Indian exhibition starts with variety of products

Exhibitors making spot sales attract most of the visitors.

KARACHI: With doubts still in their minds, Indian businesspersons launched a three-day India Expo – the first of its kind fair – at the Karachi Expo Centre on Friday.

Since many of them have come to Pakistan for the first time, an unknown fear is still evident in their talks. But one thing that most Indian businesspersons were surprised, rather pleased, to see is the level of urgency shown by Karachi’s business community to resume trade and commerce with their much bigger neighbour.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Raymonds Limited Senior Manager-Exports Durgesh Buxy said the fast growing trade relations between the two arch-rivals is because of efforts of business communities of both countries despite an uneasy history of relations.

“Though there are deep-seated fears on each side of the border, it seems that people of both countries are now looking to the future instead of the past,” Buxy said.

Most of the exhibitors have come to Pakistan with samples and not for spot sales. The companies with samples are more focused on business-to-business meetings, trying to find suitable partners for their future operations in Pakistan.

However, the stalls where exhibitors were making spot sales – especially the artificial jewellery and other accessories – attracted most of the general visitors. Besides finished textiles and other consumer items, there were some exhibitors of industrial plants and equipment as well.

A representative of SS Gas Lab Asia Limited, the manufacturer of Co2 storage tank system and dry ice plants, said his company has recently installed a plant at a Pakistani textile firm. He said his company is looking forward to more such orders from Pakistani industries.

Senior General Manager-International Business, Brian D’ Souza at Kores, a stationery manufacturer, said his company is competing with Chinese stationery manufacturers in various countries and is confident to compete with any player in Pakistan.

Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai expressed the hope that growing trade relations are going to benefit both the economies.

FIEO is leading a delegation to Pakistan comprising 65 representatives from 35 companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.