INDIA - The largest Hong Kong exhibition to be held in India kicked off at the Mumbai Grand Hyatt Exhibition Ground on October 28.
The first-ever Mumbai Lifestyle Expo is a three-day event from 28-30 October organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the department of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation from Guangdong Province. It aims to boost cooperation at a government and business level for trade in select emerging markets.
HKTDC assistant executive director, Raymond Yip (pictured), said the Lifestyle Expo was among a range of initiatives launched to promote business with Hong Kong. It follows a similar Lifestyle Expo in Warsaw in September.
“The Lifestyle Expo held in Warsaw last month and the upcoming event in Mumbai prove that the Council’s efforts in the Polish and Indian markets are entering a new stage for action,” Yip said. The inaugural Lifestyle Expo in Mumbai features 160 Hong Kong and Guangdong exhibitors and targets the gift, house wares, consumer electronics, apparel and accessories markets.
“Known as one of the BRIC countries along with Brazil, Russia and China, India showed its economic competitiveness in the second quarter of this year when it posted a strong 8.8 per cent GDP growth,” Yip said. “With the second-largest population in the world, India and its middle-class families are becoming a consumer force that cannot be ignored.
“The HKTDC expects the event to further accelerate Indian trade with Hong Kong as well as support Hong Kong small- and medium-sized businesses trying to expand business in the Indian market.”
According to an HKTDC survey of 500 Hong Kong companies conducted in the last quarter of 2009, 65 per cent said they would or probably would tap emerging markets other than the Chinese mainland.
Last month, UBM announced Mumbai will also host its new Jewellery and Gem Fair by the end of next year.
