FICCI President-led CEO delegation to accompany Jaitley to Bangladesh

New Delhi [India], Oct 3 (ANI): A high-powered business delegation led by Pankaj Patel, President, FICCI and Chairman and Managing Director, Zydus Cadila - Cadila Healthcare will accompany Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on his visit to Bangladesh on October 3 and 4, to enhance bilateral economic relations between the two neighbouring countries.

The visit comes at a time when the economy of Bangladesh is growing consistently and the Indian economy is experiencing significant economic reforms, which offer ample opportunities for cooperation between business communities of both countries.

The past few years have seen a remarkable shift in the India-Bangladesh relationship which has evolved from a partnership that is based not just on a shared civilization heritage with roots running deep, but to a comprehensive engagement that spans virtually the entire spectrum of interaction that is possible for neighbours to have. The bilateral cooperation has matured into a multifaceted one encompassing trade and investment, security, water, power, shipping, development cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and human resource development.

The visit of the Indian business delegation is expected to give boost to our economic and commercial ties with Bangladesh. India is the second largest import partner of Bangladesh and Bangladesh is now India's biggest trade partner in South Asia, with total bilateral trade between two countries in 2016-17 at USD 7.52 billion.

The meeting of the business communities of the two countries will be a constructive step towards further enhancing trade and investment and taking it to much greater heights. A key agenda of meetings will be to discuss cross-border trade concerns pertaining to customs, certification and quality standards.

As part of the visit, members of the FICCI Business Delegation will participate in the panel discussion on 'India-Bangladesh Economic Relations - Current Status and Future Possibilities' that will be co-organized by Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and FICCI. Various potential areas of collaboration and partnership are likely to be discussed such as infrastructure, power, manufacturing, IT, skills, education and tourism. The opening session of this seminar will be addressed by Jaitley and Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Minister of Bangladesh.

Besides Patel, the other members of the business delegation are Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Secretary General, FICCI, Rashesh C Shah, Senior Vice President, FICCI and Chairman, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd; Sudhir Jalan, Past President, FICCI and Chairman and Managing Director, Meenakshi Tea Company Ltd, among others. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI