Georgia Companies Sought for India Trade Mission in February

A trade mission to southern India designed to help Georgia companies tap opportunities in the fast-growing country is being planned for Feb. 2-8.

Organized by the Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, the mission will target the city of Coimbatore, on the western edge of Tamil Nadu, one of two states that make up the southern tip of India. 

The trip is to reciprocate a visit by CODISSIA, the Coimbatore District Small Industries Association, which brought more than 50 executives from 43 companies to Atlanta for the chamber’s GATE (GIACC Atlanta Trade Event) 2024 edition in March.

Two Indian companies on that mission have already incorporated in Georgia with eight others in various stages of the process of expanding operations or sales here, said S.K. Raj, a board member and immediate past chairman of GIACC, who is helping organize the mission.

“We believe the best way to further GIACC mission of promoting trade and commerce between Georgia and India is to have boots on the ground,” Mr. Raj told Global Atlanta in an email. “Nothing beats shaking hands and breaking bread in-person. Zoom and Microsoft Teams can only do so much.”

GATE 2025 constitutes the first time the GIACC’s signature initiative will be held in India, giving companies “avenues for trade partnerships, market entry strategies, and joint ventures with local enterprises. GATE creates a pathway for these Georgia businesses to expand their global footprint,” Mr. Raj said.

Much like it did for Indian small businesses looking at the U.S. this year, GIACC is pitching the outbound trip as a way to reach a diverse array of Indian suppliers without traversing a vast and complex country.

Working with CODISSIA, GIACC will help buyers and investors from Georgias set up one-on-one meetings with potential partners. 

“We bring the best of Indian industry to you,” reads a GIACC flyer promoting the trip. “Instead of traveling across the country, you can meet with pre-qualified suppliers and manufacturers in one convenient location.”

Tamil Nadu as a whole is known as a hub for the automotive sector in India. Its coastal capital, Chennai, has seen growing technology investment along with auto assembly plants and suppliers from global brands. 

India’s consul general in Atlanta, Ramesh Babu Lakshmanan, hails from the state, while the U.S. consul general in Chennai, Christopher Hodges, grew up in Marietta and earned a bachelor’s degree in international affairs graduate from Georgia Tech. Mr. Hodges has been invited to be the keynote speaker for an event welcoming the delegation.

Coimbatore is also home to auto parts companies, foundry and machine shops, textile plants and IT services firms, among many other sectors, GIACC says.

Delegates from Georgia firms participating in the trip must be decision-makers with the ability to enter into contracts. 

The cost for the trip is $2,178 per delegate, including airfare on Qatar Airways via Doha to Bangalore, India, from which the group will fly on a domestic airline to Coimbatore. The package includes four nights (single occupancy) at a five-star hotel in Coimbatore.

The chamber is looking to finalize its delegate list by mid-December to lock in pricing, especially on airfare. 

Contact Mr. Raj at sk.raj@forartech.com or by phone at (678) 852-5434. Visit www.giacc.net or see below for more information on the trip: 

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