11 and Dec. 12, 2008, at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi (India) has been the “Spanish-Indian Business & Investment Forum”, with the aim of identifying investment opportunities and cooperation, as well as potential partners in India, to which were attended by representatives of NQ Lawyers, with own stand by direct invitation of the Spanish Embassy. 42 Spanish companies and over 130 Indian companies interested in establishing strategic alliances have attended at the Forum. NQ Lawyers have held numerous business round meetings with companies from both delegations, in the fields of architecture, civil engineering and construction, foreign trade, renewable energy, infrastructure, environment, water treatment, chemical and telecommunications.
That India is the world's largest democracy is something that offers no doubt, are more than 1,100 million people with a rate of population growth that is foreseeable that by 2030 India equal number of inhabitants in China to which exceed from that date.
There are obvious business opportunities for those companies that provide goods and services designed to meet domestic consumption of that population.
But India is also something more to the Spanish SME, is an excellent opportunity for growth that is committed in the domestic market by virtue of the rapidly evolving market, strong competition and labour and tax burdens.
It is a country to which we can move our technological advantages, our know-how, taking advantage of the opportunities it offers us competitive in terms of personnel costs and above all production.
Virtually all markets are expanding and almost all the needs are yet to be established, for example:
Tourism: increasingly more Spanish citizens traveling to india and vice versa. India currently lacking in 150,000 hotel rooms. The Government is preparing a tax exemption for five years for the construction and deployment of Hotels. This coupled with the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in 2010, in Delhi, has put the hotel projects and infrastructure between the Government's priority objectives.
Infrastructure: roads are needed. Currently only 60% of the roads in the country are paved. Poor infrastructure costs to generate large GDP, in the range of 4-6%.
The Government is increasing the allocations for development of National Highways Plan, in order to 27% annually.
It aims to accelerate the construction of highways, particularly the flagship project of the quadrilateral highway, linking the 4 major poles of development (Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Delhi-Kolcata) through an avenue of 5 or 6 lanes. It has scheduled its completion by the year 2,014.
Airports: The expansion and modernization of airports, which was begun in the case of Delhi and Mumbai, awarded to an Indian-German consortium. Soon, the central government plans to draw contests for second-tier airports. Great opportunities in airport infrastructure, handling, etc..
Automotive: Important increase in automotive fleet. Released by the Group TATA a car of 1,800 €. Chennai is called india Chicago with 40% of all domestic production of automobiles. And development of the entire automotive industry complementary.
Energy: Both transport infrastructures such as energy have significant deficiencies, which influences the development of other sectors such as tourism, but at the same time there are opportunities, as one of the Government's objectives is to provide electricity throughout the population in 2012.
Excessive dependence on oil, which is the first imported product and the low quality of Indian coal, renewables make a major sector to develop fully.
Pharmaceuticals: India is the largest market worldwide in the production of generic and its impact has been felt particularly in the treatment against AIDS. 80% of patients who are treated this disease around the world, Indians receive generic drugs, which is the only country that produces generic second-line AIDS; other countries can not develop because the patent laws prohibit.
Construction: the new regulation less restrictive for foreign direct investment in real estate from 2005, along with the growth potential of real estate in general throughout the country and the high profits of around 25% of the investment, make same fate privileged in the strategy of internationalization of Enterprises.
Foreign direct investment can be 100% through the automatic route and can acquire property through investment funds and through joint ventures or partnerships with temporary Developers and local construction companies.