Stating that India was moving very rapidly towards forging trade and partnerships, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal said India and UAE were on a fast track to clinch a trade deal.
He stated this in his address on Day one of the first-ever UAE edition of the UK-headquartered India Global Forum (IGF) – India Global Forum UAE 2021. The opening day covered a broad spectrum of exclusive insights from senior ministers and business leaders from India and the UAE.
During his address, Piyush Goyal revealed the global audience that India is on course to clinch one of the fastest comprehensive trade partnerships with the UAE. “The agreement we are working on will truly be a win-win for both countries,” he declared in his virtual address at IGF UAE.
Speaking at the session on “Boosting Trade Ties to the Next Level”, Goyal noted: “India is proceeding very rapidly towards expansion in the areas of trade and partnership. We have very ambitious targets ahead of us and we have the desire to bring prosperity to 1.3 billion Indians.”
Stressing upon the importance of India’s partnership with UAE, Mr. Goyal said, “UAE is one of our largest trading partners and therefore it was very natural for us to look at bringing together businesses and investors of both the countries.”
The session concluded a power-packed Day One of addresses by senior lawmakers and influential business heads.
Addressing a session titled “Dynamic Alliances – For a Smarter and Healthier Tomorrow“, Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon. Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemical and Fertilizers, Government of India, said: “For India, healthcare and pharma have always been about Sewa rather than business. We stepped forward to help the World as one family at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic.
“India is the pharmacy of the world, and it has a large capacity to manufacture, medical devices, medicines, and vaccines. The medical device sector is a rapidly growing sector in India, and it has all the incentives to attract major global investment.”
Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, Government of India, participated in a closed-door Diplomacy for Business Roundtable on geostrategies and global trade before delivering his special address at the Forum.
Foreign Secretary Shringla said: “I would like to congratulate Manoj Ladwa for creating a truly global brand, the India Global Forum, and effectively connecting stakeholders from across the world with India. The partnership between India and UAE is guided by visionary leadership in both the countries. Despite the COVID pandemic, India and UAE have continued to work closely together. We are looking to further this partnership in terms of cutting-edge technology, financing, among other areas of cooperation.”
During the course of a busy Day One, the Global Disruptors Series brought on to the stage a series of inspiring entrepreneurs and business chiefs, who traced the journey of their businesses which are today among some of the world’s best-known Unicorns. Some of the businesses that shared stage on Day One were Polygon Technology, Dailyhunt, Mensa Brands, Manipal Global Education, upGrad, Hero FinCorp, Nykaa, Moglix and EaseMyTrip
Inaugurating the Forum, Prof. Manoj Ladwa, Chairman & CEO – India Inc. Group and IGF Founder, welcomed the delegates and guests: “We are delighted and excited to welcome everyone to this very first edition of our Indian Global Forum in the Middle East. We have gathered some of the most illustrious speakers to deliberate, and to share unique insights on what our common future could hold.”