Indian companies are supporting Qatar’s economic diversification, says envoy

Indian companies are keen to support and play a significant role in Qatar’s economic diversification, said Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal, who stressed that “it is a joint commitment” between Indian and Qatari businesses “to promote and keep up the pace.”“Many Indian companies are looking to participate in Qatar’s own vision of economic diversification,” the ambassador told reporters on the sidelines of ‘India Utsav 2022’ hosted by LuLu Hypermarket Ain Khaled branch.Mittal said, “Many new companies have registered in the Qatar Financial Centre and also in the free zones, so I'm sure we are seeing an upper movement as Qatar also undertakes its journey for economic diversification to look at new opportunities.”As one of the “fastest growing economies in the world,” Mittal said India’s quick recovery from the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to many opportunities with Qatar.“We have efforts to link up the private businesses on both sides, to set up a business council between India and Qatar, organise more events and exhibitions where businesses can come and showcase their products, and hold special festivals.“During the visit of India’s vice president, we had the India-Qatar Economic Forum, which gathered a wonderful participation from both sides; more than 40 Indian business houses were present at that time, and that kind of business exchange is something which we are looking to develop further,” Mittal explained.He also stressed that both countries are focusing on how to create a strong network for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from India and Qatar to ensure robust ties between both countries. “This is an opportunity to discuss manufacturing capabilities, so I'm sure there's a lot of scope and we're working together on these efforts,” Mittal emphasised.Mittal lauded LuLu Group for organising ‘India Utsav 2022’, which is simultaneously being celebrated in all LuLu Hypermarkets across Qatar and in other outlets in GCC countries.“It's a very special moment for every Indian to be celebrating the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, and LuLu has been a very important part and parcel of promoting ‘brand India’ here and in the GCC.“LuLu has been playing a very important role in terms of contributing to the food security of Qatar, so during some challenging times over the past few years, LuLu has stepped up and contributed immensely,” Mittal stressed.He also said the 2022 FIFA World Cup is an opportunity for the Indian expatriate community in Qatar to express support for this international event, which is slated this November and December.“Considering the uniqueness of the World Cup, every Indian here is supportive of the efforts of their host country, Qatar, to have a very memorable and unique World Cup. There's a lot of support. Over 50,000 Indian volunteers have registered and are also looking at how they can promote cultural diversity and participate in the cultural mill.“I'm sure that the 2022 FIFA World Cup will produce thousands of Indian fans who will come here and see for themselves how Qatar is progressing and the opportunities that it will showcase to them, and I'm sure that it will also enable further exchange of people and tourism between the two countries,” Mittal added.