CII organized a Private Meeting with the Malaysian Minister for International Trade, Dato Seri Dr. Mustafa Mohamed in New Delhi on 5 March 2010.

Chairman OIA, Ambassador V. B. Soni was invited by CII to lead more than a dozen leading Indian businessmen active in south East Asia and in particular Malaysia.

Ambassador Soni was the Acting High Commissioner for India to Malaysia in the late seventies and his personal touch on the basis of that experience during his presentation carried the day.

We bring you a brief report on the session:

The Malaysian Prime Minister visited India in January 2010. During his meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh it was agreed that the current two-way trade figure of USD 10 billion did not represent the true potential that exists. An ambitious target of USD 50 Billion over the next 5 years was accordingly set.

To achieve this target the two sides are interacting regularly at the level of the two Governments and the businessmen. With the India-ASEAN FTA having been put into place effective from 1 st January 2010 the stage is now set to capitalize on the new emerging possibilities which have now become available.

It is for this reason that Malaysian Minister for International Trade, Dato Seri Dr. Mustafa Mohamed visited Delhi last week. Apart from seeing his Indian counterparts and other Government officials he expressed a desire to meet leading Indian businessmen for a private session. CII accordingly arranged this meeting on 5 March 2010. Chairman OIA, Ambassador V.B. Soni was invited by CII to lead more than a dozen leading Indian businessmen active in south East Asia and in particular Malaysia.