IMC to hold 'India Calling' Conference in Johannesburg

Mumbai, Feb 9 (UNI) The Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) will hold the 'India Calling' Conference 2007 at Johannesburg from August 1 to Aug 3.

IMC President Nayan Patel announced the decision at a meeting which included a large number of IMC's Managing Committee members recently.

The meeting was addressed by Vice-president Niraj Bajaj and Govin Reddy, Country Manager (India), International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC-SA), and Rehaan Ebrahim, South Africa's Vice-Consul (Political) in Mumbai.

He said the conference would not only seek to address the 1.1 million Indian diaspora settled in South Africa, but also those millions settled in half a dozen neighbouring countries, a release here said.

Govin Reddy said the South African government considered India to be among the few countries in the world with whom its destiny was organically linked. ''It was for this reason that his country set up office of International Marketing Council of South Africa (IMC-SA) in India, soon after opening such offices in US and UK. The next office will be set up in China,'' he said.

He observed, ''It was not for nothing that the President of China visited South Africa twice in the past two months. Unlike any other country, South Africa offers a strategic economic opportunity to vast market of continental size. The business environment is very hospitable and Indian-friendly.'' Rehaan Ebrahim said, ''South Africa has a well-oiled government machinery, and a businessman can set up a company within 48 hours by directly approaching the Directorate of Commerce and Industry. Over the years, 30 major Indian business groups have set up companies there and all are flourishing.'' UNI