Business summit to be held in May, in South Africa.
A gala meet was held at the Garware Club in Mumbai on Jan. 10th, at which the Governor of Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, Vidyasagar Rao, inaugurated the launch of GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce (GICC}.
Applauding the formation of GICC, Rao expressed confidence that GICC will have the most fruitful and fulfilling engagement and will play a big role in the future of India and in connecting businesses in India with Diaspora businesses.
Addressing GOPIO delegates, Rao said, “Success of overseas Indians are due to their hard work and determination and you are making significant contribution to your adopted countries and at the same contributing to India.”
Rao also suggested GOPIO to have an active women’s wing and a network for Indian youth and young professionals.
Global Organization of the People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), currently headquartered in New York, was founded by some NRIs in 1989 and have developed 70 chapters in 30 countries around the world. They established at its General Body meeting in June 2016 in New York, a GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce to function worldwide as a networking organization for Indian businesses in the Diaspora.
Indian diaspora, 30 million strong and well established over many decades, has also established over three million businesses overseas. These overseas business ventures by People of Indian Origin represent the true entrepreneurial spirit of the Indian people.
GICC through its networking and educational efforts and by eventually establishing chapters in various countries and many key cities throughout the world, wishes to encourage these businesses to harness their energies towards mutual advancement and benefit, according to a press release.
Such initiatives, it is believed, will also assist and support the very massive transformation taking place in India today. India will hopefully benefit from massive inputs from People of Indian Origin. Many new business growth opportunities will likely present themselves to the Diaspora Indians and to Resident Indians for mutual benefits, it said.
The program was hosted by the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra and was organized by GOPIO Advisor Advocate Raj K. Purohit, MLA, who is Chief Whip of Maharashtra Assembly.
“This is a great initiative to connect Indian businesses to the Indian Diaspora businesses, entrepreneurs and technologists,” said Purohit.
FAM President Vinesh Mehta and GICC-Mumbai Chapter Coordinator Suresh Chokhanji welcomed the guests.
GOPIO President Niraj Baxi said that with 70 chapters in 30 Countries, GOPIO is uniquely positioned globally to connect Diaspora Indians and businesses with India and the world.
GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham sad, “GOPIO International is the most networked Indian Diaspora organization which is a brand, and unlike other chambers, GOPIO International Chamber of Commerce (GICC) will cater to the Indian Diaspora businesses and entrepreneurs and will be the only globally networked Indian Chamber of Commerce.”
GOPIO Executive VP Noel Lal, based in Sydney, Australia said, “there are many developments and joint venture opportunities available in the Pacific Theatre and Indian companies can work with the Diaspora businesses to benefit from all the vast opportunities available.”
GICC Co-Chair Prakash Shah envisages a mushrooming of collaborative efforts among Diaspora and between Diaspora and Indian businesses that will assist further the transformative changes taking place in India to propel it as the dominant economy of the 21st Century –what PM Modi has called the ‘Century of India’.
Nitin Shah, former chairman of Asian American Hotel Owners Association and co-chair of GICC described the numerous ways in which GICC will integrate Diaspora businesses by forming chapters in many countries and in all the key cities of the world and by offering networking opportunities so that in future Indian companies can be the world leaders.
The program ended with a vote of thanks by GICC-Mumbai co-coordinator Vinod Juneja.
GOPIO International has planned a Global Indian Business summit May 0-12, 2017, in Durban, South Africa.