VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) and the Indian Embassy in Jakarta have set up an India Bilateral Committee to push cooperation between business people of the two countries.

"This committee is ready to facilitate Indonesian and Indian businessmen who are interested in expanding their businesses in the two countries," said the Kadin Deputy Chairman for International Relations, Shinta Widjaja Kamdani, during the inauguration of the India Bilateral Committee in Jakarta on Friday. The committee will work under the Indonesian Chamber for International Relations.

Shinta said the committee would serve as a catalyst in enhancing economic relations and achieving investment and trade targets, especially in mining, infrastructure, manufacture, pharmacy, digital and service sectors.

These six sectors are the focus of the agreement reached by business people of the two countries during the Indonesia-India CEO Forum held on the sidelines of President Joko Widodo`s visit to India in December 2016.

The committee would help businessmen of the two countries by providing relevant information, she said.

The Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Pradeep Kumar Rawat, said the business people of the two countries still had many avenues to explore. "India will continue to offer a wide chance for Indonesian businessmen to cooperate with India in various sectors," he said.

For its part, the committee would encourage the availability of relevant information to develop Indonesian and Indian businesses, he said.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), trade between the two countries reached US$12.9 billion in 2016, with Indonesia`s exports to India reaching $10.2 billion and its imports from India standing at $2.1 billion. The bilateral trade rose 28.7 per cent to $18.13 billion in 2017 with Indonesia`s exports to India reaching $14.08 billion and its imports from the South Asian country standing at $4.05 billion. (ANTARA)