EXIM Bank outlines future partnership with Commonwealth

A desire to increase collaboration between the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Export-Import Bank of India has been expressed by the latter’s Executive Director, Shankar Rao.

The two organisations have worked in partnership since 2004, with a series of programmes - held in India - which seeks to help improve the competitiveness of businesses across the Commonwealth. The programmes, the latest of which was held in Bangalore in southern India in June 2009, expose micro, small and medium enterprises to success stories by inviting renowned entrepreneurs to share their first-hand experiences as well as organise site visits to a number of successful companies, as also to gain deeper understanding of the role of support institutions.

To date, over 550 participants from 47 countries have attended these programmes but Mr Rao sees potential for expanding the project further.

“All nine programmes conducted over the past five years have been in India, but we are now in a strong position to hold them abroad in other regions such as Africa,” he explains. “This will open up the training to a number of businesspersons and policy-makers who would otherwise not be able to attend.”

The programmes have also witnessed a number of collaborative agreements signed between EXIM Bank and institutions from other Commonwealth developing countries. Mr Rao also sees potential for increased South-South co-operation between companies from Commonwealth developing countries. “We are keen to encourage Indian companies to find partners outside Asia,” he says.

The third area where EXIM Bank’s Executive Director believes there is room for expansion is with medium-sized businesses. So far, most of the focus at the programmes has been on small businesses, but he believes there is potential to help address specifically a different target audience – the medium-sized companies.

Ram Venuprasad, the Secretariat’s Enterprise Development Adviser responsible for these programmes, welcomes the opportunity to increase and develop collaboration with the Bank.

“These programmes have been a great success for all involved, but there is so much more potential,” he said. “I look forward to working closely with EXIM Bank in the coming months and years to further develop this mutually beneficial partnership. EXIM Bank and Mr Rao have been excellent partners to work with.”

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