INDIA 2014

SPECIAL EDITION

INDIA

Traditional and Reliable Partner

2014

THE FOUR RELIGIONS born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population

HINDI IS THE NATIONAL language and primary tongue of 41% of the people. There are 22 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit

SRI RANGANATHASWAMY TEMPLE

THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area and the second-largest by population (1.2 billion) and most populous democracy in the world.

SINCE INDEPENDENCE, India has built 1.65 million kilometres of new roads, raised steel output 50 times and cement 20 times. It is now the world’s 2nd-largest cycle producer

DANCE IN INDIA has an unbroken tradition of over 2,000 years. Its themes are derived from mythology, legends and classical literature, two main divisions being classical and folk

INDIA IS A FEDERAL UNION of states comprising 29 states and 7 union territories.

The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on. The capital of India is New Delhi (population: over 22.65 million).

INDIA HAS THE WORLD'S LARGEST film industry.

More than 1,100 movies are produced, on average, each year - that's slightly ahead of Nigeria and twice as many as the American film industry .

THE INDIAN SERVICES and industry sectors are providing the required impetus to economic growth making it the 2nd fastest growing major economy in the world. The main contributors to the economy are: 16% agriculture, 29% industry and 55% services.

NEW DELHI

MUMBAI

Two Prime Ministers Greet Each Other

Narendra Modi Prime Minister Republic of India

Aleksandar Vučić Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

Belgrade: 24th May 2014

New Delhi: 6th June, 2014

Your Excellency,

Your Excellency,

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your party’s victory in the recent parliamentary elections in India and your election as Prime Minister of India.

I am convinced that relations between Serbia and India, based on mutual understanding and friendship, as well as on historic ties stemming from the Non-Aligned Movement, will be further strengthened and developed through comprehensive cooperation between our two countries.

I take this opportunity to convey my best wishes for your good health and wellbeing and for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of India.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Aleksandar Vučić His Excellency Narendra Modi

Thank you for your letter of May 24, 2014 and your good wishes on my party’s victory in the recently held parliamentary elections and my appointment as Prime Minister of India.

India values its relations with Serbia, which have traditionally been warm and friendly. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our ties in both existing and new areas of cooperation.

Excellency, I also learnt recently of the massive destruction and loss of lives caused by floods in Serbia. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.

You can count on India as a reliable partner in reconstruction activities following this disaster. As a gesture of goodwill, the Government of India has also provided some immediate financial assistance.

I take this opportunity to convey my best wishes for your personal health and well being and for the progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Serbia.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Prime Minister Republic of India

Narendra Modi His Excellency Aleksandar Vučić Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia

4 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 5

INTERVIEW H.E. NARINDER CHAUHAN, AMBASSADOR OF INDIA TO SERBIA

Traditional Ties Growing

Photograph: Vidoje Manojlović, Gloria

India's economic growth is expected to average 6.4% during the next 2-3 years, driven by the country's strong economic fundamentals, says H.E. Ambassador Narinder Chauhan

I

ndia launched its economic liberalisation programme about two decades ago and since then has recorded consistently high growth to become a trillion dollar economy, already the world’s third largest in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and eleventh largest by nominal gross domestic product (GDP).

The key to India’s development has been channelling government funding, as well as investment, into research and development, growth and innovation led by domestic demand etc. After achieving unprecedented growth exceeding nine per cent for three successive years between 2005-06 and 2007-08, India recovered swiftly from the global financial crisis of 2008-09.

■ In the past two decades India has developed into one of the world’s fastest growing economies. What forms the solid basis for economic growth in a country inhabited by over 1.2 billion people?

- India’s economic growth is expected to average 6.4% during the next 2-3 years, driven by the country’s strong economic fundamentals: high saving and investment rates, cost competitiveness, strong domestic consumption, rapid workforce growth, quickly expanding middle class and a shift from low-productivity agriculture to higher-productivity manufacturing. Accord-

India is expected to be the world's largest middle class consumer market by 2030, with aggregated consumer spending of nearly $13 trillion ing to a survey by global consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY), India is the most attractive investment destination in the world. The country is consistently ranked among the top three global investment destinations by all international bodies, including the World Bank. India’s GDP is expected to cross the five-trillion-dollar mark by 2020. Today India’s Forex reserves are about US$300 billion, while annual exports for 2013-14 were worth more than $312 billion.

6 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

■ All economic growth projections support the notion that India will be one of the world’s leading markets by 2030, with a stable social structure and high market purchasing power. What are the key reforms being implemented by the Government of India with the aim of achieving these goals?

- The Indian economy has tremendous potential and offers prospects of high profitability and a favourable regulatory regime for investors. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA), headed by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), formed a government in India on 26th May, after the BJP secured a majority (wining 282 of the 543 seats) in the Lok Sabha, the lower house, at the 2014 general elections. The government has highlighted its intention to introduce labour law reforms and review the land acquisition bill. The new Government has further liberalised FDI policy to make the market more investor friendly and to revert the growth rate to 8% in the next 3-4 years.

Economic growth is expected to pick up in fiscal year 2014-15 (April-March), thanks to the new government’s announcement of a boost in infrastructure spending and improved investor sentiment. Rapid movement in initiating key economic reforms and building infrastructure, a stable politi-

ECONOMY

BRICS

THE EMBASSY

The Indian economy has tremendous potential and offers prospects of high profitability and a favourable regulatory regime for investors.

India is a founding member of BRICS, an association of five major emerging national economies that also includes China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.

The Embassy of India is actively participating in commercial / business events in Serbia to brand India.

cal outlook and positive investor sentiment could revive the economy. The recent union budget confirmed plans to raise the cap on foreign direct investment in defence and insurance, from 26% to 49%. The Government has also announced a cut in subsidies and the introduction of the much-debated goods and services tax, in order to reduce the deficit and improve the business environment by simplifying the tax regime.

African raw material wealth. In which segments is the BRICS group distinct from the European Union, and where do the similarities lie?

- India is a founding member of BRICS, an association of five major emerging national economies including China, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. The BRICS members are

and H.E. Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, from 15th-16th July 2014 in Fortaleza and Brasilia. On 15th July, the first day of the summit in Fortaleza, the new Development Bank was launched with start-up capital of US$50 billion and a reserve fund worth $100 billion. The New Development Bank will be based in Shanghai and its first president will be from India, with a term of six years, followed by the other four countries for five years each. The Bank will assist in infrastructure development in the economies of the BRICS countries and other emerging & developing markets. The European Union, with a population of 500 million and nominal GDP of more than 16 trillion US dollars, is a major world player and a source of technology.

It has forged strategic partnerships with individual BRICS countries. The rise of BRICS furthers opportunities for cooperation.

■ With average GDP growth of around 8% annually, it is expected that during the coming decades India will catch up with the most developed countries in the world. Which industrial branches has India based this growth on?

- India is expected to be the world’s largest middle class consumer market by 2030 with an aggregated consumer spending of nearly US$13 trillion.

INDIAN PRIME MINISTER, H.E. NARENDRA MODI, SPEAKS AT THE Empowered by the State’s initiaBRICS 2014 SUMMIT tives and the relaxing of foreign ■ India is a founder or a member On 15th July, the first day of investment rules, sectors such as automoof almost all of the most important interbiles, construction, real estate, and retail national organisations. In this region people the summit in Fortaleza, the etc. have gone from strength to strength. still recall fondly the Non-Aligned Movenew Development Bank was A similar scenario is being unfolded in the ment, which India was also a founding memlaunched with start-up capital ber of. What’s the status of this movement telecommunications and insurance servicof US$50 billion and a reserve like today? es market segments. India has through its knowledge based economy become com- Yes, India is a founder or a member of fund worth $100 billion petitive in industries such as agriculture, most of the important international organipharmaceutical manufacturing, automo- distinguished by their large, fast-growing sations and the Non-Aligned Movement tive industry, IT and IT enabled services economies and significant influence on (NAM) has a special role to play. The world etc. India’s industrial economy is gathering regional and global affairs. The five BRICS has changed in fundamental ways since the momentum on the strength of improved countries represent almost three billion inception of the NAM. The founding princioutput of eight core sector industries - coal, people, with a combined nominal GDP of ples of the NAM are just as relevant today crude oil, refining, steel, cement, natural about US$16 trillion and an estimated $4 as they were half a century ago. The Movetrillion in combined foreign reserves. Mr ment continues to create political space for gas, fertilisers and electricity.

Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister its members to consider the issues of the ■ In addition to Russia, China, South Africa of India, wrapped up his first major mul- day on merit and not from the narrow prism and Brazil, India is an important member of tilateral visit to Brazil to attend the 6th of predefined positions or alignments. NAM the BRICS economic bloc. Many economists BRICS Summit. During that visit, he met has already succeeded in enshrining its core see huge potential in this market alliance, separately with H.E. Xi Jinping, President of principles - that of non-use of force, respect based on Indian and Chinese production China, H.E. Vladimir Putin, President of Rus- for sovereignty, territorial integrity, politicapacities and Russian, Brazilian and South sia, H.E. Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil, cal independence and security of all states INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 7

■ Despite being geographically distant, India and Serbia have continuity in good and friendly relations that have endured for decades. How do you assess today’s political bilateral cooperation between the two countries?

- India-Serbia relations are warm and friendly, drawing their strength from the shared values of Non-Alignment as the pillar of the foreign policy and the personal friendship of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Marshall Tito, the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. The time tested tradition of supporting each other on issues of core interest continues to this day. Serbia and India have a good track record of cooperation in multilateral forums, in terms of mutual support and reciprocal arrangements for elections in multilateral bodies. Serbia supported India’s candidature for a nonpermanent seat in the Security Council in 2011-12 and India has extended support to Serbia on the Kosovo issue whenever the matter came up at the United Nations. India supported the candidacy of Mr Vuk Jeremik, former Serbian Foreign Minister, as President of the UNGA in 2012-13 and Serbia’s candidature for ECOSOC for the 2014-16 term. Serbia supported the candidature of Mr Narinder Singh for re-election to the International Law Commission (2012-16), as well as voting for India at the elections in ICAO and for the position in the UN Board of Auditors. Serbia recently supported India for election to the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the term 2014-2018.

The Government of India extended financial assistance (US$100,000/-) as immediate relief from the disastrous effects of the catastrophic floods in Serbia in May 2014.

■ What should the Serbian government do in order to attract more investors from India?

- Augmentation of people to people contacts is a must to enhance business & tourism.

Liberalisation of the Serbian visa regime

for ordinary Indian passport holders could be a starting point. It is very important for Serbian delegations, both government and private, to visit India, while Indian delegations should also visit Serbia. The Serbian government has recently commenced the long-awaited economic reforms process by adopting the new Labour Law, as well as the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance.

to give momentum to bilateral relations and identify areas for the further enhancement of cooperation. These include the Agreement on Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments, Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Air Services Agreement, Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement, Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation, Agreement in the field of Agriculture & Allied Sectors, Tourism, Visa Exemption, Foreign Service Training, Institutional mechanisms, such as Foreign Office Consultations and Joint Economic Committee etc. Additionally, cooperation agreements in the fields of culture, arts, sports, youth and mass media, as well as an MoU on Cooperation in Traditional Medicines, have been finalised. A bilateral MoU on cooperation in the ICT sector is under discussion.

The bilateral relationship was energized with the visit in November 2013 of Smt. Preneet Kaur, formerly Hon’ble Minister of State for External Affairs, when the Serbian establishment signalled its intention to reconnect with its traditional ally. The Indian Minister held meetings with the Serbian President, Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker of the National Assembly, Foreign Minister and Minister of the Economy. Both sides reiterated mutual support on core issues of Kosovo and the expansion of the UN Security Council. Two Agreements, the India-Serbia Agreement on Serbia’s Accession to WTO and the 99-year lease of the Ambassadorial Residence, were both signed during the visit.

