INDIA-MALAYSIA TRADE SET TO EXCEED US$10 BLN THIS YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 24 (Bernama) -- Trade between India and Malaysia is
expected to exceed US$10 billion (US$1=RM3.38) this year as there are vast
investment opportunities in both countries, Indian High Commissioner to
Malaysia, Ashok K. Kantha, said Wednesday.

He said for 2006/07 it grew by 29.41 percent to US$8.53 billion from
US$747.64 in 2006/07. For the first seven months of this year, bilateral trade
amounted to US$6.2 billion.

Kantha said India was looking at increasing its share in Malaysia's total
imports of engineering items, currently at less than three percent.

"We hope to increase the share with the help of the Indian Engineering
Exhibition (INDEE 2008) which will provide more investment opportunities," he
told a media briefing on the exhibition here Wednesday.

He said INDEE 2008 would help Indian engineering industry showcase its
strengths and capabilities and led to productive and beneficial tie-ups with
counterparts in Malaysia.

INDEE 2008 is organised by the Engineering Export Promotion Council of
India.

The exhibition, which will start from Thursday till Sept 27 at Putra World
Trade Centre, will help develop ties between Indian and Malaysian counterparts
for sourcing inputs/intermediates from Malaysia for Indian industrial
units.

It will also help open up business possibilities and long-term tie-ups,
including joint ventures.

EEPC chairman, Rakesh Shah, said INDEE 2008 would showcase products and
technologies from large segments of engineering industry including agricultural
implements, automotive components, basic metals and products, contruction and
earthmoving equipment, domestic appliances, electrical machinery and transport
equipment.

Other products include food processing machinery, woodworking machinery,
fabricated metal products, instruments and miscellaneous products, he
said.

Shah said the exhibition was expected to attract over 10,000 visitors,
where 169 Indian companies, including large corporate houses, public sectors and
small and medium enterprices in the engineering sector, would
participate.

EEPC, an agency under Ministry of Commerce, helps promote exports of
engineering goods, projects, management and technical consultancy services from
India.