Pick up anything from a departmental store and you will find considerable Chinese content in the product. Be it a flashlight, cellphone or a toy for your child, a part of China will greet you loud and clear.

This has of course raised the hackles of Indian industry and trade, which are concerned over this mass flooding of goods from across the border in the domestic market. Not that their protests will make too much of a difference. By the end of the day, the Chinese are masters in mass manufacture as evident in the 600 plus consumer goods makers who are showcasing their products here for local franchise.

On display at the Fourth China Sourcing Fairs are electronics and components, security gadgets, home products, gifts items, hardware and building material, besides bathroom products and fittings.

According to the organiser, buyers pre-registered to attend the expo include the likes of Tata Steel, Reliance Industries, Voltas, Aditya Birla Retail, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation, Home Solutions Retail, Infosys, Metro Cash & Carry India and Wipro Yardley.

The incentive to come to India is the 1.2 billion population, its huge consumption and the untapped potential, said Mr Tommy Wong, President of Global Sources Exhibitions (Nasdaq listed), the organiser of the event.

Global Sources has researched cities with potential such as Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. It has identified building and construction materials, bathroom fittings, home appliances, electronics (hardware) and gift items as products that could meet market expectations.

Mr Wong said 85 per cent of the exhibitors were from mainland China and the rest from Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. Chinese manufacturers score when it came to automation and mass production, while the others provide custom-built and higher quality products, he said.

Indian companies too can service the demand for garment, handicraft, kitchenware and home products in China. “India's trade with mainland China is expected to reach $70 billion this year. The two countries are hoping to scale it up to $100 billion by 2015. The fair will an ideal platform for China suppliers to enter the booming Indian market and for local buyers to find quality China products to boost their profits, he said.

Mr Chandrakant Salunkhe, President, Small and Medium Business Development Chamber of India, said over 5,000 members have been invited for the expo. “We have a lot to learn from China in terms of manufacturing and processing.”

While imports from China total $40 billion, exports are $20 billion and the deficit is widening. The expo provides Indian companies not only an opportunity to negotiate on prices but also build a profitable long-term association. For Indian companies, electronics, engineering, office equipment and hardware from China provide immense prospects as also the possibility of exporting semi-finished products and raw materials, he said.

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