The Embassy is actively participating in commercial/business events in Serbia in order to brand India. We are now working to attract more Indian investment in various sectors. Regular business to business interaction and exchange of visits are vital to educating Indian investors about the emerging opportunities in Serbia. Many Indian companies have expressed their interest in investing in various sectors including pharmaceuticals, agriculture machinery, automobiles, education, mines & minerals and infrastructure sectors. We are working tirelessly to convert these interests into reality.

Recent developments in India-Serbia bilateral commercial relations are highlighted in the following paragraphs.

Photograph: Vidoje Manojlović, Gloria

- as the basis for inter-state relations and international cooperation. The efforts of the Movement are now aimed towards tackling existing and emerging political challenges, as well as addressing the economic and social issues facing developing states.

India-Serbia relations are warm and friendly, drawing their strength from the shared values of Non-Alignment as the pillar of the foreign policy and the personal friendship of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Marshall Tito, the founders of the NonAligned Movement The Prime Minister of Serbia has announced that the government will also pass laws on privatisation and bankruptcy before the end of its first 100 days in office. This will surely attract more investors from India to participate in the Serbian economic reconstruction and privatisation process.

■ Where do you see room to improve overall economic cooperation between the two countries?

- Existing Agreements/MoUs between India and Serbia provide the necessary framework

8 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

An Indian real estate company, Embassy Group from Bangalore, is developing an IT Park in the town of Inđija near Belgrade. It is an ambitious project and the first phase, with an investment of US$20 million, is now ready for leasing. The IT Park has the potential to become an IT hub in Serbia and the region.

Serbian company “Agropanonka MTZ Finke”, in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra, has opened an assembly line for Mahindra tractors in Novi Sad. The plan is to assemble 1,000 Mahindra tractors annually.

International Tractors Limited (Sonalika Group) has launched an assembly line for tractors under the SOLIS brand, in the Serbian town of Boljevac. The partners plan to assemble 200 tractors annually by 2015 and to invest $14 million in order to assemble 1000 tractors annually by 2017 and cover the regional markets.

The Serbian defence industry, led by state run company YugoImport SDPR and Sloboda arms factory, participated in Defexpo in February 2014 in New Delhi, followed by the visit of a defence delegation from Serbia to India in May 2014 to discuss bilateral defence cooperation, including technology transfer, joint defence production & training. During the visit, the delegation discussed potentials with senior functionaries in the Ministry of Defence, New Delhi and representatives from defence PSUs. A senior delegation of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) participated in the CII Partnership Summit 2014 in Bangalore, India, in January 2014. In addition, business road-shows were organised in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Mumbai, where meetings were arranged with government officials, including ministers. The delegation discussed with Indian businessmen the possibility of investing in over 100 Serbian projects, worth a total of around €7 billion.

A Serbian film industry delegation undertook its maiden visit to India in April 2014. The delegation met with Indian Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and with film and TV counterparts in Delhi and Mumbai to explore the possibilities of bilateral cooperation in the production and distribution of films, TV series, documentaries, advertisements etc.

Four Serbian companies used the hos-

pitality packages to participate in the India Engineering Sourcing Show (IESS) 2014 in January 2014, the India International Handwoven Fair (IIHF) 2014, in March, and the Home Expo India in April 2014.

Capt. Somesh Batra, Vice Chairman of the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Mumbai, visited Belgrade from 4th – 7th May and signed two MoUs - between WTC Mumbai

We have been taking initiatives to enhance and deepen activities in the traditional fields of cultural promotions, but also exploring innovative ideas in expanding outreach and WTC Belgrade and between WTC Mumbai and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia.

Indian companies, in collaboration with their Serbian partners – Sonalika with local partner Agromehanika, Mahindra with local partner Agropanonka and TAFE with local partner Amalgamations – participated in the 81st International Agriculture Fair in Novi Sad from 20th – 26th May 2014.

A team of eminent Indian scientists has been invited to visit Serbia in August 2014 to scope out areas of cooperation and set up Joint Centres of Excellence, as well as creating joint ventures for the industrial application of research.

In accordance with the provisions of the India-Serbia Agreement on Coopera-

tion in the Field of Agriculture & Allied Sectors, a Joint Commission on Agriculture has been set up to implement the provisions of the agreement. The first Joint Commission Meeting is expected to be organised in New Delhi in December 2014.

■ The Indian Embassy in Belgrade is engaged actively in the promotion of Indian culture and traditions. What are the most significant projects and programmes in that domain?

- Serbia is a culturally vibrant country and Serbians value people to people contacts. There is a lot of interest in Indian culture and Indian TV series shown on local TV channels are very popular.

We have been taking initiatives to enhance and deepen activities in the traditional fields of cultural promotions, but also exploring innovative ideas in expanding outreach. At the Embassy’s initiative, an Indian Culture Centre was established, harnessing the energies of local India-centric organisations such as the Yoga federation of Serbia, Yoga Academy, Yoga TV etc., in order to take cultural diplomacy to the next level.

There is tremendous interest in Yoga in Serbia, with almost all streams of Yoga being taught and practiced. The Embassy of India assisted in the publication of the book “Yoga - Spirit and Body” in Serbia by Prof.

Dušan Pajin, a renowned Serbian author.

There is a lot of interest in Serbia regarding Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore.

Tagore visited Serbia in 1926 and gave two lectures at the Belgrade University. Serbia has two streets named after Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, with the busts of the two leaders. The chief architect of the Salt Lake City project in Kolkata is a Serbian, Prof. Dobrivoje Tošković, who is also a member of the Prestigious Serbian Academy of Science and Arts in Belgrade.

There is interest in Serbia for Indian food, movies, textiles, yoga, traditional medicines etc. India participated for the first time at the Belgrade International Book Fair (October 2013), Belgrade International Tourism Fair (Feb/Mar 2014), Belgrade Fashion Week and various other events to exhibit Indian tea, spices, coffee, basmati rice, handicrafts, textiles and gift items etc. ■

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 9

RECENT ACTIVITIES: Mr Goran Paskljević, Serbian Film Director, attended the 44th International Film Festival, held in Goa, India, in November 2013 as the President of the Jury. A retrospective of his Serbian films was held in 4 cities of India. Stefan Arsenijević, a Serbian Film Director, was a jury member at the International Children’s Film Festival organised by the City Montessori School, Lucknow, in April 2014.

The Embassy of India, in cooperation with the Government of India’s Tourism Office in Frankfurt, launched the Brand India campaign “Incredible India” in February 2014 by displaying beautiful clips of Indian nature, people and culture on LED billboards in Belgrade and exterior branding of two city transport buses.

In collaboration with the India Tourism Office, Frankfurt, The Embassy of India participated in the 36th International Fair of Tourism held in Belgrade from 27th February to 2nd March 2014.

An India Fashion Show, as part of the Belgrade Fashion Week, was held in April 2014 with the collections of Mr Manish Arora, an internationally renowned Indian Fashion designer. The event was held in collaboration with Government of India’s Frankfurt Tourism Office.

In collaboration with ‘Incredible India’ and Etihad Airways, which has emerged as the fastest carrier to India, including through its strategic agreement with India’s Jet Airways, a Tour Operators’ Workshop was organised at India House, Belgrade, on 15th May 2014 to showcase India’s tourism potential.

In collaboration with ICCR, the Embassy organised performances of the 6-member Kathak Dance Group, led by Ms Rujuta Soman Amogh, in the Serbian cities of Leskovac, Niš and Belgrade from 20th26th May 2014 to packed houses and warm applause.

Ambassador Chauhan announced the opening of the India Serbia Photography Contest 2014 at the EXIT festival in Novi Sad on 10th July 2014. The contest is open to the citizens of Serbia and India. The contest will run until 10th November 2014 and the results will be announced in December 2014. Etihad Airways will sponsor the Grand Prize Winner from Serbia, providing two tickets to India, and the India Tourism Office in Frankfurt (Incredible India) will host the two guests from Serbia in India for 7 days. The Grand Prize Winners from India will be hosted in Serbia by Brand Serbia for 7 days. The top 10 entries from Serbia and top 10 entries from India will receive VIP passes for the next edition of the EXIT Festival.

THE UPCOMING EVENTS PLANNED BY THE EMBASSY OF INDIA INCLUDE: - String Puppet show from Rajasthan by Mr Vinod Bhatt & Party at the 21st International Festival of Children’s Theatres in Belgrade, September 2014; - An Indian speaker at Belgrade Design Week, October 2014; - Participation in the Belgrade International Book Fair, October 2014; - Performances by a Fusion Band group entitled: ‘East India Company’, led by Shri Angaraag Papon Mahanta, November 2014; - Exhibition ‘Digital Prints of Artwork by Tagore’; - Exhibition ‘Temples, Forts & Palaces: 2000 years of Indian Architecture’ by Dr Saryu Doshi; - Saree / Textiles Exhibition in Belgrade and other Serbian cities; - Participation in the Belgrade International Tourism Fair, February 2015; - Indian dance group at the Belgrade Dance Festival, March/April 2015.

10 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

FORTHCOMING TRADE FAIRS IN INDIA India International Printing & Packaging Fair, www.www.iippf.com, 23-26th August, 2014, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India India International Yarn Exhibition, www.yarnex.in 9-11th September 2014, Tirupur, India World Tea & Coffee Expo, www.worldteacoffeeexpo.com 11-13th September 2014, Mumbai, India Annapoorna World of Food, www.worldoffoodindia.com 24-26th September 2014, Mumbai India India International Security Expo, www.indiasecurityexpo.com 25-28th September 2014, New Delhi , India Auto Ancillary Show, www.autoancillaryshow.com 10-13th October, 2014, PCMC, Pune (INDIA) Indian Pharma Expo, www.indianpharmaexpo.com 11-12th October 2014, New Delhi , India Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair, www.epch.in 14-18th October 2014, Delhi NCR, India The Economic Times AceTech, www.etacetech.com 6-9th November 2014, Mumbai, India India International Trade Fair, www.iitf.in 14-27th November 2014, New Delhi, India CPhI India, www.cphi.com/india/home 2-4th December 2014, Mumbai, India Fine Food India, www.finefoodindiaexpo.com 3-5th December 2014, of New Delhi, India Plastivision India, www.plastivision.org 12-16th December 2014, Mumbai, India India Engineering Sourcing Show (IESS), www.iesshow.in 16-18th December, Mumbai , India Indian Ceramics, www.indian-ceramics.com 21-23th January 2015, Ahmedabad, India New Delhi World Book Fair, www.newdelhiworldbookfair.gov.in 14-22nd February 2015, New Delhi, India India International Jewelry Show, www.iijs-signature.org 20-23rd February 2015, Mumbai, India Defexpo India, www.defexpoindia.in February 2015, New Delhi, India Kosmetika 2015, The Beauty and Wellness Show www.kosmeticashow.com Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India Auto Expo India www.autoexpo.in

February 2015, New Delhi, India Panacea Natural Products Expo www.naturalproductsexpoindia.com February 2015, Mumbai, India India International Handwoven Fair www.iihfchennai.com 11-13th March 2015, Chennai, India Aahar International Food Fair www.aaharinternationalfair.com March 2015, New Delhi, India MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: www.indiatradefair.com www.cii.in/CII_Events.aspx www.ficci.com/ficci-exhibitions.asp www.assocham.org/events/index.php www.biztradeshows.com/india/ USEFUL LINKS • Embassy of India, Belgrade www.eoibelgrade.gov.in • India Serbia Photography Contest www.indiaserbia.com • The National Portal of India www.india.gov.in • The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India www.mea.gov.in • India Public Diplomacy www.indiandiplomacy.in • Invest India www.investindia.gov.in • India In Business www.indiainbusiness.nic.in • Incredible India www.incredibleindia.org • India Brand Equity Foundation www.ibef.org • India Trade Promotion Organisation www.indiatradefair.com • EXIM Bank www.eximbankindia.com • The Confederation of Indian Industry www.cii.in • Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry www.ficci.com • Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India www.assocham.org • The Federation of Indian Export Organizations www.fieo.org • PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry www.phdcci.in • The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) www.gujaratchamber.org • Rajasthan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) www.rajchamber.com

THE INVENTOR, CREATED AND WRITTEN BY RAVÉ MEHTA

Resurrecting a Legend “The Inventor: The Story of Tesla” is the first in an original comic series through which Transmedia IP is focusing on the mystical inventors of the late 19th and early 20th centuries

The Inventor is a 150-page, six-chapter comic that illustrates how one man, Nikola Tesla, stood against the goliaths of industry and changed the world with nothing but his mind, passion, and vision for a better humanity.

