Greece – India Business Forum Conclusion
More than 200 business-to-business meetings between Greek and Indian entrepreneurs closed the Greece-India Business Forum, held today, June 19, at the Hotel Grande Bretagne. The Forum was jointly organized by Enterprise Greece and the Embassy of India on the occasion of the official state visit to Greece by Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India.
100 Greek companies and 34 Indian companies from the agri-food, electronics, real estate, minerals, energy, ITC, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and defense industries participated in the Forum. It was also announced that India will be the honored country at the 2019 Thessaloniki International Fair, which will further boost bilateral trade relations between Greece and India.
The Forum opened with Stergios Pitsiorlas, Deputy Minister of Economy and Development, and Shamma Jain, Ambassador of India to Greece, welcoming the more than 150 Greek and Indian business people in attendance. Keynote speeches were given by Yannis Dragasakis, Minister of Economy and Development, and by Ram Nath Kovind, President of the Republic of India.
Following the keynote speeches, MOUs were signed between:
Enterprise Greece and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
Enterprise Greece and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
EBEA and Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA)
The second part of the Forum, “Business Opportunities in Growth Sectors,” featured talks by leading Indian and Greek business people and officials, highlighting the opportunities in various sectors, including commercial real estate, agri-food, tourism, and ICT. The Forum concluded with business-to-business meetings between the representatives of the Greek and Indian companies participating.
Yannis Dragasakis, Minister of Economy and Development, noted in his keynote address that, “We want to build an economy open to foreign investment – an economy that encourages and supports international trade. The possibilities for cooperation between Greece and India, the most powerful developing country in the world, are enormous and largely untapped – these possibilities, through a systematic effort, will be pursued.”
Deputy Minister of Economy and Development, Stergios Pitsiorlas, pointed out that, “The visit of the President of the Republic of India to Greece is a milestone in the relations of the two countries. Greece, as a country at the crossroads of three continents, a member of the EU, the Eurozone, as well as of all major international organizations, can be a European base for Indian companies in the areas of trade, services, and ICT products. Let’s see today’s Business Forum as the starting point of a new era for the development of our trade relations.”
Shamma Jain, the Ambassador of India to Greece, emphasized that, “The longstanding and cordial relations of the two countries must be adapted to modern times. There is a need to support this relationship with a stronger and more dynamic trade and investment co-operation. Indian businesses, having a growing global footprint, want to enter Greece in a wide range of sectors such as ICT, shipping, health sciences, agricultural production, real estate, tourism and infrastructure. I am convinced that the Greek-Indian Business Forum held today, during the official visit to Greece of the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind, will promote fruitful cooperation between our business communities, opening doors to joint ventures, new projects and PPPs.”
</p>
<p>Enterprise Greece and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)</p>
<p>EBEA and Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (MACCIA)</p>
<p>The second part of the Forum, “Business Opportunities in Growth Sectors,” featured talks by leading Indian and Greek business people and officials, highlighting the opportunities in various sectors, including commercial real estate, agri-food, tourism, and ICT. The Forum concluded with business-to-business meetings between the representatives of the Greek and Indian companies participating.</p>
<p>Yannis Dragasakis, Minister of Economy and Development, noted in his keynote address that, "We want to build an economy open to foreign investment – an economy that encourages and supports international trade. The possibilities for cooperation between Greece and India, the most powerful developing country in the world, are enormous and largely untapped – these possibilities, through a systematic effort, will be pursued."</p>
<p>Deputy Minister of Economy and Development, Stergios Pitsiorlas, pointed out that, "The visit of the President of the Republic of India to Greece is a milestone in the relations of the two countries. Greece, as a country at the crossroads of three continents, a member of the EU, the Eurozone, as well as of all major international organizations, can be a European base for Indian companies in the areas of trade, services, and ICT products. Let's see today's Business Forum as the starting point of a new era for the development of our trade relations."</p>
<p>Shamma Jain, the Ambassador of India to Greece, emphasized that, "The longstanding and cordial relations of the two countries must be adapted to modern times. There is a need to support this relationship with a stronger and more dynamic trade and investment co-operation. Indian businesses, having a growing global footprint, want to enter Greece in a wide range of sectors such as ICT, shipping, health sciences, agricultural production, real estate, tourism and infrastructure. I am convinced that the Greek-Indian Business Forum held today, during the official visit to Greece of the Indian President, Ram Nath Kovind, will promote fruitful cooperation between our business communities, opening doors to joint ventures, new projects and PPPs."</p>/sddefault.webp)