The comprehensive partnership treaty signed between India and Mongolia would provide all inclusive cooperation suiting national interests of both countries and further diversify the existing partnership. The treaty has been signed in light of similar spiritual beliefs that the two countries share and would propagate peaceful use of nuclear technology amongst other things. Through this partnership, the countries would complement each others’ strengths, said H E Mr Ts Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia at a meeting organized jointly by CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FIFTA and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Government of India here today.
H E Mr Ts Elbegdorj appreciated the advances made by India across sectors and expressed desire to deepen ties between the two countries. He highlighted the development that is taking place in Mongolia and its promising trade in mining, agriculture, pharmaceutical, health, education, defence and information and technology sectors. He encouraged Indian businessmen to explore opportunities in Mongolia and assured support in terms of human resources, energy, market opportunities etc. He further added energy efficient technology that produce green and clean power is the need of the time. Both the countries should endeavor to move towards it. He spoke about the excellent relations of Mongolia with its neighboring countries making it an investment friendly destination. He lauded the meeting and said that it provided an ideal platform for businessmen of both the countries to brainstorm mutually beneficial ideas. He mentioned proposals for deepening the relations between the two countries like starting a direct flight, tourism opportunities etc.
Mr. Arun Nanda, Deputy Chairman – CII Western Region & Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. highlighted the opportunities in terms of rich reserves of Uranium and other minerals in Mongolia. Trade relations between the two countries would help India in their quest for cleaner energy. Mr. Nanda highlighted the centuries’ old friendly relations the two countries share and the ample business opportunities provided by Mongolia across sectors. He urged Indian business owners to maximize this opportunity of meeting the representatives from the Mongolian trade fraternity.
India-Mongolia trade has increased by 200% in the last fiscal. However, there still remains considerable scope of improvement, said Mr. Dilip Dandekar, Representative – FICCI, Chairman-India Mongolia JBC & Chairman and Managing Director, Camlin Ltd. Mr. Dandekar further added that India and Mongolia should aim to achieve $100 million worth trade by the year 2015. Under the able leadership of President Elbegdorj, Mongolia is projecting itself as a favorable destination for businesses. FICCI has furthered this cause by hosting film festivals and other events in cities across India to create awareness about Mongolian business opportunities. The organization is also leading a delegation of businessmen to Mongolia next month.
Mr. Sajjan Jindal, President, ASSOCHAM & Vice Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Steel Limited spoke about the natural and cultural riches of Mongolia. He lauded the efforts of both the countries for their skill development efforts over the years. This is the prefect time to widen the trade basket of the two countries. Post the democratic restructuring and globalization, Mongolia has become a promising destination for countries across the globe, he added. From animal husbandry in the nineties, mining has now become the backbone of the Mongolian economy, providing vast business opportunities to other countries as well.
Mr. Z Battushig, Vice Chairman, Foreign Investment and Foreign Trade Agency gave a brief economic overview on investment environment of Mongolia. He highlighted the opportunities existing in the country by highlighting the fact that the economy has been growing at the rate of 9% over the last four years. The country has seen a growth inspite of the global recession. He highlighted the fact that Mongolia has existing trade relations with 140 countries and is a member of WTO. It has duty free access to 28 European countries and has entered into such partnerships with other western countries as well. These facts give investors enough confidence in Mongolia and make it a preferred investment destination. He also mentioned that India is a very crucial market for Mongolia especially for sectors like health, education, culture and nuclear technology.
Giving a perspective on the sectoral performance and expectations, following presentations were made at the session: “IT sector development and opportunities in India” by Mr. Abhiram Modak, General Manager – Business Development, Persistent Systems Ltd., “Pharmaceuticals and medical equipments production and opportunities in India” by Mr. Alok Saxena, Director, Elder Pharmaceuticals Ltd., “Cooperation opportunities and overviews of Mongolian agriculture sector” by Mr. Myagmarsuren Bayarmagnai, Head of SME Development Fund, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Mongolia and “Food Processing and Dairy opportunities in India” by Mr. Rashid Kadimi, Chief Executive Officer, Allanasons Ltd.