The action in The Inventor is fuelled by the fascinating life and amazing inventions of Nikola Tesla, the 19th-century Serbian physicist and electrical engineer who helped create our 21st-century future before dying penniless. Over the course of 150 pages, Mehta and artist Erik Williams skilfully skip through Tesla’s captivating mad genius and science. The comic book is an accessible point of entry for those interested in Tesla, a visionary who was so far ahead of his time that his ground-breaking work onwireless power, accomplished during the late 1800s, is coming close to reality today As this century finally catches up with Tesla’s wild ideas, it’s impossible not to see his mad genius in the far corners of science and culture.

The story follows Tesla on his journey from his childhood to his revolutionary creations in America. Along the way he is introduced to some of history’s greatest minds, including Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, J.P. Morgan, Guglielmo Marconi, Mark Twain, Lord Kelvin and Swami Vivekananda. However, great minds rarely collide with little friction and a mentor can easily become an adversary. Such was the feud between Tesla and Edison, and the war of the currents that ensued from the clash of these electrical titans.

The Inventor is the story of how one man, Nikola Tesla, stood against the goliaths of industry and changed the world with nothing but his mind, passion, and vision for a better humanity

COMIC STRIP TRANSCRIPT Rave Mehta’s - The Inventor

THE STORY OF TESLA

Tesla: This must be the place.

[Several weeks later: Calcutta, India] Tesla: I am here to see Swami Vivekananda. Please, I have come a long way.

Swami: Hello Mr Tesla, please sit down.

Tesla: You know my name?

Swami: I recall seeing one of your lectures in Chicago. You are truly in tune with the ways of nature.

Tesla: I feel I have lost my way. That I’m no longer in tune with nature… or myself.

I can’t even explain recent experiences.

I had a vision of my mother dying… and then when I reached her, she

passed away. I feel like I have a ghost in the machine.

Swami: Ghost in the machine?

Tesla: It’s a figure of speech for inventors when we have a seemingly insolvable problem.

Swami: My dear Tesla, it’s not the ghost that’s in the machine, it’s the machine that’s in the ghost. Perhaps you and your mother were attuned to the same frequency.

Tesla: Frequency?

Swami: Yes, as stated in the Yoga Sutras, the universe is a field of consciousness through which physical reality emerges by changing the frequency of vibrations. This is true of all things, man or machine.

[As Tesla stared into the Swami’s eyes, he felt his own frequency shift, and knew what he had to do.]

THE STORY THAT SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS OF TIME At the end of the 19th century, during a time when inventors were known as wizards and corporations considered their kingdoms, emerged an extraordinary league of gentlemen who shaped the modern world with their minds, money and machines. Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, J.P. Morgan, Guglielmo Marconi, Mark Twain, Lord Kelvin, Swami Vivekananda and others stood at the helm of the ship as the perfect storm was approaching. At the eye of the storm stood Nikola Tesla, a mystic inventor whose genius blurred the lines between magic and science. As Tesla sought to bring the forces of nature to humanity’s doorstep, the forces of human nature had a different plan. And so began the secret war that would forge the 20th century and set the path for humanity’s future…

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 11

INDIAN TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION (ITEC) PROGRAMME (The Flagship of the Indian Government’s Capacity Building Effort)

Cooperation with Serbia Under ITEC Programme The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was instituted by a decision of the Indian Cabinet on 15th September 1964 as a bilateral programme of assistance of the Government of India. The ITEC Programme, born out of the vision of first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, was formally launched under the premiership of Lal Bahadur Shastri

T

he Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was extended to Serbia in 2008.

Under ITEC, scholars are imparted short term training in various technical and vocational fields in 47 empanelled institutions conducting 280 short-term, mediumterm and long-term courses during the year.

Scholars who have undergone training under ITEC come from various fields of Serbian society from middle level/senior Government officials to Post Masters, from Senior Advisors to Desk Officers in various Government Departments, from Advisors in Chambers of Commerce to Bankers. So far more than 100 scholars from Serbia have been imparted training under the Programme in such diverse fields as proficiency in English & IT skill, Entrepreneurship Development, Public Expenditure Management, Business Research Methods & Data Analysis, Climate Change & Sustainability and training courses on WTO & Doha Round Negotiations etc.

Under the Programme, Government of

GROUP PHOTOGRAPH WITH SERBIAN ITEC ALUMNI

India bears the expenditure towards air fare, internal travel, accommodation, medical expenditure and the cost of the training/course fee including study tours/seminars which are part of the Training Programme. Apart from this, the scholars are also paid living allowances and book allowances. Visa is issued to the applicants gratis.

India does not try to promote its model or system; respect for each country’s own model, pace and experience is intrinsic in our approach Most of the courses offered under ITEC are those which help the candidate develop the necessary skills for efficient discharge of their duties. ITEC Programme is based on partnership and cooperation. Serbian side has shown a great interest and enthusiasm towards ITEC training courses and the feedback received from the participants is encouraging. According to one participant, “the ITEC training program may have lasted 3 weeks

12 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

but the knowledge, friendship and memories gained there will last me a lifetime”.

ITEC programme is fast becoming one of the most active areas of bilateral cooperation between India and Serbia. As Serbia follows a European path today and tackles its economic reforms in the midst of global and regional economic crisis, India’s experience of development and economic reforms is available to Serbia.

The ITEC Programme has the following components: Training (civilian and defence) in India of nominees from ITEC partner countries; Projects and project related activities such as feasibility studies and consultancy services; Deputation of Indian experts abroad; Study Tours; Gifts/Donations of equipment at the request of ITEC partner countries; and Aid for Disaster Relief including cash assistance. A sum of US Dollars one lakh ($100,000) only was provided to the Government of Serbia for immediate flood relief under this programme. ITEC successfully completed 50 years in 2014. ■

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 13

INDIA IN BUSINESS

Leading Investment Destination

India is a federal union comprising 29 states and seven union territories. A land of diverse cultures and traditions, with 22 official languages and several unofficial dialects spread across a geographic area of 3.3 million sq. km, India is the world’s seventh largest nation. According to the latest estimates, India has a population of approximately 1.2 billion

I

ndia’s economy is primarily driven by the five-year plans prepared by the Planning Commission of India. The first Five-Year Plan was for the period from FY 1951 to FY 1956. Currently, the 12th FiveYear Plan (FY 2012 to FY 2017) is underway. As part of the planning process, the Indian states prepare their plans and get them approved by the Planning Commission.

The Indian economy is backed by a robust banking system, investment friendly policies, a young and skilled workforce, high urbanisation and significant untapped market potential.

Despite the current global slowdown, investors have shown re14 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

newed interest in the Indian economy. In the last two decades India has emerged as a leading investment destination.

India has been continuously focusing on improving its infrastructure and service sectors. Primary among these is the Indian power sector, which has seen tremendous growth in investment, both on the government as well as the private fronts. The rising demand for investments in this sector also holds huge opportunities for foreign investments as well as for other foreign players trying to bring in technical knowhow combined with service delivery expertise.

Automotive

The automobile sector, one of the major industrial sectors of India, is considered to be the ‘sunrise’ sector after liberalisation in the early 1990s.

As of April 2013, India was the sixth-largest vehicle manufacturer worldwide. Total production stood at 20.3 million vehicles in FY 2012. Of these, two wheelers, passenger vehicles, three wheelers and commercial vehicles accounted for 76.0 per cent, 15.0 per cent, 4.0 per cent and 4.0 per cent, respectively.

In FY 13, total domestic sales were 17.8 million vehicles growing at a CAGR of 16.3 per cent during FY 09-13.

Automobile exports increased by 25.4 per cent to 2.9 million vehicles in FY 12. According to the Automotive Mission Plan 2006-16, it is estimated that the total turnover of the industry will be around $122-159billion by 2016.

Chemicals

The chemicals industry in India includes basic chemicals and chemical products, petrochemicals, agrochemicals, dyes, paints and varnishes, synthetic fibres and industrial gases.

India’s chemicals sector is estimated to be $21.5 billion in FY 13.

By FY 16 the overall sector in India is expected to reach $25.8billion.

The industry grew at a CAGR of 5.4 per cent during FY 09-FY 13.

In terms of volume of production of chemicals, India is positioned as the third-largest producer in Asia, next to China and Japan, and the 6th largest worldwide.

Supportive government policies and the domestic environment including 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route, has supported the growth of the sector.

Rapid urbanisation leads to an increasing demand for construction chemicals (such as concrete admixtures) in India as well as globally.

Demand for specialty chemicals is expected to rise due to growing population and rapid industrialisation.

Manufacturing of most chemical products is deli censed, except for hazardous chemicals and a few special drugs under the obligations as per international conventions.

Defence

With nine DPSUs, 39 ordnance factories and an employee base of about 180,000 people, India figures among the world’s largest producers of defence related products.

Biotechnology

India’s biotech sector is estimated to be worth $5.9 billion in FY 13 and forecasted to reach $ 11.6 billion by 2017.

The bio-pharmaceutical sector accounts for a major portion of earnings within the sector - followed by bio agriculture and other bio-services segments.

Bio-industrial and bio-informatics are other important subsegments within the biotech industry. The industry is expected to grow significantly to $11.6 billion by 2017 at a CAGR of approximately 23 per cent.

India is ranked as the world’s largest arms importer.

By 2the end of this year the country is expected to become the third largest defence spender in the world, after the U.S. and China.

The anticipated demand upsurge has been attracting several foreign and Indian OEMs. Russia, Israel, the UK and the U.S. have been the prime investors in the Indian defence sector.

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 15

There have been a number of modernisation initiatives taken by Government, which include Government modernisation initiatives, which include Approval for the DAC to modernise Indian armed forces over the next 15 years, beginning in April 2012.

Orders worth $18.4billion are expected to be placed during the 12th Five-Year Plan.

Electronic System Design & Manufacturing

Information Technology- Business Process Outsourcing Sector

The Indian IT-BPO industry is estimated to reach revenues of $108 billion in FY 13, with the IT software and services sector (excluding hardware) accounting for $95 billion.

Over the past two decades, demand for high technology products in India, specifically electronic products, has registered significant growth.

The Indian electronics market was estimated at $80 billion in FY 12 and is estimated to reach $400 billion by FY2020.

The share of Electronics production in India’s GDP has grown from 1.6 per cent in 2001-02 to 1.95 per cent in 2009-10. Despite high growth in the ESDM industry, demand has outpaced supply.

The estimated production will reach $104 billion by 2020, creating a gap of $296 billion in demand and production.

The innovation cycle for electronic products is rapidly decreasing, with manufacturers releasing new versions of their products within 12-18 months, as opposed to the 24-36 months of a few years back.

An increase in automation demands from the corporate sector has also contributed to an increased requirement for building electronics.

The GOI’s focus on e-governance has led to a growing demand for computing hardware.

Food Processing

India’s food processing sector is estimated to reach $64.3 billion in FY 13, growing at the rate of 6.7 per cent y-o-y.

Increasing disposable income, urbanisation and a growing awareness of ingredients are driving growth in the packaged food market, leading to the increased consumption of items such as functional foods.

Organised retail is expected to grow at a CAGR of 26.4 per cent during 2011-2016, and is likely to continue to benefit the sector by: a) Improving the supply chain infrastructure at the backend and b) Improving off-takes of food through improved visibility, activations and merchandising at the front end.

