Indian entrepreneurs will participate in a five-day exclusive exhibition -- `India Trade Exhibition’ in Sao Paulo in Brazil from September 25, to explore opportunities for trade and investments. The Confederation of Indian Industry and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) are hosting the exhibition jointly.

ITPO Senior Manager Dalel Singh said Brazil provides new opportunities to Indian companies to expand exports as Brazilians are very interested in Indian goods. The show aims at projecting India as a business partner to the Latin American Countries (LAC), particularly Brazil.

Indian exports to the Latin American region has increased six-fold in the last six years, thanks to the `Focus-LAC’ programme launched by the Union Ministry in 1995-96. The potential market in Latin American region was discovered and subsequently, exports to this region were given importance. A similar India Trade exhibition organised in 1996 too had been a great success, Singh said. Indian exports to Brazil, which stood at $ 12 million (US) in 1992 had touched 230 million in 1997 and is expected to cross 500 million during 2001-02.

Addressing a meeting of industrialists and the exhibition organisers in Bangalore, Singh invited industrialists to tap the LAC market through the exhibition. He said Latin America is the second fastest growing region in the world, accounting for close to five per cent of global trade.  In the first eight months of 2000, it registered a growth of around 25 per cent, while Brazil's total imports contracted by 13 per cent during the same period.

He said there is enormous potential for the export of engineering goods, electrical machinery, auto parts, iron and steel articles, organic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastic and rubber products, computer software and food products. ``It is time Indian businesses focussed more on Latin American countries, as doing business with them would prove to be rewarding,’’ he added.

According to him, there are several advantages of doing business with Brazil. Brazil has also formed a trade block called Mercosur, with neighbouring countries of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which is the fourth largest integrated market in the world.  Apart from this, Brazil is a country 2.6 times the size of India, which is largely under exploited. There are tremendous commercial and economic opportunities.

The new Brazil

• Economy opened up since 1990
• Extensive economic reforms and free market policies
• Many sectors under privatisation
• Brazil is the largest economy in the LAC region
• Per capita income US $ 55.8 billion
• Exports US $ 55.1 billion
• Foreign Investment US $ 31 billion

• Information Technology
• Telecommunication
• Engineering
• Chemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Electrical goods
• Transport equipment's – LCV, Passenger car, two-wheeler, three-wheeler
• Plastic, linoleum and rubber products
• Food and allied products
• Textiles
• Gems and Jewellery
• Indian system of alternative medicines

Dalel Singh said that Indian IT, textiles and pharmaceutical drugs have been making rapid inroads into the Brazilian markets and they have tremendous export potential. The Pharmaceutical industry in Brazil is is one of the largest in the world and and imports almost all raw materials. The textile industry has a turn over of US $ 21 billion in 1999. The IT industry had turnover of US $ 20 billion in 1999. About two million PCs were sold in 1999.

• Minimum bookable space is 12 sq. Mt. – additional space in multiple of 3 sq. Mt..
• Last date for receipt of applications – June 30, 2001
• Last date for delivery of exhibits – July 15, 2001

Mr. B M Tandan
ITPO, Pragati Bhawan Pragati Maidan New Delhi – 01
Ph: 011-3319564/ Fax: 011-3371866
Email: itpo@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in