The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Zak Salaam India’ expo ends on an encouraging note

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Monday, Aug 18, 2008
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‘Zak Salaam India’ expo ends on an encouraging note

P.S. Suryanarayana

Fashion show focussed on saree as suitable attire in the global village

unique initiative: Arun Jain (right), Chairman, MD and CEO of Polaris Software Lab. Ltd., receiving the Indo-ASEAN Business Initiative Award from India’s High Commissioner, Dr. S. Jaishankar (second from left), at the ’Zak Salaam India’ expo in Singapore. The others are Aloysius Arlando (second from right), Singapore Tourism Board Assistant Chief Executive, and Zakir Ahmed , Chairman and Managing Director, Zak Trade Fairs and Exhibitions.

SINGAPORE: The ‘Zak Salaam India’ expo, second in a planned series of annual shows, concluded here on Sunday night, on a note of being the “first” on two counts.

The Indo-ASEAN Business Initiative Awards, and a fashion show outside India, focussed exclusively on the saree as suitable attire for women in the global village, were said to be the “first” of their kind.

Another key feature of the five-day event, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), was the interactive focus on India’s village craft. Many visitors to the expo were seen evincing a great deal of interest in the “Artisans Village.”

First of its kind

Winners of the business initiative awards in several categories of services were chosen by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, on behalf of the expo organisers — the Chennai-based Zak Trade Fairs & Exhibitions.

India-based companies and their subsidiaries in the region of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) were eligible for the awards, designed to encourage small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The awards were presented by India’s High Commissioner S. Jaishankar on the first day of the expo.

And, STB’s Assistant Chief Executive Aloysius Arlando noted that the new generic award, under the auspices of the Zak Group, “is the first of its kind in Asia, and is testament to the strong India-ASEAN ties.”

Polaris Software Lab. Ltd., Orient Express Lines (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Bilcare Singapore Pte. Ltd., and Charak Pharma Pvt. Ltd. received the awards.

Varied categories

The categories varied from information technology and IT-enabled services to shipping lines and health care. The Agriculture and Cane Development Department of Jharkhand was also given an award, in absentia.

Zak Trade Fairs & Exhibitions Chairman and Managing Director Syed Zakir Ahmed emphasised that the expo was fashioned to showcase India’s SME sectors and its varied skills at the grassroots.

Mr. Ahmed said he would now set his sights on holding “Salaam India expos” in other Southeast Asian capitals as well. The turnout at this year’s expo and the on-site business-to-business interactions were “encouraging,” according to the organisers.

While Shaina N.C. choreographed the saree fashion show, Suhasini Maniratnam presented an Indian cultural event during the expo.

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