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Speech by His Excellency Mr. Sailas Thangal, Ambassador of India at the Inauguration of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cote d'Ivoire on February 13, 2020.

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Excellency HE Mr Souleymane Diarrasouba Minister of Commerce and Industry,

Excellency Mr Faman Toure President Cote d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce

Mr Raja Chandra Sekharan President Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry in CI

Captains of Business houses from India and Cote d’Ivoire.

 

Bonsoir, Good evening, Namaskar, Vanakum, Salam Alaikum & Akwaba.

 

It is my singular honour and pleasure that I welcome each and every one of you to this evening’s event.  The day when Indian community business leaders have come together to promote India-Cote d’Ivoire Trade and Investment ties to a higher level by working together.

The world is interconnected and business in Cote d’Ivoire is not an exception. By forming the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Indian business in Cote d’Ivoire have come together to improve their value, visibility and credibility by sharing news and information, news ideas and the best practices in the market. By doing so, Members of the ICCI-CI would become better connected with the markets they serve.

The world’s market has become more competitive, quality of products and services have improved. Each business would face challenges especially when your offer is not the only option available. However, even under these circumstances, networking and communications are vital to establish your company name as a demanded brand.

Dear friends let us not only look at the piece of cake on the table but exchange info and ideas to create more bigger cakes then the existing cake. Building your brand and increasing sales is nothing but creating new cake not dividing the cake on the table. Whether you're new to the local community or a veteran company that has been around for decades, your reputation grows as you engage in other influential entities within your community. The more connected you become more likely that you would grow faster and bigger. So, the best way to spread the word about your business is by making connections. That's why I would urge all to join the organisation as active members. 

The general responsibilities of a Chamber invariably include advocating and influencing policy decisions that are within business interests of all members, such as labour laws, tax and business regulations. So, the Chamber become an important connect with the government and regulators. The Chambers does provide information through organized networking and services that can include legal, regulatory and tax compliance.

Chambers also hold regular networking events to allow members to exchange ideas, develop relationships and improve their professional network. Because of the interconnection through exchanges of information Chambers can also develop a robust trade dispute settlement mechanism which will go a long way in enhancing the confidence of business environment.

Marketing and advertising. As a member of a chamber, you have opportunity to connect with potential customers through various marketing mediums such as e-newsletters, publications, and websites.

  Therefore, my dear friends, today we are planting a beautiful seed, a seed which will sprout out to be a lovely tree and provide great fruit to enhance India-Cote d’Ivoire Trade and Investment.  I take this opportunity to congratulate each and every founding members of ICCI-CI for their contributions. I also very proud to be part of this process in realizing the functioning of ICCI-CI. The launching the ICCI-CI in Abidjan today is the culmination of efforts and contributions from various quarters.

Indeed, this is a beginning of an important journey in the India-Cote d’Ivoire Trade and Investment ties. I must tell you that this journey has huge potential to bring bilateral relations and walk down the road of progress together.

With this let me also take this opportunity to introduce the founding members and wish them best for the grand success of the organization.

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