Africa is emerging as a key player in the printing, plastic, and packaging industry and India needs to take advantage of the opportunity and move forward towards catering to the demand, according to Mr Amararam Gujar, Director [E&SA], Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
He was speaking in the Inaugural Session of “India–Africa Business Promotion, Challenges and Opportunities,” organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Mr Gujar said India has a long-standing relationship with Africa and both the countries have been closely working on many projects which indicated that India has been a development partner in Africa’s growth.
Ms Padma Ganesh, Deputy Secretary, FT(Africa), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, talked about the robust and long term relations shared between the two countries.She said Africa, being one of the largest trading partners with India, have been trading in items like petroleum, pharmaceutical, energy, machinery and equipment, cereals, nuts and plastics. For the future, there is immense scope for cultural diversification and expansion of the trade basket between India and Africa, Ms Padma Ganesh added.
Mr Ajit Gupte, Ambassador of India to the Arab Republic of Egypt, spoke about the growing bilateral trade between both the nations in items such as tobacco, automobile, cotton yarns, petroleum, chemical fertilizers. He shared that Egypt has been one of the largest export destinations for India and many large Indian companies have invested in Africa for years.
Talking about the opportunities, Mr Gupte mentioned sectors for business growth and investment which included renewable energy, solar power, irrigation, agriculture, infrastructure, textiles, IT and Education. He emphasized that there will be demand for recyclable products in Egypt in times to come.
Mr N.J. Gangte, High Commissioner of India to Zambia, said there is an rise in demand for printed material in Zambia offering opportunities for trade and business to other nations. With a steady increase in the trade basket between India and Zambia, he said there was a need to grow it further and expand in sectors like equipment, machinery, packaging and plastics. He said Indian companies should also look at industrial packaging and sustainable plastics to meet future goals and become environmentally friendly.
Mr. G V Srinivas, Ambassador of India to Senegal, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, and Guinea Bissau, emphasized that Indian companies can come forward to look at pharmaceuticals and packaging as it is in demand in the current times. He suggested that there was a need for a mechanism to connect right-sized companies in both the nations. There was a need for involvement of SME sector, he said adding that stringent quality checks should be placed on the products sent to both the nations.
Mr Prashant Agrawal, High Commissioner of India to Namibia, opined that there was a need to publish more textbooks and ITC solutions for the newspaper industry in Namibia. There was a need for quick packaging solutions and units in Namibia which would generate employment.
Mr Ravindra Prasad Jaiswal, Ambassador, Embassy of India, Sudan, discussed the relationship shared between the nations that has been optimistic and growing steadily over the years. He dwelt upon the reforms initiated by Sudan to enable ease of doing business, liberalization of trade and promoting business ties, etc.
He said the sectors of business opportunities in Sudan included infrastructure, transport, agriculture, mining, energy, agro-processing, SMEs, manufacturing, etc. There was a need for a steady supply of printing and packaging material in Sudan which will help to increase its demand and supply, Mr Jaiswal added.
Mr Abhay Thakur, High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, mentioned that Printing, Plastics, and Packaging are critical areas of engagement between India and Nigeria. Biodegradable plastics and packaging is growing at a fast rate and engagement in manufacturing, trading and new technologies can offer immense opportunities.
Mrs Judith K.K. Kan’goma Kapijimpanga, High Commissioner of Zambia to India, said Zambia looked forward to attracting investors from paper mills in India. She shared that the government has liberalized the economy to allow private players and the demand for printed products was high and opportunities for packaging were also more in the wake of priority areas like food processing, clothing and electric goods.
Mr. Ashish Sinha, Chargé d’Affaires, High Commission of India to Kenya, while discussing the challenges faced by the industry amidst the pandemic, mentioned that trade and investment have been an important part of the relationship between India and Africa. He mentioned that Africa is a blooming region and, India needs to be competitive in a futuristic manner. He informed that Africa has lines of credit that offer economic and business development opportunities in Africa.
Mr Sanjay Aggarwal, President, PHDCCI, deliberated about the long-term relationship shared between Africa and India. For India, Africa is the continent for the future for business, economic, and cultural development. He mentioned the areas of corporation include Skill development, Healthcare, Automobile, Textiles, Leather goods, Mining, infrastructure development, IT, and Tourism.
