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CII to help UAE nationals to set up small units

Vimala Vasan

ABU DHABI, June 23

THE Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is ready to offer its expertise and support in co-operation with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI), to young UAE nationals, who are keen on setting up small or medium sized enterprises (SM Es), according to a spokesman for CII.

Mr. A.C. Patankar, Principal Advisor to the CII, who is in the UAE on a visit, told Business Line that following the establishment of a special SMEs unit by the ADCCI recently, moves are under way to assist young UAE nationals in setting up SMEs.

``We have offered CII's assistance to the ADCCI to help set up these units. This could be through identifying the right kind of companies in India which are interested in joint ventures with Abu Dhabi-based businessmen,'' he said. The CII had earlier sig ned an MoU in co-operation with ADCCI.

Mr. Patankar, who met with Mr. Omar Abdullah, Director General of ADCCI, said the chamber's project was in the preparatory stage. ``The ADCCI is looking into various aspects of the project and we have made it clear that we will extend our support, once t hey have established a framework for the project to get under way,'' he said.

The entire co-ordination between CII and ADCCI would be carried out through the Indian Business and Professional Group in Abu Dhabi, he said.

Meanwhile, 11 students from the Abu Dhabi Men's College of the Higher Colleges of Technology would be undergoing training in companies in India from July, as part of a co-operation entered into last year between the college and CII, Mr. Patankar said.

The final-year students from the departments of civil engineering, chemical engineering and information technology, will undergo training at multinational companies such as Motorola, IBM, Larson & Toubro, Infosys, Global Calcium etc starting from July 10 .

``The increase in the number of students to 11 this year, from five last year, shows that the college has registered a keen interest in boosting co-operation in overseas training in the Indian industrial sector. It is a very positive development,'' he sa id.

Mr. Patankar also visited the Sharjah International Airport Free Zone to study the facilities available. ``We have been receiving many delegations from the free zone and we thought that a study of the facilities at the zone will enable CII to frame an ag enda for any future co-operation and also tell the Indian industry about the prospects at the zone,'' he said.

He ruled out the possibility of the CII setting up an office in the UAE, saying that a lot is being done in terms of spade work at this stage. He is on his way back to India after attending the G-15 meeting in Cairo.