Fourth India-Europe 29 Business Forum
The fourth India-Europe 29 Business Forum (IE29BF) took place in New Delhi from 5-6 March 2018. The Forum was created for the first time in 2014 by Ministry of External Affairs and Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce (FICCI) to provide an institutionalized platform for promoting business exchanges between India and the twenty nine countries of Central Europe region. While the Forum is primarily meant to promote Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, it receives significant participation by Government officials.
The theme of IE29BF 2018 was ‘Synergising Economic Vision for Expanded Relations’. The focus sectors for the Forum were “Industry 4.0 : Defining India-Europe 29 Cooperation through Developing Innovation Eco-system in Hi-Tech Manufacturing and Skilling & transforming Human Capital in India”, “Promoting E-Governance through ICT technology & inviting Europe 29 Expertise for digitalization of Healthcare sector in India” and “Collaborating to develop 100 Smart Cities in India : Innovative urban transport solutions and clean technologies to define India-Europe 29 future partnership”. For IE29BF 2018, Czech Republic was the ‘Focus Country’. Eighteen other European countries participated in the Forum. The Forum received 180 business delegates and officials from European countries and 200 business delegates from India.
Shri MJ Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs, delivered the keynote address at the Inaugural Session of the Forum. Smt Ruchi Ghanashyam, Secy(West) delivered the keynote address at the Valedictory Session. There was Ministerial participation from two European countries, with Mr Carmelo Abela, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Promotion of Malta and Mr. Tomáš Hüner, Minister of Industry and Trade of Czech Republic joining the Forum. Serbia, Slovenia and Bulgaria participated at the level of Deputy Minister/State Secretary with Mr. Bogdan Igic, State Secretary for Agriculture of Serbia, Mr Iztok Mirošič, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and Mr. Aleksandar Manolev, Deputy Minister of Economy of Bulgaria joining as well.
