Indian traders seek Trini partners

Indian business people exhibiting at the Divali Nagar are not here to make a quick rupee by undercutting local retailers but rather, see their long-term success as relying on partnerships with Trinidadian importers. This assurance came from visiting Indian manufacturer Archana Bhatnagar of Jabalpur, addressing a reception for the trade mission held on Thursday at the residence of Indian High Commissioner, Virendra Gupta. She said: “Our aim isn’t to come here for ten days days and gain  immediate profits. We want a long-term sustainable relationship and that will only be possible if the business community here are our partners.

There are no immediate profits. We are not here to cut them but to do business with them.” She said locals now had the opportunity to interact in one day in Trinidad with more Indian business people than if they had visited India. “We want a prolonged, sustainable relationship, and they should make the most of it.”  Mrs Bhatnagar explained what advantages India-based businessmen could offer in sourcing items compared to Trinidad-based imp-orters, some whose shops she had inspected. She said: “We are here to showcase products with a difference. We who live in India can get into the nitty gritty. We are trying to get products straight from the weavers and producers which will be available to you from your local partners.”

Head of the trade delegation, Ajay Singh, reiterated Mrs Bhatnagar’s point saying: “We are not bringing hundreds of containers but just samples.We want to help not hurt our brothers (in Trinidad) who are in business. They can get better prices. Most are buying from the United States which is more costly than buying from the manufacturers (in India). Wholesalers and retailers (in Trinidad) are now going to have the connection with India.” Saying the visitors were bringing items like saris, which were exclusive in both craftsmanship and price, he said the goods to be displayed would be a small representation of what India had to offer. Singh explained why some delegates had been delayed in arriving. Not betraying whether he was half-joking or deadly serious, Singh said that several traders were experiencing problems ob-taining in-transit visas for the UK because they happened to be bachelors.

His remarks caused several chuckles and good-natured comments from females present about the desirability of Indian bachelors. High Commissioner Gupta said that unlike previous trade missions which focused on larger-scale areas like pharmaceuticals, information technology and tourism, this group offers consumer goods, to which Trinidad, he said, needed to be more sensitised. “India has acquired a very good reputation as a producer of quality goods at competitive prices.” Gupta lamented that some businessmen had experienced travel delays in reaching Trinidad via the UK, and he noted: “I met a gentleman just this afternoon who wants to create direct air connections between India and Trinidad and Tobago. He would receive my full support.” He said some 40 to 50 business people were among the delegation visiting Trinidad for ten days, but that only half the delegates had so far arrived. The trade fair opens today at the Divali Nagar site, Chaguanas.