India Exclusive
11 February 2010
Welcoming ceremony
Meeting with teh Maharastra Governor, Kateekal Sankaranarayanan on the first day of his Mumbai visit, President Gül also attended a dinner given by the governor.
On the second day of his schedule, President Gül attended the morning session of the Mumbai Stock Exchange and opened the Turkish Consulate General to Mumbai.
Before opening the morning session, President Gül expressed his pleasure to be visiting Asia’s oldest stock exchange and pointed out the dynamism of the Indian economy, recalling that it has grown by some 9% recent years.
Stock Exchange - Opening session
BREAKFAST WITH LEADING BUSINESSMEN
President Gül attended a breakfast with a group of 20 leading Indian businessmen. During this working breakfast, President Gül called on them to make investments in Turkey.
“WE WILL SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY”
Delivering a speech at the Turkish-Indian Business Forum, President Gül drew attention to the huge potential between the two countries and affirmed: “We will seize this opportunity.”
President Abdullah Gül attended the Turkish-Indian Business Forum held in Mumbai.
He recalled that the word “dost” means friend in both Turkish and Hindu, and declared Turkey and India to be friendly countries with democratic values and free market economies.
President Gül predicted that, in 10 years’ time, 25% of world production would be made in India. He added that India with its 9% growth rate in 2009 was a country of great opportunity which would make a valuable contribution to the world economy.
“We are happy that the Indian administration has invited Turkish businessmen to invest in India, where half of the total 500 billion dollar infrastructure investment will be made in the construction sector,” said the President.
Drawing attention to the advantages of investing in Turkey, President Gül insisted that because its economy have been protected during the last economic crisis, Turkey has proven to be a safe country in which to invest. He pointed out that the international grading institutions have twice raised its grade. He continued: “Our energy, industrial and service sectors and our R&D laws and encouragement to invest have made Turkey an attractive proposition. I would like to express my pleasure at being informed that the results of the cooperation meetings on energy, construction, tourism and telecommunication are successful.”
“STRENGTH DOES NOT COME FROM PHYSICAL CAPACITY. IT COMES FROM AN INDOMITABLE WILL”
Calling on both Turkish and Indian businessmen to do business in both countries, President Gül informed his audience that both countries were urging them on, and he promised that they would not encounter any bureaucratic obstacles. Ending his speech, President Gül quoted from Gandhi: “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
President Abdullah Gül had a brief exchange with the Turkish reporters in Mumbai following his visit.
Both countries, insisted the President, have been homes to great civilisations in their respective histories and he pointed out the historic connections between Turkey and India, where their Turkic ancestors had left their traces.
Turkish-Indian Business Forum
GREAT OPPORTUNITES FOR TURKISH CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
Reiterating that India had allocated half of its new investment worth 500 billion dollars to the construction sector, President Gül urged Turkish businessmen to seize this opportunity. He also underlined the importance of the talks between Bollywood and the Turkish movie sector (Yeşilçam), adding that the first new Turkish-Indian dictionary had been promoted during his gathering with the Turkish expatriates.
President Gül further declared that the THY (Turkish Airlines) plans to launch flights to Hyderabad, Calcutta and Madras soon.
On the second day of his visit to Mumbai, the financial centre of India, President Gül held talks with leading Indian businessmen and film makers before attending a dinner given by Çelebi Holding, a successful Turkish conglomerate which provides airport cargo and ground handling services, amongst other services.
OPENING OF THE TURKISH CONSULATE GENERAL IN MUMBAI
The First Couple was welcomed with flowers by Indian children on their arrival at the Consulate General of Turkey.
President Gül later opened the Consulate General of Turkey in Mumbai where the Turkish Ambassador to India, Levent Bilman and the Turksih Consula General to Mumbai briefed the President about their activities in the country.
Meeting with the Turkish expatriates and students residing in Mumbai, President Gül listened to their concerns and offered his thanks to them for representing Turkey there.
Opening of Turkish General Consulate in Mumbai – President with Turkish expatriates
President’s Receptions
INDIAN WIPRO MIGHT INVEST IN TURKEY
President Gül received Azim Prejmi, the President of WIPRO, India’s biggest and the world’s leading software company, and invited him to invest in Turkey, assuring him of his support if he did so. Azim Prejmi promised to send a delegation to Turkey, and said they might establish a techno park there if everything went well with their business in that country.
ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN MARKET VIA TURKEY
Later, the President received Sushil Handa, the President of Claris Lifesciences, a leading pharmaceuticals company. President Gül invited Handa also to do business in Turkey through which he would gain access to the European market.
President Gül later held talks with Sundeep Waslekar, the President of the Strategic Foresight Group, a highly reputed research centre and think tank in India which contributed to the activities of the Alliance of Civilisations.
Afterwards, he hosted a dinner in which he chatted with Rafiq Gangjee, the Vice President of Yash Raj Films, one of India’s prominent film production companies.
During his talk with Rafiq Gangjee, President Gül referred to the cultural interaction between Turkey and India and claimed that this interaction could be used to create definite cooperation between the two. Gangjee also agreed to consider how they might establish a mode of cooperation with Turkish film producers.
Mumbai
Historic and touristic sites in Mumbai