The cumulative FDI inflow in the food processing industry from April 2000 to June 2013 was $1.9 billion.

16 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

The sector provides direct employment to nearly three million people, while indirect job creation is estimated at 9.5 million.

As a proportion of national GDP, the sector’s revenues have grown from 1.2 per cent in FY 98 to nearly 8 per cent in FY 13.

The IT services segment reached export revenues of $43.9 billion; the BPO sector reached revenues of $17.8 billion with the rest of the industry accounting for $14.1 billion in revenues.

The IT-BPO sector has been consistently attracting FDI since the economic reforms of 1991. During the period 2007-12, the sector accounted for an FDI of $5.12 billion.

Export revenues (excluding hardware) are estimated to gross $75.8 billion in FY 13, growing by 10.2 per cent over FY 12. Its share of total Indian exports (merchandise plus services) increased from less than 4 per cent in FY 98 to about 23-25 per cent in FY 13.

Media & Entertainment

The Indian M&E industry is estimated to grow by 11.8 per cent year-on-year in 2013 to $16.9billion and further grow at a CAGR of 15.2 per cent to reach $30.5billion by 2017.

Television continues to be the dominant segment and is estimated to witness 13.4 per cent y-o-y growth to reach $7.7billion; The film sector was estimated to grow by 8.9 per cent to reach $2.3billion by 2013, with the music sector estimated to grow 9.4 per cent and the radio sector expected to grow at a CAGR of 18 per cent over the 2012-2017 period; Strong growth has been observed in new media sectors, anima-

tion/visual effects, while there is a growing overseas demand for quality Indian animation/visual effects work at an affordable price.

With better access and through cheaper and smarter devices, audiences (especially youth) are consuming more content and are becoming increasingly engaged. Going forward, improved uptake of 3G connections and the beginnings of the 4G rollout are expected to spur further growth.

Oil and gas account for 39 per cent of India’s primary energy consumption.

Oil constitutes 34.4 per cent of India’s total imports and it constitutes 19.9 per cent of India’s total exports (FY 13). As of April 2013, India had 22 refineries with a total capacity of 215.1 MTPA. From FY 09 to FY 13, consumption of petroleum products increased at a CAGR of 3.7 per cent and gas consumption increased at 13.5 per cent from FY 09 to FY 12.

Cumulative FDI inflow in the Petroleum and Natural Gas industry from April 2000 to June 2013 was $5.4 billion.

The New Exploration and Licensing Policy was introduced in 1997 to promote private investment in the upstream segment. So

Metals & Mining

India produces 89 minerals, which include four fuel, ten metallic, 48 non-metallic, three atomic and 24 minor minerals (including building and other materials).

The mining sector accounts for around 2.2 per cent of India’s GDP. The total value of mineral production including minor minerals but excluding atomic minerals in FY 12 and FY 13 was about $49.0 billion and $43.1 billion, respectively.

The value of minerals and ores exported during FY 12 was $36.6 billion and the value of minerals and ores imported during FY 12 was $197 billion.

For the 12th Five Year Plan, the GoI expects an investment of $1,000 billion in the infrastructure sector. The cumulative FDI in the metallurgical industries and mining sector has been estimated at $1 billion and $7.6 billion respectively, between April 2000 and June 2013.

far, nine bidding rounds have been conducted, which have witnessed participation from several domestic and international private companies, such as BG, ENI and others.

Pharmaceuticals

India’s pharmaceutical sector was estimated to be worth $20.8 billion in 2013 and forecasted to reach $ 35.9 billion by 2016.

The sector is expected to grow at a rate of approximately 16-18 per cent between 2016 and 2021.

Oil & Gas

India is the fourth largest consumer of energy after China, the U.S. and the Russia Federation.

India accounts for almost ten per cent of global drug production by volume and is increasingly focusing on R&D. Presently there are approximately 3,000 pharmaceutical manufacturers, the majority of which focus on generic drugs.

India’s large and growing elderly population is a major driver for the pharmaceutical sector. The percentage of the population aged 65 and over will increase from 4.3 per cent to 6.3 per cent from 2000 to 2020.

Increasing awareness among the population with respect to INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 17

healthcare is another driver for the pharmaceutical sector. With changing demographics and lifestyle patterns, chronic segments, such as cardiovascular, anti-diabetic, neurology and psychiatry, have been growing at a faster pace than acute ailments. These diseases require long-term treatment and management, creating a demand for therapies and drugs.

Cumulative FDI inflow in the drugs and pharmaceuticals sector from April 2000 to June 2013 was $11.3 billion.

Telecommunications

The Indian telecommunications sector has witnessed astounding growth during the last decade, mainly due to the rapid uptake of mobile services.

The mobile subscriber base has grown at a CAGR of 44.3 per

production, 4 per cent to the GDP, and 27 per cent to the nation’s total export earnings in 2012.

The industry is the second-largest provider of employment after agriculture.

The Indian textile industry is globally recognised with many distinctions. With about 12 per cent share in the global production of textile fibres and yarn, India was the world’s second largest producer of textiles and garments in 2012.

In 2012, India accounted for about 24 per cent (48.7 million spindles) of the global spindle capacity and the highest looms capacity accounting for about 61 per cent of the world’s total capacities in 2012. The total exports of textile and apparel sector grew to $33.2 billion in FY 12 from $17.6 billion in FY 06, a CAGR of 11.2 per cent.

There has been robust demand both from domestic and export markets.

Favourable demographical changes, rising disposable incomes and a growing middle class are driving domestic demand for textiles in India.

Tourism

India continues to be a favoured tourist destination for leisure as well as business travel.

Foreign tourist arrivals have increased at a CAGR of 5.9 per cent

cent during the March 2003–February 2013 period, to reach approximately 862 million as of February 2013.

Revenue from mobile services grew by 26.4 per cent to reach $22.9billion during the 2012. Moreover, by the end of 2013, the mobile subscriber base is expected to grow to about 890 million and mobile services revenue is expected to grow to $22.0billion.

There has been more clarity on the competition landscape and regulatory front. The decision on pricing and allocation mechanisms of spectrum and charging one-time license fees has empowered the players to make informed decisions and formulate strategies for long-term growth.

Textiles

The Indian textile market is expected to reach $115billion in 2011, of which 65 per cent was contributed by domestic consumption.

The industry contributed nearly 14 per cent to India’s industrial

18 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

between 2008 and 2012. Foreign exchange earnings have increased at a CAGR of 10.6 per cent over the same period.

The direct contribution of the travel and tourism industry to the GDP was around $35.8billion (1.9 per cent of total GDP) in 2012, while the total contribution was $119.4billion (6.5 per cent of GDP) in 2012.

The Indian hotel industry, being a direct beneficiary of the growth in the economy and the tourism industry, has also recorded strong growth over the past few years.

The Indian Government has been focused on an upgrade of physical infrastructure, as well as tourism infrastructure, which includes national highways to expressways, connecting major cities and towns in India. It has created integrated tourist circuits. Furthermore, new airports in various cities are expected to improve connectivity between major city centres in the country.

According to WTTC estimates, capital investment in travel and tourism was $32.9billion in 2012. Capital investment in the sector is estimated at $37.2billion in 2013. Capital investment is expected to rise by 8.7 per cent per annum to reach $72.8billion in 2021. ■

TAFE – EXPORTING TRACTORS TO THE BALKANS

Cultivating the World India’s TAFE Group today produces 180,000 tractors annually and is the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer.

As India’s largest tractor exporter, TAFE exports to 86 countries, including those of the Balkan region.

E

arly in our business we realised that to be the first choice of the farming community, we had to place the farmer at the heart of our strategy. From this insight grew one of the most enduring and invigorating collaborations between manufacturer and user.

Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE) has been the catalyst for change in the life of farmers in India by empowering them with appropriate farm power solutions. TAFE has made meaningful contributions to farm mechanism in India by offering a total package of tractors and farm equipment, in addition to providing training in mechanised farming and adaptive agricultural research. Indeed, it was TAFE that actually pioneered the mechanisation of Indian farms.

In collaboration with international technology leaders, TAFE offers a product range that’s not only value for money and low on maintenance, but also durable and technically sophisticated. The TAFE Group brand has been integral to the evolution of farm mechanisation in India and abroad Established in 1960, TAFE manufactures and markets a range of Massey Ferguson tractors and related farm equipment. The company has an ongoing and longstanding collaboration with AGCO Corporation, USA – one of the largest manufacturers, designers and distributors of agricultural equipment in the world.

TAFE Group today produces 180,000 tractors annually and is

the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer. As India’s largest tractor exporter, TAFE exports to 86 countries, including North America, South America, Africa, Turkey, the Balkans and Southeast Asia.

TAFE Group has five manufacturing plants for tractors – Chennai, Madurai, Bangalore, Bhopal and TAFE’s first overseas facility located in Turkey.

TAFE, in collaboration with international technology leaders, offers a product range that’s not only value for money and low on maintenance, but also durable and technically sophisticated. The TAFE Group brand has been integral to the evolution of farm mechanisation in India and abroad.

TAFE’s range of tractors can be matched by very few across the world. The company manufactures tractors from 24hp to 100hp, both 2wd and 4wd, in air cooled and water cooled platforms and is also well established in allied product lines like diesel engines, gears and transmission components, engineering plastics and farm implements.

TAFE has had a long history of business co-operation with IMT and IMR, Belgrade since 1963 onwards and this relationship has been a mutually beneficial one.

TAFE has been exporting tractors to the Balkans for over 10 years. ■ Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited – Chennai, India www.tafe.com (A Unit Company of Amalgamations Group) www.amalgamationsgroup.co.in

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 19

TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN INDIA AND SERBIA

Unbroken Economic Cooperation India, as one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, was among the most important economic partners of the former Yugoslavia from its independence onwards. Based on the famous Tripartite Agreement (Yugoslavia - India - Egypt), intensive trade was carried out alongside the maximum application of tariff concessions

W

e exported to India plastics, electrical machinery and equipment, paper and cardboard, copper and copper products, iron, steel and steel products, aluminium, steam boilers and associated equipment, parts for land vehicles and parts for electric batteries, while imports from India were represented by tea, pepper and other spices, soybean oil cakes, organic chemical products, raw leather and products from leather, silk, fabrics etc.

The volume of trade between Serbia and India has recorded a steady growth trend since 2006, although with a pronounced trade deficit on the Serbian side.

Figure 1: The movement of goods between Serbia and India. The greatest volume of trade between Serbia and India was recorded in 2011, when the total value of trade between the two countries amounted to $168.4 million (of which Serbia’s exports accounted for just $7.7 million, while imports from India totalled $160.7 million).

India-Serbia bilateral trade during

2013 amounted to US$182.62 million, of which US$173.88 million were exports from India and US$8.74 million imports to India.

Figure 2: Trends in coverage of imports by exports in trade with India.

Figure 3: Leading SITC sections

The volume of trade between Serbia and India has recorded a steady growth trend since 2006, although with a pronounced trade deficit on the Serbian side

20 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

on the list of Serbian exports to India during 2013 include products such as cigarettes, organic chemicals, industrial machinery, ), footwear & apparel, metal waste & scrap, aluminium waste / scrap, machinery for sorting,

INVESTMENT

screening, separating and washing, and parts, textile looms, waste and scrap aluminium, heterocyclic compounds, telephone and telegraph switching equipment, fittings for plastic pipes and hoses, parts and accessories for machines, moulds for rubber and plastics, DVDs etc.

In 2013 the value of Serbian exports to India amounted to $8.87 million. The list of the top products exported in this period includes cigarettes, gunpowder, heterocyclic compounds, waste and scrap aluminium, fittings for plastic pipes and hoses, parts and accessories for machines, machinery for sorting, screening and separating, offset printing machines, telephone and telegraph switching equipment, transmission ele-

In April 2012 Indian company Embassy Group launched its long-awaited investment in the IT sector in Serbia with the commencement of construction of an information-technology park in Inđija. This investment is worth a total of around €600 million, with the project’s first phase to include planned investments of around €40 million. It is envisaged that the completed IT park in Inđija will cover a constructed area of 25,000m2 and employ approximately 15,000 professionals. The entire project is expected to be completed within five years.

