Polish Companies Look for Business Partners in Various Sectors in India

Mumbai, May 10, 2010: India, China and Brazil are expected to become the world's most dominant economic powers in the 21st century. The concept of "the Third World" has ended in 2009, and no more valid in 2010. In view of this, business houses in Poland and other countries in Europe have been eager to build strong industrial and trade ties with India, China and Brazil, according to Mr Janusz Bylinski, Consul-General of Poland.

Mr Bylinski was addressing an interactive meeting between members of Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC) and a six-member business delegation from Wielkopolska in Poland at IMC May 7. The delegation was led by Ms Anna Kalata, Vice-President of India-Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industries.

The delegation included : Gembiak Mikstacki Company's directors, Mr Wieslaw Gembiak and Mr Pawel Mikstacki; Inter-Food Poland Co's CEO Mr Jerzy Filipiak; Geo-Bud co's owner Mr Krzysztof Wojciechowski; Sparta co's President Mr Kazimierz Pastwa; Trade Company's President, Mr Boleslaw Skorupski; and Polagro Co's executive Ms Katarzyna Milskiewicz.

The IMC President, Mr Gul Kripalani, welcomed the Consul-General and members of the delegation. Besides Mr Kripalani, other leading lights of the IMC who interacted with the delegation members were: Mr Anil Ruia, Chairman of IMC's International Trade Committee, Mr Suresh Kotak, IMC's past President, Mr G Chandrashekhar, Chairman of IMC's Agri-Business & Food Processing Industry, and Mr Arvind Pradhan, IMC's Director-General.

Mr Kripalani said that India was committed to strengthening the bilateral relations with Poland, "because its strategic geographic location makes it the gateway for Indian goods and services to the vast EU and CIS markets. Poland is the largest trading partner and export destination in Central Europe. The two-way trade between India and Poland was already in excess of $one billion per annum, particularly in key sectors like textiles, defence, heavy engineering, mining, IT, agro-food processing etc.

He said the IMC's Committee on B-to-B would be eager to assist the Polish companies interested in finding Indian business partners.

Initiating discussions, Mr Bylinski said, "The members of this Polish delegation represent many small and medium enterprises from various sectors such as agro industries, real estate, textiles, construction, and infrastructure.. They have come to Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, scouting for joint venture business partners, for identifying opportunities to do imports and exports of machinery, goods and services, and for transfer of technologies as well as knowhow."

Ms Anna Kalata said that her Chamber, set up in 2008, was focussed on increasing two-way trade, investment, technology transfer and business collaboration between India and Poland. "We will be bringing many more polish business delegations to India soon," she said.

Ms Katarzyna Milskiewicz said her company, Polagro Sp.z.o.o ( www.zaniemysl.com) , was engaged in development of its own or third-party land for sales and /or co-investments in the residential, industrial, logistic, leisure, hotel buildings, gas stations and commercial sectors.

Among some of its projects under implementation were: * Some construction projects in Illinois, USA. * Agricultural business, which included production of grass, animal forage (hay, silage) and biofuels ( on a total of 1000 hectares of meadows and pastures).* Development of residential investments, * Rental of summer bungalows in its resort in Zaniemysl, Poland * Manufacturing of instant foods. * Manufacturing of technical liquids (containers of 1000 liters + mixing and bottling plant + warehouses), and * R & D in energy generation, fire safety systems, food formulations.

"In India our company is looking for investors and business partners who will be interested in developing our investment areas, such as ca. 1000 hectares of meadows and pastures, manufacturing and distribution of our formulations, instant foods and soups, as well as manufacturing and distributing power generators ( suitable for isolated locations)", Ms Katarzyna Milskiewicz said.

Mr Kazimierz Pastwa said that his company, Sparta (www.sparta.com.pl ) was a distributor of locks, handles, hinges, gaskets, padlocks, and such metal fittings for windows, doors and fences , as well as those needed for gardening and locksmith tools.

"I am in India looking for opportunities to promote export and import of all these metal fittings as well as gardening and locksmith tools. We have set a target of $10 million turnover for next year," he said.

Mr Boleslaw Skorupski said his organization , Trade Company, Sp. zo.o. was engaged in trading cast iron items such as weights and supports, used as tractor accessories. "I am here in India for contacting foundries with an annual capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 tonnes. I want to meet such foundry owners and manufacturers of grey iron castings with production lines, capable of producing items weighing 40 to 60 kg and manual production of items weighing 600 to 2,500 kg, Indeed, they should also have facilities for painting the castings."

Mr Jerzy Filipiak said that his company, Inter-Food Poland was a manufacturer of sophisticated modules of kitchen equipment and was looking for opportunities for export the products to India and also to manufacture them in joint venture in countries like India.

Mr Wieslaw Gembiak said that his company was engaged in the business of construction, including the highways, and was looking for opportunities in India. Responding, Mr Anil Ruia said that India was now building a large network of highways, "and only those companies with a huge capital base would be able to venture into this business."

Mr Chandrashekhar said two decades ago India was importing rapeseed oil from Poland on a large scale. India was still a major consumer of rapeseed oil. In view of this, exporters from Poland could explore possibilities of exporting rapeseed oil to this country.

"In addition, India would also like to import bio-diesel based on rapeseed oil from Poland, besides its technology and machinery for manufacturing it in joint venture with Polish partners," he said.