Home  |  Home Base  |  Reminder  |  Snail Mail         
 

India and Iran

An Agenda for Cooperation

There was a time, before Persia became Iran, when rugs were the main item of the country’s export, second only to petroleum products. The rug industry, a necessity rather than a luxury, supplied the people’s daily needs as prayer mats, divan covers, hearthrugs, sleeping blankets and saddle mats.

Other items of export were rice, almonds, dates, raisins, leather and skins, raw cotton, silk cocoons, gum, tragacanth and opium. Along with the UK and Russia, British India was the largest factor in Persian trade.

Iran today has much to offer, as India too has a lot to give. To explore and develop this mutual give and take, CII’s Principal Advisor, A. C. Patankar, recently visited Iran. This is his Agenda for further Indo-Iranian cooperation in trade.

 
 

 

As part of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) initiative to strengthen Economic and Industrial Cooperation between India and Iran, A. C. Patankar, CII’s Principal Advisor, during a recent visit to Iran, held wide-ranging discussions with senior officials and agencies dealing with the development of Industry, Trade and Commerce. Specific areas of cooperation and ways to increase effective economic and industrial cooperation were discussed, and CII has now presented an Agenda for cooperation between India and Iran.

The main objective of the Agenda is to increase business between the two countries. CII, the premier national organisation of Indian Industry, will facilitate implementation of the Agenda for cooperation with the active involvement of the private sector and with support from various agencies of the Government of India. CII is also confident of receiving appropriate support from both the private sector in Iran as well as the Iranian Government and its agencies.

A high-level CII Industrial-cum-Business Delegation visited Iran from 19-24 October, 2002. The delegation also paid a day-long visit to Yazd.

The highlights of CII’s Agenda for Indo-Iranian Economic and Industrial Cooperation are:

  • Development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME): CII has proposed to H. E. Mr. Morteza Sharifalnasabi, Deputy Minister and Head of Iran Small Industries Organisation (ISIO), Ministry of Industries and Mines, to consider using Indian know-how for development of the SME sector in Iran. CII would facilitate cooperation between ISIO and Indian private sector companies which have helped in the establishment and growth of successful SMEs in the manufacturing and services sectors. The services of the CII Centres of Excellence in promotion of Quality and Human Resource Development with special emphasis on SME Training and Professional Education would also be at the disposal of ISIO.

  • Transfer of Technology: Assistance would be extended to establish contact and facilitate cooperation with appropriate agencies of the Indian Government — among them the Ministry of Science & Technology — and also in the private sector, including CII’s Technology Transfer Division.

  • Cooperation in Information Technology: CII would facilitate cooperation between Iranian and Indian companies in the Information Technology sector and assistance would be provided to ISIO for meeting the specific requirements of Iranian SMEs.

  • Industrial Development and Renovation Organisation of Iran (IDRO): CII and IDRO would explore possibilities for cooperation in the following areas:

1. Promotion of investment in Iran

2. Promotion of joint venture units

3. Promotion of joint production units

4. Joint projects involving long-term strategic planning

5. Joint cooperation for regional markets

6. Joint working for markets in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq

7. Development of IT business in Iran with special reference to designing and
    planning of IT systems

8. Cooperation with appropriate professional training institutions in India.

  • Petropars Ltd.: CII would facilitate cooperation between Petropars Ltd. and Indian companies in the Oil and Gas sector for the development of the South Pars oilfield. Indian companies can offer their services in exploration, production, offshore drilling, offshore logistics and support services, refinery related services, supply of equipment and spares, and specialized engineering and software services.

  • Syndicate of Construction Companies, Iran: Members of the Syndicate of Construction Companies expressed a desire to explore the possibilities of joint projects in Afghanistan and in India.

  • Confederation of Iranian Industry (CIRI): CII would place at the disposal of CIRI its experience in providing services to the Indian manufacturing and service sector companies, global networking, development and strengthening of the private sector, facilitating economic reforms and contributing to the formulation of industrial and economic policies and their implementation with specific reference to the industrial sector, in close cooperation with the Government of India and its agencies.

  • Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM): Cooperation between CII and ICCIM would be strengthened further.

  • Invitations to CII International Events: CII has invited top officials of the Government of Iran and the various agencies to participate in two major international events — the CII Partnership Summit 2003, and the Indian Engineering Trade Fair 2003 to be held in Hyderabad and Delhi respectively.