Leading SITC sectors in exporting to India

Leading SITC sectors in importing from India

Chemicals and chemical products not specified elsewhere

17%

9%

5% 3% 14%

51%

Fodder (apart from whole grain wheat)

Plastics in non-primary forms Metal treatment machinery

9%

Electrical machinery, appliances and devices

6%

7%

Clothing

14%

Iron and steel

31%

Furniture and furniture parts Other

ment parts etc. The leading exporters were PHILIP MORRIS OPERATIONS, PRVA ISKRA OPREMA BARIC, CE-ZA-R DOO BEOGRAD, ZDRAVLJE LESKOVAC, SLITTER KRAGUJEVAC, DECODE BELGRADE, NORMA GROUP SOUTHEAST EUROPE - Subotica, DJOMICO – Kragujevac, , amongst others.

Figure 4: Leading SITC sections on the list of Serbian imports from India during 2013 include products such as pharmaceutical & chemical products, soybean oilcake/coffee & food products, products of iron & steel, textile, yarn, garments & footwear, plastics in primary forms / products, aluminium alloys, medicines, yarn, FeSiMn alloy, zinc ore, sesame seeds, granite etc.

In 2013 the value of Serbian imports from India amounted to $173,88

Non-ferrous metals

33%

Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices Other

million. The list of the top products imported in this period includes Oilcake and other solid residues, of soya beans, raw non-alloy aluminium, heterocyclic compounds, telephones for cellular networks, coffee medicines, sesame seeds, FeSiMn alloy, heat exchangers etc. The leading import-

COOPERATION IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

ers were IMPOL SEVAL – Sevojno, HEMOFARM – Vršac, VICTORIA LOGISTIC - Belgrade, KONZUL - Novi Sad, ZDRAVLjE - Leskovac, RTB BOR GROUP - Bor, ERAKOVIĆ - Kula, GRAND PROM - Belgrade, CT COMPUTERS Belgrade, SIRMIUM STEEL - Sremska Mitrovica, PIN COMPUTERS - Novi Sad, among others. ■

“India was interested in cooperating with the film industry of Serbia, which could offer various attractive locations for film production. It was necessary to organise meetings between the representatives of the two countries in order to discuss concrete projects,” said Ambassador of India in Serbia, H.E. Narinder Chauhan, during a meeting with the members of the Group of Production Service Providers of the Association for Creative Industries at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce.

Trade exchange between Serbia and India, in million USD 200 150 100 50 0 -50 -100 -150 -200

Export to import ratio, in %

25

24 20 13.88

15 10.13

10 5 2005

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Export in USD

Import in USD

2013

Balance in USD

7.55 6.33

4.35

4.82

1.32

4.45

0 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

2013

COMPANY REGISTER AGROGAS (“AUTOMAT INDUSTRY” REPRESENTATIVE) Vladan Stojanovic, direktor Milutina Milankovica 120a, 11070 Beograd Tel: +381 11 3114729, Fax:+381 11 3132128 agrogas@agrogas.co.rs www.agrogas.co.rs AGROPANONKA (MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA TRACTORS REP.) Dragoljub Svonja, direktor Filipa Visnjica 10,

21000 Novi Sad Tel:+381 21 524 844, Fax:+381 21 52 772, office@agropanonka.com www.agropanonka.co.rs EMBASSY TECHZONES D.O.O. Jitendra Mohandas Virwani Dedinjska 10, 11000 Belgrade Tel: +381 11 2660726 Fax: +381 11 2661396 office@embassytechzones.rs www.embassytechzones.rs

GLOTEC LTDO Mr. Slavomir Vukicevic, director Studenski trg 17-8 , Belgrade Tel: +381 11 311 0773 Fax: +381 11 314 9985 INTERMOTORS (REP. OF “MAHINDRA& MAHINDRA MOTORS”) Nataša Najdeski Gundulicev venac 56 /II, 11000 Belgrade Tel: + 381 11 21 80 878, 2182240 Fax:+381 11 2636833 intermotors@eunet.rs www.intermotors.rs

MEDICO UNO (RANBAXY REPRESENTATIVE) Andrija Mitic Pančevački put 38, 11120 Belgrade Tel: +381 11 331 85 71 Fax: +381 11 331 85 34 andrija.mitic@medicouno.com www.medicouno.com www.ranbaxy.com SONALIKA / FPM AGROMEHANIKA AD Mr Ivan Petrić Export-import manager

Boljevac-Serbia Office: +381 011 344 3444 www.fpm-agromehanika.rs TAFE / AMALGAMATIONS LTD. Mr V.P. Ahuja Director Ivankovacka 24 , Belgrade Tel: 011 2754037 Fax:011 2754184 www.amalgamationsgroup.co.in UTI DOO (PANACEA BIOTEC REPRESENTATIVE) Dragana Grubic

Cara Urosa 17, 11000 Belgrade Tel: +381 11 3033831 uti.zvonce@eunet.rs www.panacea-biotec.com UNIS-USHA DOO Aleksandar Mandić Zagrebačka 9, 11000 Beograd Tel: +38111 2182 280 Fax:+381 11 3283 594 unisusha1@gmail.com www.unisusha.com

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 21

BRICS [BRAZIL, RUSSIA, INDIA, CHINA AND SOUTH AFRICA]

New World Emerging As the global balance of power shifts, the strength and influence of the BRICS nations should not be underestimated

T

he concept of the BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa] nations was first conceived by economists from Goldman Sachs as part of an economic modelling exercise to forecast global economic trends over the next half century; the acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs in their Global Economics Paper No. 66, “The World Needs Better Economic BRICs”.

The First Summit, held on 16th June 2009, adopted a Joint Statement of BRIC Leaders and a Joint Statement on Global Food Security.

Brazil hosted the Second BRIC Summit in Brasilia on 15th April 2010; Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh led the Indian delegation at the summit, which included the country’s minister of commerce and industry.

The Third BRICS Summit was held on 14th April 2011 at Sanya. PM Dr Manmohan Singh once again led the Indian delegation at the summit, the theme of which was “Broad Vision and Shared Prosperity”.

The Fourth BRICS Summit took place in New Delhi on 29th March 2012 under the broad rubric of “BRICS Partnership for Global Stability, Security and Prosperity”.

The Fifth BRICS Summit, the last in the first cycle of summits, was hosted by South Africa on 27th March 2013, under the overarching theme “BRICS and Africa”.

The Sixth BRICS Summit – Fortaleza Declaration [15th July, 2014] The sixth summit took place at a crucial juncture, as the international community assessed how to address the challenges of making a strong

6TH SUMMIT 2014, BRAZIL: PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA, NARENDRA MODI, PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL, DILMA ROUSSEFF, PRESIDENT OF CHINA, XI JINPING, AND PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA, JACOB ZUMA

economic recovery from the global financial crises, sustainable development, including climate change, while also formulating the post2015 Development Agenda.

The BRICS will continue to contribute significantly to global growth and the reduction of poverty. Strong macroeconomic frameworks, well regulated financial markets and robust levels of reserves have allowed EMDCs in general, and the BRICS nations in particular, to better deal with the risks and spillovers presented by the challenging economic conditions of the

In a breakthrough at the Sixth BRICS Summit, India got the presidency of the New Development Bank

22 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

last few years. BRICS, as well as other EMDCs, will continue to face significant financial constraints to address infrastructure gaps and sustainable development needs. With this in mind, BRICS signed its Agreement on Establishing the New Development Bank (NDB), with the purpose of mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustain-

able development projects in BRICS nations and other emerging and developing economies. This bank will have initial authorised capital of US$100 billion. The initial subscribed capital will amount to $50 billion, shared equally among the founding members.

BRICS also signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation among BRICS Export Credit and Guarantees Agencies, which will improve the support environment for increasing trade opportunities between the nations. BRICS will continue to play a significant role in promoting social development and in contributing to defining the international agenda in this area, building on its experience in addressing the challenges of poverty and inequality.

In a breakthrough at the Sixth BRICS Summit, India gained the presidency of the New Development Bank — the name that the Indian Prime Minister Modi endorsed in his departure statement in Delhi — that was launched with initial capital of $50 billion on 15th July, following the leaders’ signing of the Fortaleza Declaration. ■

INTERVIEW

DR DOBRIVOJE TOŠKOVIĆ PH.D.

Project of a Lifetime: Salt Lake City, Kolkata It’s rare that an architect or urban planner gets the chance to author a concept town and it’s even rarer that they see their vision come true, but that’s precisely what happened to our interlocutor

I

t was back in the late 1950s that Yugoslav firm Invest Import won the global tender for the reclamation of the salt water lakes in Bidhannagar on the periphery of Kolkata and in 1964 Dobrivoje Tošković’s master plan for the Salt Lake City development was approved and this new satellite city was born.

■ You were the master planner for Salt Lake City. What was the motive that led you to get involved in that project?

- The motive that led me to get involved in the planning of Salt Lake City was the consideration that, throughout the entire written history of architecture and urbanism, the construction of new towns has been rare and valuable, as the number of newly built towns is not great. Therefore, a situation when an architect/urban planner gets the chance to make a concept for a NEW TOWN VISION is very rare, and it is even rarer to see such a vision come true by being implemented to the highest quality. That’s precisely what happened while I was working

“A situation when an architect/ urban planner gets the chance to make a concept for a NEW TOWN VISION is very rare”

for the waterways enterprise Ivan Milutinović, the company that reclaimed part of the Salt Lake area in Kolkata. After a few unsuccessful local proposals, a tender for the urban concept, i.e. Master Plan, was announced. The proposal of the Ivan Milutinović enterprise, which I prepared, was accepted by the international jury of nine members.

■ Before you designed Salt Lake, you carefully learned about the Indian way of life. What were your impressions?

- Before I designed Salt Lake City I found that I had to enter into two important factors: the Indian way of life and the experience of previously constructed new towns.

Concerning the Indian way of life related to spatial planning, I found that regardless of the fact that Indian people prefer houses over high-rise buildings, in contrast to many nations, the Indian people like grouping together, which meant I had to design adequate space that would satisfy such a need for gathering.

■ What did you find when you arrived in Kolkata (Calcutta) and started planning the Salt Lake development?

- When I started planning the Salt Lake development I made adequate research on new visions. In this context, as the author, I performed critical analysis of a few established new towns: Chandigarh, Rawalpindi and

Brasilia, in order to overview their basic concepts, qualities and mistakes and to utilise the experiences and lessons for the conceptualisation of Salt Lake City. From this study I derived three key factors for the establishment of the town characteristics for Salt Lake City: 1) urban character; 2) harmony between the new town and the existing settlement and; 3) city growth in accordance with the aims, interests and commitments of the West Bengal State Government.

■ You faced many issues during the implementation of the project.

What were the biggest challenges?

- As the area is flat, the biggest challenges were related to how to exclude monotony in the town. With this objective in mind, the centralised city core concept arrived as the culmination of this idea in this sense and in balancing the aims for coherent and complex structures and in the efforts to secure the diversity of residential neighbourhoods.

My recent visit (2008) to this town left an unforgettable impression on me as the creator of the Master Plan. I realised that the concept of this town and its implementation has been accepted by the majority of the inhabitants, which represents the highest award for me, as the author. Wandering through the space of this town, either on foot or by car, I enjoyed the results achieved results and effects of the ‘garden city’ that radiates humanity. ■

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 23

INDIAN ELECTIONS 2014

Colossal Task With 814 million voters and 930,000 polling stations, the 2014 general elections in India can be described as the biggest mass event in the world

NARENDRA MODI, STANDING CENTRE, TAKES THE OATH OF OFFICE IN DELHI

I

ndia is recognised as a thriving and vibrant electoral democracy, with foundations established by the farsighted framers of the great Constitution. Over the last six decades it has been nurtured by parliament, judiciary, political parties, media and, above all, the people of India. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has contributed its might to keep it on track through these 60 years.

