India and Pakistan governments are yet to solve many issues, people of both countries have started joint ventures.
One of the first joint venture between the two countries, is between Amritsar-based Noble Translinks Private Limited and Lahore-based firm IWM Interwood Mobel Private Limited .
Noble Translinks intends to market Pakistan-made product ranges from office furniture, home furniture, educational furniture, hotel furniture to wood flooring, doors, kitchens and wardrobes, which would be installed here in India. Later the company has plans to manufacture the good in India, itself. The firms feel that this joint venture would generate job opportunities on both sides of the border.
Chief Executive Officer of Noble Translinks Pardeep Sehgal said here that they had conceived this venture about 10 months ago and were now looking forward to import some of the best products from Pakistan.
In the first phase, he said, the products would be imported from Pakistan and then finally by 2014, they would be manufactured here in India. Stating that this was the first joint venture between two companies of India and Pakistan, he said they would have joint investment.
He, however, pointed out that the visa issue was the main impediment in the promotion of trade between two countries.
"If people won't meet then how will the ideas be conceived?", he asked.
He said that though both countries had allowed investment from the other nation, but they were yet to resolve their visa issues.
Sehgal said that they have a turnover target of more than Rs. 100 crore by 2014.
Chairman of Interwood Mobile Pakistan Farooq A. Malik said that this was not just a joint business venture but a message to the people of both nations.
"We had lived together for more than 5,000 years, but what happened 65 years ago has developed so many differences," Malik said.
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"Trade is the key to bring property and peace in the region and our leaders should accept this fact and work on it," he added.
Malik also said that both countries should leave their differences aside and should promote people-to-people contact.
"I have visited here several times and never felt that I am outside Lahore, there are so many similarities," he said.
Speaking about his products, Malik said they had a product line to offer from the middle class families to the rich.
"It is like Suzuki to Mercedes under one roof," he said.
While reacting about the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status, which has yet to be granted by Pakistan both are of view that even if Pakistan keeps on removing the products from its negative list and allowing to trade through Wagah - Attari route that would itself be a good way to enhance the relations between the two countries.
