Noreen Al Thawadi
Delhi in Bengaluru, Jan. 29 /BNA/: The relationship between Bahrain and India, which dates back thousands of years to the civilizations of Dilmun and the Indus Valley, has continued to go from strength to strength due to the good mechanisms that support bilateral relations. Senior Indian diplomat.
Dr. Awsaf Saeed, Indian Secretary of Consular Affairs, Passports, Visas and External Affairs at the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, expressed optimism in post-pandemic trade growth between Bahrain and India, predicting that bilateral trade will soon exceed $2 billion.
It currently stands at $1.65 billion, with some of the main exports from Bahrain including oil derivatives and aluminum.
Speaking at the beginning of an introductory trip to the Gulf and Arab media delegations, he explained the development of trade from spices, fabrics and agarwood (oud) to the state of cooperation in the fields of energy, food security, information and communication technology, education and industry.
He added that Bahrain is becoming an increasingly popular destination for lavish Indian weddings due to its friendly atmosphere and outstanding hospitality services.
He added that trade, investment, manpower, food security and energy security were the five main pillars in trade with the Gulf Cooperation Council bloc, India’s largest trading partner and home to 3.5 million Indians.
He said that defense, security and counter-terrorism are areas where India and the GCC countries enjoy strong cooperation. Last July, India joined the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), which is based in Bahrain, as an Associate Partner.
Dr. spoke. Said on the cooperation with the Gulf states, which was facilitated through the signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding over the years, which were the result of the exchange of visits and official meetings between India and its Gulf and Arab counterparts.
Free Trade Agreement negotiations are underway between India and the GCC countries.
Last week, India celebrated its 75th Republic Day. It coincides with its presidency of the G-20 this year.
The theme of India’s G20 Presidency “One Earth, One Family, One Future” is inspired by the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishads.
The theme highlights that human, animal, plant, and microorganisms are valuable and interdependent on planet Earth and the universe as a whole.
India celebrates its rich diversity as one of its most distinctive strengths.
In this context, the Ministry of External Affairs invited journalists from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman and Egypt on a familiarization trip to New Delhi and Bengaluru. The United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman and Egypt are guests of the G20 summit, which will be held in New Delhi next September.
The program of the visit highlighted the development in various disciplines and cultural aspects in India.
The media delegations visited the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in New Delhi, which is one of 23 university campuses spread across India. IIT is government owned and offers science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused programs into which students are admitted after a rigorous application process. Preparations for the opening of the IIT Abu Dhabi campus are in full swing.
The familiarization trip program also included a visit to the New Delhi-based International Solar Energy Alliance (ISA), of which Bahrain joined as a member last year.
During the meeting with ISA Chief Operations Officer Joshua Wycliffe, he spoke about existing and potential areas of collaboration aimed at achieving higher energy efficiency in line with environmentally friendly policies set globally.
At the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), also in New Delhi, CEO Manish Wura spoke about opportunities to promote more products and services, in disciplines such as agricultural solutions, artificial intelligence and robotics.
At the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), journalists were briefed on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and opportunities for building partnerships in the field of digital payments solutions.
The second leg of the program was in Bengaluru, better known as Bangalore, the capital of the southern state of Karnataka.
There, the journalists visited the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which was established in 1969, where they learned about space applications and programs and the cooperation between their countries and the organization.
ISRO has worked on many projects that have provided solutions to many vital sectors including Agriculture, Fishing, Security, ICT, Maritime, Natural Disaster Mitigation and Environmental Challenges. They’re working on specialized programs as well as international collaborations, such as the upcoming Venus mission.
Bahrain signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ISRO in 2019. Since then, members of Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA) have joined training and capacity building programs and participated in workshops and events organized by ISRO.
The program then took the journalists to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which supports the world’s fourth largest air force. HAL participated in the Bahrain International Airshow showcasing jet aircraft and aviation technology.
The final day in Bengaluru, India’s technology hub, focused on innovation, startups and ICT applications.
Officials with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) explained the programs offered to support tech startups, which include serving as a catalyst, incubator and accelerator.
Nasscom has supported 10,000 startups over the past nine years. Their work is in line with India’s ICT momentum, placing its startup ecosystem as the third largest in the world. Between 25,000 and 26,000 tech startups were established in India in 2011-2021.
Some of the startups supported by NASSCOM have gained a global reach and are participating in public and private sector projects in many countries around the world.
At the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Park (ARTPARK), journalists were briefed on projects and innovations that use artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT) to deliver a wide range of technical solutions.
Both familiarization journeys included a cultural dimension. In Agra, journalists visited one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal – a monumental masterpiece of Islamic architecture dating back to 1632.
In Delhi, cultural sightseeing included the Qutub Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world at 72.5 metres, and the tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
In Bengaluru, delegates visited Vidhana Sudha, seat of the Karnataka state legislature and the largest legislative building in India.
The foundation stone was laid by late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951.
The Parliament Chamber’s unique interior features teak wood with intricate and intricate carvings.
India’s Ambassador to Bahrain Piyush Srivastava praised the participation of a Bahraini media delegation in the visit.
“I thank the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Information for their support to facilitate the visit,” he said.
“The visit came at a great moment for India as India chairs both the G20 Forum and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), taking on global leadership roles. We look forward to continuing the tradition of exchanges and interaction between our two countries.
“I hope our friends in the media will have a wonderful experience during their visit to India. It has added another dimension to our already excellent bilateral relations.”