suri, head of the Indian delegation and Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) vice president. She said that the potential of bilateral trade can be gauged by the growth, which is almost 25%, over the last three years — still 10 times lower than the potential. Suri stressed the need for the promotion of tourism between the two countries which would boost growth and bring the two nations closer. Saarc President of Commerce and Industry Chairman Vikramjit S Sahney also stressed the need to establish a trade facilitation centre at the Wagah border where the business community could go and place orders without visas. He called for increasing the exports to Pakistan through Wagah border and the establishment of a container cargo terminal to increase bilateral trade. He said that the FICCI has proposed to the Indian government to extend the scope of the proposed Amritsar-Kolkata trade corridor to Lahore-Kabul by interconnecting them to reap the fruits of regional prosperity. Lashari also called for an early establishment of a banking network between India and Pakistan, opening up of borders 24/7, infrastructural facilities and containerisation of cargo at the Wagah border. Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2014.