Scope to strengthen bilateral trade with Indonesia

By Shanthi Kannan

CHENNAI, OCT. 17. The Honorary-Consul of the Republic of Indonesia, Ms. Shamim. M. Padamsee, has urged the information technology professionals in India, especially those in the South, to establish their bases in Indonesia. NIIT has already set up its training centre there.

In an informal chat with this correspondent, Ms. Padamsee said the Southern India Chapter of the India-Indonesia Business Association had been focusing on developing and expanding commercial relationships with Indonesia. It was keen to encourage joint ventures and circulate trade related data between the two countries. Similarly, a business delegation to and from Indonesia had also been planned.

Ms. Padamsee said there had been a steady growth in bilateral trade between the two countries. It had increased from US $193 million in 1991 to US $ 1,395 million in 2000. There was a significant amount of imports from India that had been routed through Singapore and Malaysia to Indonesia. It had, for the first time, imported one lakh tonnes of Indian wheat. Indonesia currently imported automobiles (including trucks and buses), auto parts, agricultural produce, turnkey projects, IT and related products and building materials, she said.

On the export front, she said, Indonesia was well known for its tourism industry which had attracted a fair amount of Indian tourists and business travellers. Indonesia continued to rank as the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and plywood. It ranked second in rubber and palm oil exports apart from ceramics, coal, furniture, tea and non-ferrous metals.

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Section  : Business
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