Published: on 04 Jun 2012
INDIA is as synonymous with Shah Rukh Khan, or is it Shah Rukh Khan that is synonymous with India? As an avid Bollywood fan myself, I have not only enjoyed his films but tears have also rolled down my cheeks whenever he takes on centre stage!
India has definitely taken its film industry to a new epitome of success and given Bollywood a new flavour.
Today, Bollywood has not only evolved but has also bravely gone beyond its shores and endorsed London as its new hub since 2007.
Looking at this new era and encouraging perspective, it is undeniable that India has come a long way since their chaotic Cold War period.
Mutual interest has given the advantage to India in becoming Asean's full dialogue partner during the fifth Asean Summit in Bangkok in 1995.
As far as l can recall, since 2002, India and Asean have been organising summit-level meetings on an annual basis.
The continued buoyancy in trade figures further deepened ties between India and Asean. According to India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 2009-2010 trade between India and Asean was worth US$20.19 billion (RM64 billion).
I have always believed that Asean foresees India as an emerging power in Asia and that there is a lot that the grouping can gain from India's rapid development, especially in the services sector.
Taking a step back and looking at Malaysia's own experience, bilateral economic relationship with India has been moving in a steady cadence.
Malaysia has been a huge source of foreign direct investments (FDI) for India. In fact, Malaysia, as a single country, is the 25th largest overall foreign investor in India, while it is the third largest investor among Asean member countries in India, with a total trade inflow of US$252.97 million (RM804 million) between April 2000 and March 2010.
In our effort to explore the bountiful trade opportunities between Asean and India, SME Corp Malaysia will be organising the Asean-India SME Conference that will provide a whole spectrum of updates, information and approaches on business, trade and investment potential between Asean and India.
In line with this year's theme, "Breaking Barriers, Building Success", this event will serve as an avenue and platform for successful business networking, reinforcing collaboration among Asean SMEs as well as creating awareness and enhancing the understanding on rules and regulations of doing business in India as well as Asean member countries.
This not-to-be-missed conference is being planned with the intention to inspire, create and leverage on opportunities that are abound in the two regions for top global businesses.
With a fast pace growing economies, together with exciting, boundless prospects, Asean and India are on the path to accelerate their developments and do much more to strengthen partnerships and collaboration in future years.
In this regard, l strongly believe that the Asean-India SME Conference 2012 will be focusing on this exclusive relationship, to reduce or eliminate any barriers and to collectively formulate strategies on how entrepreneurs can better promote Asean-India economic ties.
Having said that, all entrepreneurs out there, don't forget to mark your dates on June 21 and 22. Yes, the conference is held back-to-back with SME Corp's annual showcase - "Smidex 2012" at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
This time round, the SME Annual Showcase will feature an innovative lifestyle concept, bringing in new elements of an exhibition, served with a whole new breath.
The conference, which is the highlight of Smidex, will also be officiated by our Numero Uno Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
There will be five sessions in total, covering various aspects, from business relationship to creative industry. Many speakers from highly- achieved backgrounds namely Mr Shri R.K Mathur, Secretary Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, India, will be sharing his thoughts with us.
And, watch out for Datuk Seri Farid Ridzuan, always known for being the man behind the screens (no pun intended) as well as in the entertainment industry as a whole. We decided to feature him as one of the stars to share his wealth of experience in that area.
I am certainly thrilled and look forward to welcoming you in person to the Asean-India SME Conference!
Datuk Hafsah Hashim is the chief executive officer of Small and Medium Enterprises Corporation Malaysia (SME Corp Malaysia)
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