An important delegation from the Mumbai Chapter of the Saturday Club Global Trust (SCGT) arrived in Mauritius last week, following an invitation from the Economic Development Board (EDB). The delegation, a business network forum, came to explore business opportunities in Mauritius and look for potential collaboration and partnership with local companies.
SCGT has thousands of members regrouped in 76 chapters all over the world and provides a huge business network that has a turnover between MUR 55 M to MUR 5.5 billion. The members of the Indian delegation come from Mumbai, Unai, and Tanai and operate in various sectors of the Indian economy, including manufacturing, construction and infrastructure, the pharma industry, and the film and cinema industry.
The delegation was invited to an informative workshop titled “Enhancing Business Opportunities between India and Mauritius,” organised by the EDB. During this workshop, Mr Hemraj Ramnial CSK, Chairman of EDB, highlighted the strong socio-cultural ties that exists between Mauritius and India, which are celebrating their 75 years of diplomatic relations.
“On the business front, India remains one of the main trading partners for Mauritius and it is our sincere hope that together we shall bring this relationship to yet another level,” said Mr Ramnial. He also noted that in 2020-21, Mauritius’ total exports to India increased to USD 43.05 MN, and that in 2021, India was the second largest import partner of Mauritius with total imports of USD 780.3 MN.
“I therefore invite you to seriously consider Mauritius as your investment destination as we offer key advantages that shall be disseminated to you during the course of your visit,” added the Chairman. He also mentioned that Mauritius has been invited by India, in its capacity as G20 Chair, to participate as a Guest Country in all the G20 meetings during India’s presidency. This provides a unique opportunity to further the national agenda of Mauritius in the realm of global governance.
Mr Ken Poonoosamy, Chief Executive Officer of EDB, stated: “India is on the verge of becoming the third largest economy in the world, with 5 trillion dollars of GDP, and it is a matter of pride for us to be associated with such giants. And in the midst of giants, Mauritius also stands tall.”
He highlighted the existing partnerships with several regions, including the European Union, African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), China Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and the recently established African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and India.
‘With access to over 75% of the world population, It is crucial for us to maintain the resilience of our country’s economic sectors, create a competitive environment, and prioritize business reforms”, stressed Mr Ken Poonoosamy.
He expressed hope that the visit to Mauritius of the Indian delegation will lead to new avenues of collaboration and partnership and said he fully endorsed India’s philosophy of “One World, One Family, One Future Together.”
Mr. Suhas Basakhetre, the Elite Head of Saturday Club Global Trust invited his fellow delegation members to put forth every effort to fully take advantage of the opportunities offered by this visit to Mauritius. “Expand your business horizon, make new connections, explore new markets, make new friends, and establish new business associations”, he said.
Mr. Santosh Chaskar, the Chairman of the Elite Chapter echoed the same statement, emphasising on the high aspirations that the delegation had of finding the right partners in Mauritius.
Members of the delegation had B2B meetings with some twenty local stakeholders operating in manufacturing and light engineering sectors, following which they shall set up their activities in Mauritius soon.
This visit is a significant step towards enhancing business opportunities between India and Mauritius and nurturing the special relationship between the two countries.
