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Sarit Centre shopping mall/FILE

Kenya

Indian products on display in Kenya

Sarit Centre shopping mall/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 6 –Merchants seeking to build on the India-Kenya trade relations are in Nairobi for an exhibit showcasing a range of products from the Asian sub-continent.

Dubbed ‘Colours of India’ the exhibit that originated in Mumbai in 2008 consists of 37 SME’s and multi-nationals from India retailing consumer products ranging from clothing and jewelry to furniture and cosmetics.

Colours of India Promoter Amit Chopra said the exhibit is an attempt to create more of a market for products manufactured in India in Kenya offering local consumers affordable options.

“They are a few of the exhibitors looking for distributors here. We’re bringing products that consumers would have to ordinarily search for in India right to their door step,” he said.

This is the first visit for the exhibit in East Africa however it has showcased its wares in 15 countries worldwide and specifically to Africa in South Africa, Botswana and Malawi.

Co-promoter for the exhibit Salim Merchant said Kenya’s potential in the region makes it a viable market to invest in now.

“Kenya after South Africa is an emerging market in Africa and has good potential. People are coming up and working hard here. We see Kenya as a big market for us in Africa,” he said.

Just last year India reclaimed its position as the second largest exporter of goods to Kenya, which it had held for the past decade until its Asian counterpart China took over the local consumer market.

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the value of India’s exports to Kenya rose to Sh97.6 billion or 18.7 per cent of Kenya’s total imports in the first eight months of 2011 compared to China’s Sh87.2 billion or 16.7 per cent of imports.

The exhibit will be at the Sarit Center in Westlands from February 3rd to February 12th with an entrance fee of Sh50.

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Mombasa is the next stop for the Colours of India Exhibit later this month with plans to return to Kenya later this year.

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