India’s general elections, described as the world’s largest and most complex management exercise, kicked off on 7th April and voting was held in a marathon nine phases until 12th May. Given the scale and organisational complexity of the event, the elections required months of elaborate planning and several weeks to execute. The elections were held in phases because of the size of the country and the electorate, with some states receiving special attention on account of extremist activities. Millions of personnel were deputised for the elections, including a 120,000 strong security force to ensure free and fair conduct at polls.

With 930,000 polling stations nationwide, for voter convenience polling stations were set up in the desert

sands of Rajasthan, the snowy Himalayan mountains and the tiny islands of the Indian Ocean. The ECI, which conducted the elections, stipulated that no person should have to travel more than two kilometres to cast a vote. So, in the previous general election in 2009, voting booths even catered to two or three voters. In the western state of Gujarat, a single voter – a temple caretaker – got his own voting booth.

The biggest challenge is the diversity of India in all its dimen-

The success story of the Indian elections has led aspiring democracies around the world to seek and share the knowledge, skills and expertise at the ECI’s disposal

24 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

individual a special concern.

About 1.2 million electronic voting machines were used in this election and the ECI estimated the total costs at about $600 million.

In sheet size, the Indian elections may be mind-boggling, with Indian voters exceeding the voter population of all countries of any continent put together.

The success story of the Indian elections has led aspiring democracies around the world to seek and share the knowledge, skills and expertise at the ECI’s disposal. ECI has proposed several reform moves aimed at cleaning up the electoral process so that foundations can be laid for good governance and corruption-free politics.

Some of these proposals deal with the regulation of campaign

THE SWEARING-IN CEREMONY WAS HELD AT THE FORECOURTS OF THE RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN IN DELHI

sions, be that geographical (deserts, mountains, plains, forests, islands, coastal areas), or be that as a multifaith, multicultural, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. This makes the inclusivity of every section and every

financing and internal democracy within political parties. Once these reforms are implemented, the biggest democracy in the world will move a step closer to becoming the greatest. ■

AGROGAS

Clear Plans for the Future Agrogas Ltd. was registered in 2002 as a private joint stock company and the enterprise's operations are focused entirely on agriculture, in particular the import and distribution of tractors, spare parts and irrigation equipment from India

A

t the beginning of it operations, Agrogas immediately noted the decline in the quality of tractor production and the lack of spare parts for tractors produced domestically. That’s why the decision was made to start procuring spare parts and components from India.

Small orders followed, but it was clear from the start that the Indian parts were of a higher quality than the domestic offer at the time, while the prices were also competitive. This prompted Agrogas to propose the introduction of Indian manufacturer TAFE’s tractors in Serbia and as early as July 2002, with the help of IMT and the TAFE management team, a contract was signed for the import of TAFE tractors and their presentation at the Novi Sad Agricultural Fair. In this way Agrogas was also promoted as the exclusive importer of TAFE tractors in Serbia (TAFE produces around 120,000 tractors annually and is India’s second largest manufacturer of tractors.)

The exposé at the Novi Sad Fair was a veritable adventure. The appearance of the Indian tractors provoked disbelief and suspicion. However, in this case it also turned out that, as a rule, there are exceptions on the market. The first TAFE-42 DI

Agrogas believes that, in cooperation with local companies, it is possible to organise the assembling of India's TAFE tractors in Serbia

was purchased by Mr. Sveto Savić from Osipaonica.

By February 2003 construction was underway in Velika Ivanča near Mladenovac, with a sales and service centre including a hall for the storage and distribution of spare parts, indoor and outdoor customs warehouses, a shop for spare parts and maintenance services for tractors under warranty.

As a TAFE tractor dealer, Agrogas has invested enormous efforts and resources to overcome misconceptions about the quality of Indian products, with TAFE being advertised via local radio and television programmes throughout Serbia.

Agrogas has participated for many years in numerous local events in Serbia and has developed a network of sub-dealers and services for machines under warranty etc. All this has contributed to Agrogas selling close to 1,000 tractors in Serbia. Today TAFE tractors are synonymous with reliable, powerful and costcompetitive tractors.

Agrogas is of the opinion that, in cooperation with local companies, it would be possible to assemble TAFE tractors in Serbia.

Relatively swiftly, through the development of local cooperation, it is possible to reach a 50% share of domestic built-in components, which TAFE would open up to the huge Eastern markets. Likewise, the end of IMT production creates a vacant commercial space in the

countries where IMT was present.

In parallel with expanding tractor sales, Agrogas has also increased the volume of spare parts sales. In addition to IMT, the range of imports was extended to IMR and Lombardini. Simultaneously, in the last few years Agrogas has expanded its cooperation with India through the importation of irrigation equipment.

Tractor parts originating in India are distributed through more than 400 wholesale and retail outlets and service centres throughout Serbia. Also of importance are further sales of these goods in BosniaHerzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, on the territory of Kosovo and elsewhere.

Development of the market for tractors, spare parts and irrigation equipment is also conditioned by the training of staff, organisational improvements and investments in space, infrastructure and equipment. There are many market challenges yet to be faced by our company and competition is growing continuously, which obliges Agrogas to continuously improve its own operations, extending the programme, reducing operational costs etc. It is hopefully expected that TAFE will offer solutions for organising the production of its tractors in Serbia. Agrogas sees its own role in that endeavour, and possibly an opportunity to take a further development step. ■

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 25

FPM AGROMEHANIKA AND INDIA’S SONALIKA

Indian Innovation, Serbian Style After more than half a century of doing business successfully, FPM Agromehanika expanded its growth and development strategy and established cooperation with Indian company Sonalika in order to manufacture and sell Solis tractors on the markets of Serbia and the region.

F

PM Agromehanika is one of the leading manufacturers of agricultural machinery in Southeast Europe, with a tradition dating back over 50 years.

Since it was founded in 1961, the company has strived to follow technology trends and continually enhance its production, becoming the successful company it is today, with over 250 highly skilled and qualified employees, cutting-edge machines and highly developed technology in all stages of production.

The FPM Agromehanika product range has been developing through the in-house R&D department, tightly cooperating with faculties and institutes for agricultural science and mechanical engineering and renowned manufacturers of agricultural machinery from Italy, France and Germany.

FPM Agromehanika has also attained ISO 9001:2008 certification, the most widely recognised international quality management standard, while all its products are affixed with CE marking, guaranteeing safe use.

The product range consists of TRACTOR IMPLEMENTS (mowers and hay rakes; soil preparation machines; crop residue shredders- mulchers; pneumatic seed drills; mounted fertiliser spreaders; snowploughs), SELF-PROPELLED MACHINES (two-wheel tractors (motorcultivators); motor mowers; motor hoes; implements for self-propelled machines from our own production line, and for machines produced by other manufacturers) and CONTRACT MANUFACTURING - in addition to the main product range, the company also manufactures a large variety of parts and assemblies for other agricultural machinery manufacturers and companies within different sectors of industry.

In accordance with its growth and development strategy, at the end of 2012 FPM Agromehanika established cooperation with Indian company Sonalika in the field

Over 50 years of tradition and experience, coupled with modern production practises, guarantee reliable high-quality products of manufacturing and selling Solis tractors on the markets of Serbia and the region.

Sonalika is one of India’s leading tractor manufacturers, with annual production of over 70,000 units. The company was founded in 1969 as a tractor implements manufacturer and started manufacturing tractors in cooperation with Renault in 1995.

Due to the complete manufacturing process and all-phase quality control, including final product, Sonalika tractors have proven to be highly reliable. That is one of the reasons this company has probably the biggest annual growth rate in the world and is currently expanding its production capacities from 220 to 500 tractors a day.

Sonalika tractors are exported to over 70 countries worldwide and that number is growing constantly. Tractors made for the European market are adapted according to EU rules and regulations and are sold under the brand name SOLIS. The product range currently consists of models with power output from 20hp to 90hp, while the development of 110hp, 120hp and 140hp

26 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

models is currently in progress Ensuring quality and high reliability, while striving for constant improvement and modernisation of the product range, were the key reasons why FPM Agromehanika decided to establish cooperation with Sonalika.

It was agreed that cooperation should be carried out in following phases: 1. Assembly of semi-dismantled tractors (already underway); 2. Assembly of completely dismantled tractors and installing components from own production line or of domestic origin (2015 to the end of 2016) 3. Manufacturing and assembly of tractors with minimum 50% participation of own and domestic production (from 2017).

Over 50 years of tradition and experience, coupled with modern production practises, guarantee reliable high-quality products. That is why FPM Agromehanika is currently present in more than 20 countries worldwide and is continuing to expand to other markets. ■

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 27

LONGSTANDING TRADITION OF PC YUGOIMPORT-SDPR

Important Missions in Trade and Tech Yugoimport-SDPR has updated its business policy with the ambition of positioning itself as a future manufacturer of complex weapon systems and defence equipment cessfully on the organisation of veloped into the Joint Yugoslav-Indian Coma number of presentations and mission for Military, Economic and Scientifvisits by state officials to the ic-Technical Cooperation in the field of the YUGOIMPORT-SDPR HEAD OFFICE defence industry. This taskforce represented countries we cooperate with.

The second mission, no less important, a suitable institutional framework that was tate-owned public company Yugoimport-SDPR has a tradition of many includes in-house development and pro- a favourable incentive for further developdecades trading in armaments, de- duction of complex weapons systems. In ing cooperation between the two countries.

In the field of military engineering, a order to improve this business activity in an fence equipment and technology transfer.

Since its incorporation, Yugoimport-SD- adequate way, Yugoimport-SDPR J.P. has in- factory for the production of explosives was PR’s core business activity has been foreign vested considerable funds in improving the built more than 40 years ago through Yugotrade in armaments and defence equipment, business processes of some Serbian defence import-SDPR in Bundara, India. This factory, including imports and exports, services in the companies, in order to make jointly mar- widely known as the “Yugo Plant”, is still one area of overhaul and upgrade, personnel edu- ket-orientated and technically competitive of the leading manufacturers of explosives cation and training and complex cooperation products and services. To this effect, the end and gun-powder in India.

From 2003 to 2014, YUGOIMPORT– primarily transfer of defence technologies, of last year saw the opening of the Complex capital investments in the field of defence in- Weapon Systems Factory, where the produc- SDPR’s presence on the Indian market has included constant participation in defence frastructure, joint development and produc- tion of complex systems will be completed.

Market research, following the trends of shows and special exhibitions organised in tion etc. Known globally as an arms dealer, Yugoimport-SDPR has updated its business customers’ needs and equipping them, par- India. This year YUGOIMPORT-SDPR exhibpolicy with the ambition of positioning itself ticipating actively in international defence ited at DEFEXPO 2014, which enabled us to as a future manufacturer of complex weapon shows, are – and will continue to be – the present the production and export capabilibasic marketing tools in defining the five- ties of the Serbian defence industry at our systems and defence equipment.

Yugoimport-SDPR’s business policy fo- year plan necessary to maintain our position stand. Without false modesty, we would like to point out that our appearance at DEcuses on three missions: acting as an integrator of Serbian deThis year YUGOIMPORT-SDPR exhibited at FEXPO 2014 was very successful and which can be seen, among other fence industry companies into DEFEXPO 2014, which enabled us to present useful, things, from a number of visits to our the world defence market; developing and organising the produc- the production and export capabilities of the stand by high representatives of the Indian MOD and the Indian Armed Forces, tion of complex weapon systems Serbian defence industry as well as from the numerous contacts in the capacity as a system integrator; equipping the Ministry of Defence of on the markets of those partners with which with Indian defence companies.

