By Paras Ramoutar
Port-of-Spain, May 9 (IANS) Even as India’s eyes are on the Caribbean as the cricket fiesta peaks with the T20 World Cup, India’s huge export potential will soon be showcased here at an Indian trade exposition in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), in partnership with the India-Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, is organising the trade exposition at the Centre of Excellence in Macoya in Trinidad and Tobago May 21-31.

The ceremony will be attended by scores of Trinidad and Tobago traders looking for business opportunities with India with a view to establishing partnerships, joint ventures in manufacturingrading and local agency distribution, according to Ram Bissoon, a member of the India-Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

The Trade Expo is part of FIEO’s outreach activity in various parts of the world in order to showcase India’s huge export potential and to establish mutually beneficial trade partnerships, according to Indian High Commissioner Malay Mishra.

At present FIEO is participating in a large-scale Made in India Show at Dubai and a similar show is planned for 2011 in Trinidad.

Bissoon said the India-Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce is the local organiser of the Trade Expo and will be responsible for all logistical arrangements.

The chamber came into existence Oct 6, 2009, with the sole objective to strengthen the excellent existing ties between India and Trinidad and Tobago in the field of trade, industry and investment, Mishra said.

India’s exports to Trinidad and Tobago have shown exponential growth - from US $8.8 million in 2001 to US $312.27 million in 2008-09. “With this trend, trade between the two countries can easily touch the target of US $500 million soon,” Mishra said.

India and Trinidad & Tobago share a common bond in religion, culture and sports, particularly cricket. About 44 percent of the Trinidad and Tobago population comprises people of Indian origin whose forefathers were sourced from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar between 1845 and 1917 when about 148,000 labourers came here to work as plantation labout.

(Paras Ramoutar can be contacted at paras_ramoutar@yahoo.com)