Dubai emerging as gateway for Indian ICT products: ESC India Chief

An ICT delegation of the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) led by its chairman, Sandeep Narula, recently called on Mohammad Al Kamali, deputy CEO of Dubai Exports to discuss the opportunities and areas of further cooperation in the electronics and IT sector. Kamal Vachani, regional director and Gurmeet Singh, executive director of ESC, also accompanied the chairman as part of the delegation which met Mohammad Al Kamali. The ESC delegation impressed on the visiting dignitary the faster pace of progress made by India in the ICT sector, thanks to some of the proactive schemes followed by the present dispensation in India.

”His excellency was very receptive to various suggestions made by us to further strengthen the positioning of Dubai as the gateway for Indian ICT products exports to the Middle East and Africa since Indian ICT products have cost and quality advantages as compared to products being imported from other regions. Also, we highlighted how the Indian ICT segment is fast getting integrated to the global supply chains, and the increased pace of relocations of global ICT giants to take advantage of the various incentives and facilities being extended by the Government of India,” said Narula.

The delegation also visited Expo 2020 Dubai, where India is keen to mark the 75th anniversary of the Indian Independence. The pavilion at Expo is likely to observe a ‘Technology Week’ during January 2022 and the council is exploring the possibilities of sponsoring a visit of Indian companies to visit the Expo site during this period.

The other important meeting of the ESC delegation was with Omar Khan, director of International Offices at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, which was used to convey to him the swift policy changes that are taking place in India to attract more investments and to empower the Indian ICT segment.

“We have explained how the ICT sector was insulated from the impact of the pandemic in India and the impressive strides being made by the sector, particularly in the segments of e-retailing, financial services, and net-banking, thanks to the high voltage digitisation programs being pursued by the government,” Gurmeet Singh, executive director of ESC India said.

According to India’s Niti Aayog, the top policy making apparatus, Indian ICT sector is poised to reach $500 billion by 2025, and a considerable part of this volume will be exported. India’s software exports including IT enabled services have surged to $150 billion.

Given proper policy support and by creating a conducive ecosystem, India’s electronics and computer hardware can make considerable headway in the coming years and the cooperation between Indian and UAE shall witness newer heights, added Kamal Vachani, regional director of ESC.