‘Russia brings a large delegation for BGBS’

Kolkata: Russia has brought a large delegation of businesses which includes not just big business houses but also small and medium businesses for the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2023, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov said on Monday, during his first visit to the city.

He said that Russia is looking forward to capitalising on the focus of the state government on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME). The Russian Ambassador was impressed with the business environment of the city and said that the slogan ‘Bengal means business’ is clearly gaining momentum.

He further added that close cooperation between Russian companies and the State in mining is in progress as identified in last year’s BGBS. In the state, Russian-manufactured equipment was being used for underground mining and it was in the areas of MSME that Russia was collaborating

with the state.

Alipov was the chief guest on a session organised by the Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry discussing the economic cooperation between the two countries. The session was also attended by the Russian Consul General in Kolkata Alexey M. Idamkin and Chinese Consul General in Kolkata Zha Liyou.

Alipov said that the Russian market is open for Indian companies to explore investment and bilateral trade opportunities. He suggested that Indian businesses explore automobile, electrical, retail, pharmaceuticals, and hospitality sectors in Russia. He advised companies to get in touch with the Russian Trade office in New Delhi where many Russian companies are searching for Indian tie-ups. Similarly, Russian companies are interested in investing in India’s oil & gas, petrochemicals, metallurgy, agriculture, and ICT sectors.