We are confident that the history of fine the Republic of Serbia with imported com- we have been collaborating for many years, but also, with determination and know-how, political relations between India and Serplex weapon systems.

The mission of integrating Serbia’s de- to acquire new markets and create new stra- bia will provide a solid basis for the comprehensive growth of economic relations fence complex system into the global de- tegic partners.

Military and economic cooperation with between the two countries. Additionally, we fence market is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and its institu- India started in 1963 by exporting equip- also believe in further expansion of overall tions, as well as with other relevant state au- ment for the needs of the Indian Army. In military and economic cooperation between thorities that we have collaborated with suc- 1974 a joint taskforce was formed and de- our two friendly countries. ■

S

28 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 29

CULTURE

Over 5000 Years of Indian Cultural Continuity

Indian cultural history has been derived by the absorbing of customs, traditions and rituals from both invaders and immigrants. Many Indian customs, cultural practices and languages are examples of this co-mingling over the centuries. India has been the birthplace of many religious systems, such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism, which not only influenced India, but also the neighbouring countries. With the subsequent invasion of Islamic rulers, India’s culture was heavily influenced by Persian, Arabic and Turkish cultures

T

he 5000-year-old Indian culture is both ancient and varied. But unity in diversity, which is the main mantra of Indian civilisation, can be seen if any one monitors its various art forms and traditional diversity.

LITERATURE No land on Earth has such a long cultural continuity as India. The cultural quality and temperament of a nation can be best gauged to a great extent by its literature. There are at least 22 literary identities in

30 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

India, held by a common thread.

In India the stage was set by two great literatures, namely Sanskrit and Tamil. Indian culture has an organic unity and the Sanskrit language and literature have been mainly responsible for building up and maintaining this unity. The great works of Ramayana and the Mahabharata have moulded the life and literature of India and constitute the greatest literary heritage of the country. The cultural unity of India, ancient, medieval and modern, has been primarily nurtured through them.

DANCE The history of Indian traditional dance, which traces its origin back

KATHAKALI DANCE

to the 2nd century BC, is as colourful as it can possibly be. Classical, folk and contemporary, all dance styles are performed in India. Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Mohini Attam are the few leading forms of classical dance. Kathak, the main dance form in northern India, comes from the Islamic invasion, though in later years it evolved into the Hindu gharanas like Banaras gharana and Jaipur gharna. Maximum classical dancing originated from religious sentiment. But in addition to these classical dances there are numerous forms of folk tribal dances that can be found throughout India.

MUSIC Indians have always believed in the divinity of music. In India mainly two schools of classical style can be found: one is the northern Indian Hindustani style, the other is southern India’s Carnatic style. Like dance, music has a rich and robust folk tradition and music is inextricably woven into the fabric of rural India. The contemporary music of India includes even jazz, pop and rock.

PAINTED ART Temple paintings are the favourite way of expressing feelings. In ancient India this method has even been used as a tool to demonstrate someone’s religious beliefs. Cave paintings from Ajanta, Elora and Khajuraho, as well as temple paintings, are all testimony to this truth. Most cave art in India is mostly influenced by Hinduism or Buddhism.

Painting is not necessarily always made on a paper canvas or on rocks in India, where a freshly made coloured floor design (rangoli) is still a common sight outside the doorstep of many (mostly southern) TEMPLE PAINTINGS Indian homes.

ARCHITECTURE Indian architecture has influenced eastern and southeast Asia, due to the spread of Buddhism. A number of Indian architectural features, such as the temple mount or stupa, temple spire or sikhara, temple tower or pagoda and temple gate or torana, have become famous symbols of Asian culture, used extensively in Eastern and Southeast Asia. The central spire is also sometimes called a vimanam. The southern temple gate, or gopuram, is noted for its intricacy and majesty.

Contemporary Indian architecture is more cosmopolitan. Cities are extremely compact and densely populated. Mumbai’s Nariman Point is

RABINDRANATH TAGORE

Asia’s First Nobel Prize

Winner

Rabindranath Tagore was Asia’s first Nobel Laureate. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for his book Gitanjali. Although most famed for his poetry, Tagore was a creative genius who played a crucial role in the cultural renaissance of India and Bengal in the 19th and early 20th centuries. As well as being a Seer poet, Tagore’s achievements included notable contributions in music, literature, plays, art and as an education reformer.

Rabindranath (born 1861) wrote his first poem at the age of six and as a young boy studied the classical poetry of Kalidasa. He also studied the Upanishads languages and modern sciences. In 1878 he travelled to England in the hope of becoming a barrister. However, in 1880 he left University College London and returned to India because his father had arranged his marriage to Mrinalini Devi. Thus Tagore returned home to get married and look after his family’s estates. This enabled a productive period of writing poetry, plays and short stories.

In 1913 Tagore was informed that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The Nobel Committee gave Tagore the prize “because of his profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse, by which, with consummate skill, he has made his poetic thought, expressed in his own English words, a part of the literature of the West”.

Tagore kept writing poetry throughout his life. In the twilight of his life, when he suffered various illness, he became concerned with the theme of death and man’s immortality.

In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan to honour the poet with a Doctorate Of Literature. Tagore passed away on 7th August 1941 in his ancestral home in Calcutta (Kolkata), the house where he was born.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is immensely popular in Serbia having visited the country (then Yugoslavia) in 1926. The issue of the Serbia National Review (No. 4 2007) that wrote about the Poet’s visit to Belgrade described Gurudev as “the profound interpreter of the East” and stated that the Serbian capital was amazed by the Indian poet and philosopher, as well as that he was amazed by Belgrade. Gurudev is said to have cautioned the Serbs that they must not give up support for their tradition, spiritual life and myth. Gurudev gave two lectures at the Belgrade University, had lunch at the “Serbian King”, gave an interview to Stanislav Vinaver and spoke with Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović.

Gurudev was also moved by a certain gift: an old Serbian robe hemmed with gold, made in Kosovo in the 18th century.

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 31

TAJ MAHAL

famous for its Art Deco buildings.

Recent creations, such as the Lotus Temple, and various modern urban developments, like Bhubaneswar and Chandigarh, are also noteworthy.

FILM

Just how popular Indian cinema is can be confirmed by the single fact that over 900 films are made and released in India annually. In a country where cine stars get similar treatment to gods, nobody could deny that popular cinema is very much an integral part of Indian society.

Bollywood is one of the biggest film producers in India and one of the largest centres of film production in the world. Bollywood is often incorrectly used to refer to Indian cinematography as a whole, but in reality it is only a part of the large Indian film industry, which includes other production centres producing films in multiple languages.

TRADITIONAL DRESS India is a land of colour and diverse cultures, which is evident in the varied dresses that grace 32 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

INDIAN SARI

its people. The traditional ways of dressing in India are marked by variations, both religious and regional, with a wide choice of textures and styles. The simple Sari is draped over Indian girls from different regions in different styles. The traditional dress for Rajasthani and Gujarati girls is the colourful Ghagra choli. Southern Indian girls wear a half sari with duppatta. Churidar kurta is worn by girls in the north, but nowadays these are also quite popular with the young generation.

Western styles are gaining popularity amongst the urban youth.

CUISINE Indian cuisine is as varied as anything else in the country and it is not easy to define an “Indian meal”.

Indian food is often thought of as very spicy, but there are some simple breads, sweet desserts and milder ‘one-pot dishes’ that defy the norm.

There are regional specialities, variations in serving and contrasting staple ingredients in each state. This combines to create a diverse cuisine

that is never boring.

Indian food is often eaten with the hands, though this custom is guided by some basic rules. For instance, it is considered impolite to allow the food to pass the first joint of the fingers. The fingers should never touch the mouth directly. In addition, only the right hand may be used in eating.

Most Indian meals include a kind of flatbread that is traditionally used to scoop or roll vegetables or rice. A spoon is provided for soup, but the bread may even be used to eat that! Meat, if served, may be eaten with a knife and fork, but it will more often be served pre-cut so it may be easily managed by the fingers.

Indians usually eat their largest meal at midday, preferring to end with a light evening meal. People either bring their midday meal to work or use a lunch-packing service called “tiffin” that delivers traditional hot meals to their workplace. If possible, many Indians like to come home for their midday meal. ■

FILM SET SERBIA FOR INDIAN INDUSTRY

Bollywood Coming to Serbia The Serbia Film Commission and the Embassy of India in Belgrade have collaborated to bridge the gap between film producers from the two countries and create opportunities for joint cinematic collaboration lished in 2009, Serbia is promoted as a cost-effective, high-quality and competitive destination for international filmmaking. The Commission is also dedicated to expanding shooting locations and crew/business databases, improving skills and services and generally fostering a film-friendly environment.

With this in mind, it is no coincidence that Serbia and India have started cooperation in this area. The Serbia Film Commission team’s first visit to India took place in April 2014, when they visited New Delhi, Mumbai and the industry capital of Bollywood. ndia is world famous for its film industry, which produces over The delegation established good relations with leading trade 1,000 films a year, while Bollywood, the largest film producer in the institutions that represent the Indian film industry, such as FICCI, country, is simply spectacular, seCII and the National Film DevelopSerbian companies have already ducing audiences worldwide with ment Cooperation, who are working successfully cooperated and produced TV on the growth of the film industry its specific cinematic poetics.

Serbia, on the other hand, is fast commercials for Indian clients and this and media. Established contacts were further developed during the becoming a fresh and vibrant filmcooperation could easily be expanded Cannes film festival and the Serbian ing destination and has outstanding production infrastructure, juiced up with amazing talent and presence at the Indian Pavilion.

The Serbia Film Commission is planning to invite leading Indiuniquely creative crews.

Many international productions have been filmed in Serbia an producers to Serbia in September, when they will be presented during recent years. Thanks to the Serbia Film Commission, estab- with appropriate Serbian locations, studios and film infrastructure.

I

FIRST INDO-SERBIAN FILM CO-PRODUCTION Goran Paskaljević is one of Serbia’s most famous film directors, whose films have been successfully screened and received awarded at some of the world's biggest film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto etc.). His next film will be shot in India next spring. Speaking about his Indian adventure, Paskaljević says: “At the end of last year I was president of the international jury at the film festival in Goa (International Film Festival of India), where I met famous Indian actor Victor Banerjee. A friendship emerged spontaneously between us, based primarily on the fact that we have a similar view on the art of film.

VICTOR BANEJREE AND GORAN PASKALJEVIĆ IN FRONT OF THE I spent two months in India and completely succumbed to the charms TUNGNATH TEMPLE IN THE HIMALAYAS (4100M) of that country, it is really correct to say "Incredible India". Besides vivid cities, beautiful nature and ancient monuments, I connected most to the people I met there.

I endeavoured to write a film story with Victor in the lead role that I wanted to realise in Uttarakhand, where he lives throughout a good part of the year. Victor liked the idea very much and invited me to visit him. We travelled together for a month through the craggy Himalayas and the film story gradually acquired the tangible form of a film script.

We decided to shoot a long feature film entitled “Land of the Gods”, the first Indo-Serbian co-production, which I am deeply convinced will be an important step in cultural cooperation between the two countries. In September I’m returning to India with part of my film crew for the first preparations ahead of filming. I hope this project will open a new page in my film work and that we will successfully complete the project at the end of next year and screen it at some of the world’s biggest film festivals.”

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 33

TOURISM

RAJASTHAN

The most enigmatic of countries, India is a relentless assault on all of the senses at once. It is an extraordinary place, one of the world's great human melting pots where an incredible array of cultures, religions and ethnicities live in reasonable harmony. It teems with one-sixth of the planet's population from rural villages where life hasn’t changed for hundreds of years, to ultra-modern cities like Mumbai that ooze western sensibilities. India is simply vast, varied and, above all, unforgettably beautiful

Y

ou could spend a lifetime exploring the echoes of ancient cultures, and the country’s dramatic landscapes, including the mighty Himalayas. The most frequently visited part of India is the Golden Triangle, comprised of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The people-packed cities of Mumbai (Bombay) and Kolkata (Calcutta) have a bustling, colourful charm, while the holy city of Varanasi and the awe-inspiring temples of Tamil Nadu are rewarding places of pilgrimage. Ancient frescoes are on view 34 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

in the Ajanta Caves in Maharastra and dotted across India are 28 World Heritage Sites. Every region in India is stippled with an unmatched depth of history, diversity in cultures and language, monuments and beauty of settings.

