Indian exports to Bahrain top $454mln

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Indian exports to Bahrain in the first seven months (April-October) of the current fiscal amounted to $454.15 million, said the Indian exports apex body, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

“Bahrain is one of the key focus markets for India in the GCC as the country expands its free trade agreements in the region, particularly under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

Negotiations with GCC countries are at an advanced stage, pointing to a robust growth future accelerating the pace of growth for regional trade relationships in the Gulf and the Middle East and Africa region,” said Dr Ajay Sahai, director-general and chief executive of FIEO.

Announcing the hosting of the multi-sector expo, Super Sourcing Arabia 2023 in the kingdom, FIEO said the prospects for Indian exports to Bahrain and GCC have been on an exponential growth curve and the expo will further help accelerate the trend benefiting the bilateral trade relations between both the countries.

Organised by Dubai-based Verifair, Sourcing Arabia 2023 is billed as a unique expo in the diversity of the products being showcased.

The three-day show starts today at the Crowne Plaza.

Super Sourcing Arabia 2023 aims to help Indian exporters get connected with decision-makers in the supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail chains, buying agents and importers in the Middle East, GCC and Africa region.

In 2021-22 fiscal Indian exports to GCC were $43.9 billion, up 44pc over the previous year, Dr Sahai said, adding that in addition to the sharp growth in exports to Bahrain, other GCC countries also saw a substantial jump in Indian exports.

According to FIEO, Indian exports to the UAE grew by 68pc and by 49pc to Saudi Arabia.

“We are seeing the growth trend on the upswing this fiscal too,” the FIEO official said.

Super Sourcing Arabia has a major contingent of FMCG participants in line with the growing regional consumer spend in this sector.