'Project state BIHAR as mkt destination'

PATNA: German consul general in Kolkata Guenter Wehrmann has appealed to industrialists and traders of the state to project Bihar as a market destination for promotion of Indo-German trade. Eastern India has been sought to be promoted as the market destination, he said. Addressing state industrialists and traders at an interactive session at Bihar Industries Association (BIA) office here on Tuesday, Wehrmann said the Eastern India is a terrific tourism destination and Bihar must go the whole hog to market its tourism potential by first getting an entry into the “Incredible India”.

He said that German export to India were quality capital equipment and power plants. In return, Germany offers a huge market for quality tea, spices and farm produce, he said adding that Bihar should explore the export market to Germany in this regard. For this, entrepreneurs should find out good business partners in Germany for which the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and German representatives in Delhi would be of help, he added. Regional language counsellor of Max Muller Bhawan, New Delhi, Michael Flucht said a German Cultural Centre may be opened shortly in Patna.

German instructors would be sent to the centre to teach German language here, he said. Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) regional director B G Roy dwelt on trade and cooperation promoted by the IGCC among the Indian and German entrepreneurs and the importance of trade fairs in Germany. He said Bihar can participate at the Hanover trade fair. Bihari entrepreneurs should learn the art and explore the opportunity of trade and cooperation with Germany by attending its important trade fairs first, he said. Bihar should showcase its tourist sites at the international fair on tourism held in Berlin every year under the name ITB, Roy added.

There is tremendous scope of development of food processing industry in Bihar in joint collaboration with German entrepreneurs who could also provide expertise, he added. BIA president, K P Jhunjhunwala said that investment opportunities have opened in Bihar under its “investment friendly” industrial policy-2006. Big private investments in infrastructure specially in power generation, power transmission and distribution, road and social infrastructure like education health and housing are required here.