The Hindu Business Line : Hannover Tech Fair to host India as partner country

HANNOVER Technology Fair 2006, the largest and most important technology fair in the world, would host India as the partner country, in recognition of its growing power as a preferred destination for high-end and scale-neutral manufacturing, the Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, said on Thursday. Releasing the logo for India's participation in the German fair, Mr Kamal Nath said, "The invitation to become a partner country at Hannover Technology Fair after a gap of 21 years is in a sense the collective global recognition to Indian manufacturing and India's growing economic significance in the world."

He said that this also signifies the strengthening of India's economic relations with the European Union (EU), especially with Germany. Bilateral trade with Germany is close to $7 billion, as it is the country's largest trading partner in Europe and the fourth largest globally, he added.

Mr Kamal Nath said India's participation would be within three broad categories: Large, medium and small private sector companies, including those in manufacturing, sub-contracting and industrial automation. Large public sector undertakings, such as those in defence, oil and gas, power, research and development and departmental projection, (including science and technology, space and non-conventional sources of energy) will also be represented.

A high-profile business delegation from India representing large, medium and small technology companies will be present at the fair where the country has taken close to 10,000 sq. m. of space, among the largest ever taken by a partner country.

The Minister also unveiled plans of a global campaign to promote `Brand India' as a build-up to the Hannover Technology Fair. Later, addressing newspersons, the Commerce Minister said that India would send missives to trade majors about the need to produce some tangible results in the run-up to the Hong Kong Ministerial of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), even as the talks remained deadlocked over the negotiations on agriculture issues.

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