Officials of leading business companies in India visited the province of Ilocos Norte on Monday to establish linkages with the local government and business partners here.

Dileep Tiwari, the managing director of Biocare Life Sciences Inc., said in an interview that they are looking forward to expanding in this northern gateway of Luzon.

“We are looking at various opportunities for business engagement between India and the Philippines and also the province of Ilocos Norte,” Tiwari said.

Tiwari is president of the India Business Forum Association Philippines, Inc. and represents various sectors such as pharmaceutical and healthcare, textile, automobile, information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO), renewable energy, engineering, accounting, travel and tourism, agriculture, manufacturing, creative industry and education technology.

To promote a better understanding of India and Ilocos Norte’s shared potential for economic growth, a business roadshow and forum were held at the Plaza Del Norte and Convention Center where at least 20 delegates from India and about 200 businessmen from Ilocos Norte had the chance to interact with each other.

The delegates were also promoting medical tourism and preventive healthcare.

Tiwari said Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc is supportive of the business forum meant to support the government’s plan to boost manufacturing, generate employment and bring cutting-edge technology to the Philippines.

In a separate interview, Ravee Diksshit, vice president for international operations of NephroPlus, said their company, which operates dialysis centers in five countries and 300 centers in India, also expressed interest to establish a private dialysis center in Ilocos Norte or work with the local government units to set up one each in Laoag City and in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

In an earlier Zoom press conference, Ambassador of India to the Philippines Shambu Kumaran said India and the Philippines in recent years have shown great business dynamism which was highlighted during the pandemic.

“The growth potential of both countries has begun to manifest strongly again. One of the issues however, is the lack of awareness on the strengths and potentials,” Kumaran said.

As the fifth largest economy in the world, Kumaran said India is expanding its business engagements not just in Metro Manila but also outside the capital city to identify and pursue concrete business opportunities to benefit Northern Luzon.

Local government officials from the Philippines can also take advantage of various training or professional courses being offered by India to increase their capacity building, he added.

Meanwhile, the India Business Forum donated medicines, a multi-purpose three-wheel motorbike and a 3.0-horsepower submersible pump to the provincial government, and received by the governor at the capitol also on Monday. (PNA)