As a tourist there is something to cater to every taste be it adrenaline-fuelled explorations, luxurious pampering or simply relaxing. India’s real allure and magic comes from the sheer assortment of things to do in every region: In Delhi, catch a rickshaw

AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE, DELHI

through the narrow lanes to the Red Fort, take a ride on the new world-class metro or visit it’s wonderful Lodhi Gardens. Perhaps you would prefer a more sublime treat such as floating on a houseboat through Kerala’s dreamy landscapes. You can choose to be overwhelmed by the vivid colours and overpowering aromas of a spice market. Or in Rajasthan, you can bounce up and down on a camel through the mystical deserts or sweat with the locals on a train through mountainside tea plantations. And, even if you do all that, you still won’t have scratched the surface.

Still, India is a wonder wrapped in contradictions. It is hard to overlook the fact that it has extraordinary displays of wealth as it does poverty. Modern architecture and corporate parks are growing but there is still a paucity of infrastructure. However, as a tourist there are responsible ways to visit as discussed in this guide.

ANDAMAN ISLANDS

Don’t expect to absorb all it has to offer in one visit, this is a country best approached as one would a smorgasbord. It’s a much more palatable experience if you take a sampling of what is on offer and then revisit for more.

It can be a baffling and at times overwhelming place to visit, but one thing is for certain, no matter how ready you are to leave by the end of your trip, within a few days of departure you’ll be longing to return.

ANDAMAN ISLANDS Snorkel in the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal - a lushly forested archipelago that has exotic plant life and a wide variety of corals and tropical fish. The best sites for diving around the islands are more difficult to reach remote. It is also home to India’s only active volcano.

PALITANA JAIN TEMPLE, GUJARAT

TRADITIONAL INDIAN CUISINE

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 35

BEACHES Mumbai (Bombay) has Juhu and Chowpatty, while Goa offers some of the nation’s most sublime beaches and resorts. Marina Beach in Chennai (Madras) is the second largest in the world. The lush state of Kerala includes the famous beach at Kovalam.

GOA Although much less mellow than in the heady days of the 1960s, there are still some fabulous full moon parties in places such as Anjuna.

Time your visit for the spectacular Carnival for bustling fun, as crowds throng to watch the lavish floats pass by and dance the night away.

BOLLYWOOD AND BOMBAY Escape Indian stereotypes in Mumbai (Bombay), the capital of Maharashtra, where a bustling port and the country’s commercial hub, Mumbai’s plate-glass skyscrapers and modern industry jostle alongside ramshackle bazaars and a hectic street life. The city is also the home of the prolific film industry. Welcome to ‘Bollywood’!

GUJARAT Located on the west coast of India, until recent years the State of Gujarat hardly featured on the tourist map. However, there are actually some amazing tourist places in Gujarat, with diverse attractions, handicrafts, architecture, temples and wildlife. Gujarat is well known for its rich culture. The folk arts of Gujarat form a major part of the culture of the state.

CAMEL SAFARI Experience India’s sprawling deserts from the back of a camel.

Make sure you camp overnight to experience the desert’s incred-

RIVER GANGA

ibly clear array of stars. Coincide your visit with one of the annual festivals such as Jaisalmer’s Desert Festival (January/February) and Pushkar’s fascinating Camel Fair in October.

DELHI Encounter the two sides of Delhi: New Delhi is a modern city, offering Lutyens’ architecture; ‘Old’ Delhi is several centuries old, with narrow, winding streets, ancient shrines and rambunctious bazaars.

See the Red Fort, the nearby Jama Masjid (India’s largest mosque) and the Qutab Minar’s soaring tower.

DURGA PUJA Take part in the Durga Puja (September/October) in Kolkata (Calcutta). One of the biggest Hindu religious festivals in India, it is full of colour and noise, held in honour of the goddess Durga.

36 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

HINDU FESTIVALS There are many Hindu festivals celebrated throughout the country with equal passion and devotion. The Hindu festivals in India involve lots of customs and rituals. There is a distinctive festival for every event

DURGA PUJA

of one’s life and for season. Some of the Hindu festivals are region and community specific depending on the importance a certain God. HOLY TEMPLES Orissa state is famous for temples. Bhubaneswar has some particularly notable temples, including the Lingaraj Temple. Puri, a holy Hindu place of pilgrimage, stages Rath Yatra in June or July, where icons of gods are drawn on massive chariots. Konarak is known for its striking ‘Sun Temple‘.

KASHMIR Wonder at Kashmir’s flower-spangled meadows, icy mountain peaks and clear rivers. Jammu is the railhead for Srinagar, the ancient Mughal capital. Lake Dal has houseboats where visitors can live surrounded by scenery so beautiful it is known as ‘paradise on earth’.

KERALA A complete break from India’s urban grit, cruise along the tropical backwaters of Kerala, pausing en route to visit rustic villages and assorted tourist sites. Sample the region’s renowned cuisine whilst you’re there including seafood flavoured in light coconut curries.

RIVER GANGA Brave the crowds that throng the sacred River Ganga. Along its bank is the wondrous city of Varanasi, one of India’s holiest Hindu locations with its ghats which, at dawn, are mobbed with pilgrims and holy men performing ritual ablutions and prayers.

KOLKATA Go east to Kolkata (Calcutta), capital of West Bengal. It is a major business centre with many markets, bazaars and impressive, if crumbling, colonial buildings. Central Kolkata contains the Maidan, the central parkland.

SIKKIM Go mountaineering or trekking in the pristine landscape of Sikkim. Shimla, in Himachal Pradesh, is the base for treks into the beautiful Kullu Valley, while Kodaikanal is a popular base for treks in Tamil Nadu.

MUSIC AND DANCE Listen to the evocative instruments of Indian music, such as the sitar, sarod and the subtle rhythm of the tabla. There is also a variety of dance forms to marvel at, each with its own costumes and elaborate language of gestures.

TAJ MAHAL AND THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE Discover the area known as the ‘Golden Triangle’ with its many stunning attractions. Delhi sits at the heart of the area with Agra in the southeast with the iconic Taj Mahal. To the southwest, in Rajasthan, is Jaipur, the vibrant ‘Pink City’. Visit the Amber Fort and

TEA PLANTATIONS

NATIONAL PARKS Explore the wildlife in over 70 national parks, 400 wildlife sanctuaries and 17 biosphere reserves. The Indian tiger and the Asiatic elephant are still found in certain regions. Among the best known reserves are Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan), Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan), Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh), Corbett Tiger Reserve (Uttarakhand) and Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (West Bengal).

RAJASTHAN Visit the most romantic city in Rajasthan, Udaipur. Known as the ‘Venice of the East’, it is built around the lovely Lake Pichola and is famed for its breathtaking Lake Palace Hotel as well as being a key filming location for the James Bond film, Octopussy. The rest of Rajasthan is famous for its colourful people and fairy-tale castles and forts.

LAND OF SIKKIM

the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). To the southeast of the triangle lies Khajuraho with its famous erotic friezes.

TEA PLANTATIONS Find out where your humble cuppa comes from with a tour of one of India’s tea plantations. Watch the tea pickers at work and learn how the leaves are processed. Head to the cool mountain town of Darjeeling, Assam or The Nilgris for the best brews.

TEMPLES OF AJANTA Observe stunning rock-cut temples all over India including the Buddhist cave temples at Ajanta, which date back at least 2,000 years, and Khajuraho with its famous erotic friezes. The caves at Ellora depict religious stories and are Hindu, Buddhist and Jain in origin. “ ■ INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 37

BODY, MIND AND SOUL

Traditional Systems of Healing in India Constraints of modem medicine have led to a growing interest in ancient proven healing methods. Western medicine believes that a person becomes sick because he or she contracts a disease. Each disease is seen as an independent entity that can be fully understood without regard to the person it afflicts or the environment in which it occurs

T

hus, conventional treatments are individual. It is the result of treatments of diseases, not of people. In contrast to this system of medicine, traditional systems of healing in India, as in other ancient cultures, approach sickness as a dynamic event in the life of an disharmony between the sick person and his or her environment The therapeutic focus is always on the person who 38 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA

is ill and the context in which the illness occurs, rather than on the disease itself.

More and more people are moving away from modern medicines and turning towards traditional, also referred to as ‘alternative’, systems of medicine.

Today, one can choose from various systems of alternative medicine, be it acupuncture, aromatherapy, meditation, Ayurveda,

Unani medicine, mud therapy, Pranic healing, Reiki method, Tibetan medicine and many more.

AYURVEDA: It literally means ‘the science of living’, Ayu meaning life and Veda meaning knowledge.

It is a system of medicine that provides guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that people can maintain an optimum state of health.

Ayurveda aims at removing the cause of illness and not just curing the disease itself. Based solely on herbs and herbal compounds, Ayurvedic remedies do not operate against the body’s metabolism.

Their effect is registered gradually resulting in minimum side effects.

MEDITATION

PANCHA KARMA: This therapy is designed to achieve an increased efficiency of medicines, foods and rasayanas (tonics). Before medicine, food or rejuvenating tonics are taken, it is essential that the body becomes receptive and that the accumulated wastes and toxins are eliminated.

Ayurveda advises undergoing Pancha Karma during seasonal changes to keep the metabolism strong and restricting toxins from accumulating in the mind and the body.

MEDITATION: It is a safe and simple way to balance a person’s physical, emotional and mental states. During meditation, the body gains a state of profound rest. At the same time, the brain and mind become more alert, indicating a state of restful alertness. “ AROMATHERAPY: Our sense of smell works at a subconscious level Olfactory nerves conduct smell sensations to a part of the brain which also regulates and controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.

Essential oils. are contained in

The therapeutic focus is always on the person who is ill and the context in which the illness occurs, rather than on the disease itself

YOGA

plants. Some oils are relaxing, some soothing and some pain relieving.

HOMEOPATHY: Dissatisfied with the common medical practices of the time, Dr. Samuel Hahnemann sought to create a system of gentler healing. He began creating a new system using plants, minerals and animal substances, combining them into energetic compounds. With these substances, he stimulated and encouraged the body’s natural healing forces of recovery.

TIBETAN MEDICINE: Tibet’s traditional medical system uses an ancient form known as Gso-wa Rigpa or “The Knowledge of Healing”, whose origins are believed to be based on the Buddha’s teachings.

REIKI: Disease, according to Reiki is caused by an energy imbalance, the depletion or congestion of energy. The treatment in this system of medicine consists of correcting this imbalance.

MAGNETOTHERAPY: It is very effective in drawing out pain and relieving stiffness.

SIDDHA: The origin of this sys-

REIKI

tem of medicine is associated with the desire of saints who realised that a good physical body, free from disease, was required to attain eternal bliss.

ACUPUNCTURE: Based on an ancient Chinese theory, the ‘puncture’ in the word acupuncture, refers to the insertion of tiny needles in specific points on the surface of the body. The use of this therapy has been widely successful in easing withdrawal from the addiction to drugs and alcohol.

ACCUPRESSURE: This science deals with the human body and the flow of natural energy within the body. Thumb pressure is applied on different pressure points on the body, stimulating the system of exercises for physical and mental well being. It combines stylised poses with deep breathing and meditation. The ultimate aim in yoga is to unite the human soul with the universal spirit.

There are others like Gem Therapy and many more forms of taking care of your body, mind and soul.

Don’t be surprised if you start feeling better already. ■

TIBETAN MEDICINE

INDIA | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | 39

40 | TRADITIONAL AND RELIABLE PARTNER | INDIA