India Calling - 2005

India Calling (not the serial on star one) in its 5 th year was held in Dubai. This ‘parampara’ will continue each year in the bid to establish global contacts between entrepreneurs.

“Gulf is India’s second largest trading partner after USA in non-oil sector,” says Rajesh Kapadia, President Indian Merchant Chambers (IMC), Mumbai. “Our primary aim is to provide a platform of at least 300 people from both sides comprising of business houses, traders, government and so on to exchange views and explore possibilities of future trade enhancement,” points out Kapadia. The idea has led to some concretization. The Crown Prince gave a very promising picture of the growth potential in his emirate and the role of the authority in a candid manner. A Single window clearance system is effectively and actively in place and without any middlemen.

India Calling looks at the macro level of selected industries. This year nine industries were in focus- IT & telecom, tourism & entertainment, energy, finance, shipping & logistics, biotechnology & healthcare, trade zones and investments. Various eminent speakers from both sides spoke at length and concluded on a brighter future note.

The main message was that both the countries showed excellent receptiveness to each other's growing relations. The Economic co-operation aspect of relationship was well brought out and vision of the Gulf leaders can be appreciated from one statement made by one of the speakers that there is a potentiality of coming together of Gulf co-operation council and SAARC. In sum, the message was that a strong partnership has been established between both countries and its people. India Calling will visit London in 2006.