1. Consul General Prakash Gupta paid an official visit to Lishui on 10^th February 2017 and called on Mayor Zhu Chen and discussed ways and means to further strengthen bilateral cooperation between India and Lishui.  Given Lishui’s strong focus on tourism promotion and environmental protection, it was also proposed to hold a large celebration of the 3^rd International Day of Yoga in Lishui towards mid June 2017.

2. In addition, Consul General also visited two leading companies from Lishui, i.e. the Boshen Group (manufacturing steel pipes and cylinders) and UP Chem (pharmaceutical company), both of whom had plans for setting up manufacturing units in India in the second half of 2017. Consul General also extended an invitation to Mayor of Lishui to lead a high level investors delegation from Lishui to visit India in second half of 2017 and requested him to encourage both Boshen Group and UP Chem to invest in India, taking advantage of the policies being offered to foreign investors under the Make in India campaign. 

3. Earlier in the week, on 9^th February, Consul General also visited Wenzhou (leading business and entrepreneurial hub) in Zhejiang Province and interacted with Vice Mayor Madam Zheng Zhao Yang and requested Wenzhou city leadership to lead a delegation to India for the signing of the Lucknow – Wenzhou sister city agreement, given the mutual complementarities between Lucknow and Wenzhou in the leather industry sector. Aokang Group, a leading leather industry from Wenzhou also has plans for investment in the leather industry in Lucknow. It may be noted that earlier in 2016, Wenzhou became the first city in mainland China to set up an exclusive center, i.e. India China (Wenzhou) Economic and Cultural Center, aimed at promoting investments and economic and cultural exchanges with India. 

4. During the visit to Wenzhou, Consul General also visited the Tsingshan Group, one of Zhejiang’s leading steel industry companies, which has expressed strong interest in setting up a manufacturing unit as a JV partnership in Gujarat in India before end of 2017. In addition, Consul General also visited the Zhejiang Weiming Environment Protection Company, and interacted with its Chairman Mr. Xiang Guangming. It may be noted that Weiming Group, has the largest waste management plant in Eastern China, where nearly 2500 tons of municipal waste material is converted into thermal electricity on annual basis in an environment friendly manner using green technologies. Weiming Group expressed keen interest in partnering with Indian companies in the waste management industry in leading metropolitan cities of India. 

5. It may be noted that both Wenzhou and Lishui in Zhejiang Province of Eastern China region would be focus partners for the Indian Consulate in Shanghai during 2017 with aim to deepen all-round economic and cultural cooperation with India. 

Shanghai
13 February 2017