Exim Bank Seminar Motivates Indian Companies to Look at Opportunities in Central and East Europe, and CIS Regions

Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank), in collaboration with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), organized a seminar on ‘Developing New Business Opportunities in Central / East Europe, and CIS Countries’, in Mumbai on January 30, 2015.

Mr. David Rasquinha, Deputy Managing Director, Exim Bank, while welcoming the EBRD delegation and participants of the seminar, highlighted the potential of Indian companies in undertaking projects and investments in diverse sectors viz., energy, transport, communication, ICT, among others. Organising such seminars is a joint endeavor of both the institutions in enhancing the awareness about multilateral funded projects, which would contribute to increased Indian participation in EBRD funded projects, and enhance the involvement of Indian companies in EBRD’s investment programmes in this region, Mr. Rasquinha said. Mr. Rasquinha also underscored the support provided by Exim Bank of India to the contractors executing funded projects, who could explore business potential of this region.

Ms. Nandita Parshad, Director, Power and Energy Utilities, EBRD, who led the presentations at the seminar, presented an overview of EBRD, its role and objectives. Ms. Parshad stated that the EBRD sees great potential for Indian companies in the emerging economies where the EBRD is active. “We have already seen excellent examples of cooperation with top-class Indian firms. But there is scope to do so much more”, Ms. Parshad said.

Mr. Dirk Plutz, Senior Procurement Specialist in EBRD, presented the procurement policies and procedures of EBRD, which would enable the Indian companies to enhance their business interests especially in securing projects funded by EBRD in its countries of operations. Mr. Plutz added that “only six Indian suppliers, contractors and consultants have been awarded contracts under EBRD financed projects in the last five years. The seminar will hopefully contribute to a significantly larger number of Indian companies participating in projects financed by EBRD in the coming years.”

The EBRD, set up in 1991 as a multilateral funding agency with area of operations being in 35 countries in Central and Eastern Europe and CIS regions, promotes entrepreneurship and fosters transition towards open and democratic market economies. EBRD has more recently expanded into Turkey, and North Africa and the Middle East. The Bank regularly invests in its countries of operations together with private sector companies, helping the movement of private sector expertise and private capital into the regions.

Mr. Debasish Mallick, Deputy Managing Director, Exim Bank of India, pointed out that the Bank through its links with multilateral agencies, financial institutions, trade promotion agencies and service providers, offers a wide range of services to supplement its financing programmes. Such seminars are in line with Exim Bank's objective of proactively supporting the globalization efforts of Indian companies.