Belarus cos at IITF looking for partners in India

Aamir H Kaki

Belarus is the ‘Focus Country’ in the 36th edition of India International Trade Fair, being held from November 14 to 27. Many companies and industries from Belarus representing varied sectors such as textiles, education etc are exhibiting in IITF. Needless to say, they are looking for business opportunities and partnerships in India.

Tatsiana Matsiushonak, ConcernBellagrom, Republic of Belarus and a cooperation specialist in the Foreign Economic Relations Department, spoke to The Dollar Business about possible opportunities that exist in the textile, apparel and footwear sector of Belarus.

“We are here for the first time. We are representing the interests of the textile, apparel and footwear industry of our country. We are looking for possible partners and  would also like to develop a relationship with the Indian market,” she said.

Matsiushonak expressed keen interest in the Indian textile industry. She said, “We know that India is leading in the textile industry. But Belarus too has varied textile items that could interest the Indians. For example, we have a wide variety of linen products that are quite exclusive to our country.”

When asked about investment opportunities she said, “We are open to any kind of cooperation which is mutually beneficial, be it in manufacturing or investment. Like I said earlier, we have some exclusive fabrics, like linen, which can be used in upholstery or apparels. Business in readymade apparel is tough and we don’t see much scope in that area. But an opportunity in linen is what we are looking forward and I'm confident that something could happen there.”

Alena Kasyanik, who is representing the Ministry of Education of Belarus, said, “I am pleased that India has invited our country to participate in this fair. I am awestruck seeing the enormous size of the fair.”

 Alena was pleased and excited to see different Indian states showcasing their unique items and added, “this provides a good opportunity for Belarus to showcase its products and to find good partners.”

On the education front, Kasyanik stated there are a lot of educational opportunities for Indian students in Belarus and acknowledged the presence of Indian students in Belarus universities.

When asked about a possible partnership in the education sector, she said, “We are trying in that direction. We are happy to see that many Indians are keen to study in our universities and hope that some kind of a collaboration will happen on that front soon. We hope to see an increase in Indian students in our country."