Today, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, engaged in an extensive interactive session with industry and trade associations from Kashmir. The purpose of the session, organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), was to discuss and plan strategies that would facilitate the exploration of business opportunities between the two regions.
Addressing the concerns and issues raised by the participants, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan commended the efforts of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) in promoting trade and investment opportunities in Kashmir. He assured the participants of the Embassy's dedication to supporting such initiatives.
Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan reassured the participants that the Indian government is diligently working towards establishing a favorable business environment that allows everyone to flourish in their respective ventures. He emphasized that necessary support is being provided for trade and investment activities, particularly for the export of Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products from Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, he pledged to facilitate business connections for exporters from Jammu and Kashmir and expressed intentions to organize delegation visits, business-to-business (B2B) meetings, exhibitions, road shows, and other relevant events in Saudi Arabia.
The ambassador emphasized, "This interaction signifies a significant milestone in strengthening the economic ties between the two regions. It demonstrates our shared commitment to exploring new avenues of cooperation and leveraging the immense potential for trade and investment."
Khalid Jahangir, the Managing Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), warmly welcomed Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during a meeting held in Srinagar. He expressed his appreciation for the ambassador's interest in engaging with the trade and industry partners of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the meeting, Khalid Jahangir provided an overview of the current trade scenario, focusing on products that possess a competitive advantage for export to Saudi Arabia.
In a separate interaction, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) held discussions with Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, at the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) office.
According to a statement, the KCCI team raised the topic of organizing market promotion exhibitions, fairs, marts, and roadshows to promote handicrafts, carpets, shawls, and tourism. They also discussed the importance of establishing direct air connectivity between Kashmir and Saudi Arabia and facilitating the export of horticulture products. The team requested the ambassador's assistance in arranging buyer-seller meetings, reverse buyer-seller meetings, buyer-to-buyer meetings, and inter-chamber consultations to help local entrepreneurs and exporters gain market access for Kashmiri products that already have a presence in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries.
Furthermore, the KCCI sought the ambassador's support in organizing a Tourism FAM (familiarization) Tour from Saudi Arabia to showcase the unparalleled natural beauty and landscapes of Kashmir, with the aim of attracting tourists from that country.
FCIK urges for diversification of India-KSA trade ties beyond oil
The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has underscored the need for diversification of bilateral trade ties between India and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia beyond the conventional field of oil in order to explore opportunities in other areas such as handicrafts, textiles, food processing, horticulture produce, sports goods, trout fish, organic vegetables and tourism.
The issue was raised by a delegation of FCIK during its interactive session with Indian Ambassador to KSA Dr. SuhailAijaz Khan at SanatGhar, Srinagar. The delegation of FCIK was led by ShahidKamili and included M.D Qureshi and AfaqQadiri.
The delegation told the Ambassador that given the fact that India and KSA were currently in the process of reinventing their economic strategy, Jammu and Kashmir offered varied products and services to help in balancing the trade between the two countries. India was currently at a disadvantageous position in the bilateral trade of 42.8 billion US dollars with exports of 8.76 billion dollars against imports of 34.1 billion dollars during the year 2021-22.
FCIK informed the Ambassador about the goods manufactured by local industrialists that had all the potential of exports to KSA.
PHDCCI Kashmir discusses business opportunities
A team of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir, led by chair Vicky Shaw recently had an interactive session with DrSuhelAjaz Khan, the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
A statement said that they discussed the current state of Kashmir and explored opportunities for growth and development in sectors such as Golf Tourism, Carpet Export, Apples, Walnuts, Saffron, Handicraft Export, and Walnut Wood Carved Furniture.
Shaw seized the opportunity to extend an invitation to Dr Khan, urging him to become the Ambassador of Kashmir. He emphasized the region’s potential for investment and highlighted how it could lead to mutually beneficial growth for both India and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, he emphasized the rich potential of Kashmir’s handicraft industry and the exceptional craftsmanship of its artisans.
.jpg)