Iran-India Trade Ties On the Rise

Tehran, May 22, IRNA - The scurry of people from all walks of life, in particular those of the Iranian textile community, toward the venue of the INTEXPO, the first-ever exclusive exhibition of Indian textiles in Tehran, indicated that the exhibition was highly welcomed. Upon entry to the Grand Hall of Hotel Parsian Esteghlal, one could see a colorful array of Indian textiles including fiber, yarn, fabrics, made-ups and accessories. The resplendent, intricately hand–embroidered material in rich and varied colors were eye-catching. India and Iran decided to give another major push to trade ties by organizing this action-packed show in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Iran and the support of the Indian Ministry of Textiles, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Indian Government. The INTEXPO has been highly endorsed by a large number of leading Iranian organizations including the Association of Iran Textile Industries, Iranian and Tehran Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Iran Textile Exporters and Manufacturers Association, Iranian Textile Specialized Association, Association of Fabrics, Wholesalers of Tehran, and the Tehran Wholesalers Textile Union. A high-level Indian textile delegation, led by the Indian deputy minister of textiles, Ms. Zohra Chatterji inaugurated the ceremony on Sunday (May 19) hailing Tehran-New Delhi trade ties as “very vibrant” expressing hope that they will “reach even higher levels of vibrancy in the years to come”. She hailed the close relations of both countries saying that both sides could build upon the “warmth which we share to grow our trade relations in a meaningful way.” The Indian Ambassador to Iran, Shri D.P. Srivastava also delivered a speech in which he said, “there is a need for all sides to look at each other’s capacities more carefully” in the textile industry. INTEXPO displayed exceptional features of the heritage and the capabilities of the Indian Textiles Industry to prove itself as a reliable supplier across the Textile value chain and are ready to provide buyers of Iran, a unique sourcing opportunity. The exhibition provided an excellent opportunity for Iranian businessmen from the textile community to meet representatives of 60 leading Indian textile companies which displayed an entire range of textile items to conclude profitable business deals. India’s textile tradition is a kaleidoscope of colors and cultures. In fact, India’s history is so intricately interwoven with textiles that it is difficult to separate the two. Cotton and silk are indigenous. It is said that when weavers discovered how to make color fast dyes, Indian fabrics became the envy of the world. Vinod K. Ladia, Chairman and Managing Director of the SRSL Group said that “Iran was not fully aware of Indian textiles and the potentials of business possibilities in India. “This exhibition is not only to show the products but to build a confidence with Indian businessmen.” Ladia said that the value of Iranˈs imports from India is much smaller than that of its crude exports to India which has created a “trade gap”. This, he said, could be filled up by one of the products–textiles, without mentioning the names of other products. He said around 500 visitors attended the first day of the exhibition and the figure rose to 864 on the second day. He described as “excellent” the prospects of trade ties between the two countries. Mangesh Jadhav, Vice-President (Exports) from Thane, Maharastra said that he is in Tehran to renew contracts with old customers and to sign contracts with new customers. He said his company is supplying yarn for carpets weaving, knitting, sewing and embroidery. A very striking feature of the exhibition was the Rajasthani Block Printing. Raj Kumar Pandey, master crafts-person was demonstrating the block printing in various designs before visitors. His head was wrapped in a very colorful turban. India has been resolute to explore and use common potentials to boost cooperation with the joint economic commissions of both countries providing suitable groundwork for reaching further agreements and implementing already signed ones in various fields. India is a leading exporter of textile products to many countries including the US, China, Britain, Germany, Bangladesh, Pakistan, France, Italy, Spain and Turkey./end