Shippers’ Academy organises workshop on shipping to and from India

Trade with India is increasing and will further increase due to bilateral relationships, Free Trade Agreements (FTA), proximity and probable agreement on CEPA.

The Sri Lankan industry has great potential to access the Indian market and reach over a billion people with products as well as services.

India should be looked as a major opportunity and certainly not as a negative factor at all when global trade is considered and the importance to Sri Lanka as a small economy. If the two countries work closely, the minute problems that occurred in the past and present with the FTA could be resolved with better cooperation and understanding.

In the recent months we have seen India as a regional power has increased its cooperation with other nations and the most recent was a bilateral arrangement with Malaysia. It is also understood that India will work towards a FTA with the European Union.

In this context the creative and innovate Lankan businessman could play an important role for the national economy of Sri Lanka, by expanding their business activities working with Indian businesses and use India as a platform to expand regional and global trade

The Shippers’ Academy is of the opinion that Sri Lanka could be playing the role of Hong Kong to China concept when it comes to India, where the country could develop as a mega service hub specifically for the Southern Indian states and at the same time allow local manufacturers to enter the Indian market in business models that would suit to operate in that market.

In this background, the Shippers’ Academy has organised a seminar on 10 August 2011 at the Ceylon Continental Hotel, to address some of the issues related to exports and imports and logistics when doing business with India.

A successful Sri Lankan company that operates in India as a major freight forwarder and a logistics provider, namely Expolanka, will be flying in two experts from their company to talk to the Sri Lankan business community on various aspects of doing business with India, which will include ports, customs, documentation, internal transportation, duties and geographic information.

Most importantly the speakers will also highlight the “dos and don’ts” and the processes involved in successfully handling logistics aspects in and out of India.

The Shippers’ Academy Colombo invites exporters, importers, service providers, bankers, insurance companies and parties planning to do business with India in the future to come and listen to this presentation.

For registration information, please contact the Shippers’ Academy Colombo on: 2874065 or 0773820703 or e-mail: [email protected].