Tamil Nadu Industries Minister M.C. Sampath said the State can be a prime destination for the Czech Republic’s defence manufacturing.
“During these times of crisis, new relationships must be built and existing ones should be strengthened,” said Mr. Sampath.
He was speaking at a virtual conference, ‘Indo Czech Executive Round Table: Doing Business with Tamil Nadu’, organised by The Southern India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).
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Mr. Sampath said pharma is another sector with such potential. “With changing global pharmaceutical supply and manufacturing chains, Czech Republic can count on Tamil Nadu as an alternate, credible source of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (APIs),” he added.
The Minister also highlighted the State’s strengths in automobile and auto components, electronics, information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services.
Martina Tauberova, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade for EU Affairs and Foreign Trade, Government of the Czech Republic, said India is the most important partner in Asia and there is a long history of collaboration. She also noted that Tamil Nadu and Czech Republic share many strengths, including in traditional industries like engineering, automotive sector, textile and agriculture. “Based on this synergy, we can certainly launch new initiatives and new ways of our enhanced co-operation,” she said.
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In his keynote address, Milan Hovorka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in India, said he is hopeful that Tamil Nadu will return to its pre-COVID-19 status soon due to its aggressive testing strategy.
Ar Rm Arun, President, SICCI and Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Chennai, said that Tamil Nadu is planning to attract investments worth $10 bn in the next 5-10 years, and business opportunities include automotive, advanced engineering, energy, electronics, IT, healthcare, textiles and beverages, and defence.