The logistical advantage of the Flanders region was the main highlight of the South India road show jointly organised by Flanders Investment and Trade and the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry here.

Speaking on the occasion, Filippe Depotter, Investment Project Manager, Flanders Investment and Trade, Belgium, said Flanders offers Indians ample investment opportunities in areas such as logistics, financial services, automotive, food processing, information and communications technology, pharmaceuticals and chemicals and education.

As of now, 60 Indian companies have invested in Flanders, he said.

Highlighting the logistical advantage of Flanders compared to other regions in Europe, Depotter said over 60 per cent of the European purchasing power is situated within a 500-km radius around Flanders. With this, customers can be reached and served quickly.

On the port infrastructure in Flanders region, he said the Port of Antwerp is the fourth largest in the world and the largest port in Europe for international shipping traffic.

Warehousing and office rentals in the region are among the cheapest in Europe. This helps in providing cost-effective solutions to customers, he said.

Flanders has airport infrastructure including the Brussels airport and the Ostend-Bruges airport. In fact, Brussels is connected with Mumbai and Chennai with passenger flights. Plans are afoot to start direct flight connectivity between Bangalore and Brussels, he said.

The road, rail and inland waterway networks of Flanders are among densest networks of Europe, he said.

Satya Rao, Chief Executive Officer of Axiom Consulting Pvt Ltd, spoke on his company’s presence in Flanders.

Karl Van Den Bosch, Consul General of Belgium, Mumbai, suggested that India and Flanders sign a free trade agreement. This would help reduce tax payments by 10-30 per cent. Besides, such a move would help improve bilateral trade relations, he added.

>vinayak.aj@thehindu.co.in

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