The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) arranged a business forum in Chennai recently at which several industrialists and people 
from the media had an opportunity to interact with the delegates from Catalonia, Spain. The forum focused on the business opportunities in the automotive sector and stressed the need for bringing together business firms interested in setting up operations in Catalonia and Tamil Nadu.
Welcoming the gathering, Mr. Narayan Sethuramon, Chairman, TNSC, CII SR, and Managing Director and CEO, W.S. Industries, referred to the growing bilateral trade relations between Spain and India.
He said: “In 2012 Indian exports to Spain amounted to $2.75 billion and its imports were $1.16 billion. Spain is the 13th largest investor in India with 140 companies currently having business activities in the country, with an FDI of over $1 million in areas like auto components, water desalination and purification, infrastructure, renewable energy and single brand retail. Tamil Nadu, being a global manufacturing hub and a favourite investment destination, has many MNCs setting up their base in the State. There are about 30 Indian companies in Spain having invested Euro 687 million in IT, automobiles, road maintenance and pharmaceuticals.”
In his special address, Mr. Felip Puig Godes, Minister of Enterprise and Labour, Catalonia, Spain, said: “Our country is the third largest producer of motorcycles in Europe. Catalonia accounts for 25 per cent of Spain’s exports to India and 47 per cent of imports.”
Mr. Vicenc Aguilera, President, Automation Cluster of Catalonia, Spain, in his presentation, observed: “Spain is the number one producer of LCVs in Europe. It is the second largest manufacturer of vehicles in the region. The country exports 87 per cent of its total production. We have an installed capacity of three million cars. For every four cars produced in Spain, one car is from Catalonia. Our GDP for 2013 is around Euro 14 billion. We are the sixth in the world in terms of component companies. Some of the key players like Seat and Nissan have major assembling plants in the region. Almost 24 per cent of the total cars manufactured in Spain come from Catalonia. In spite of a competitive market outside we have planned to invest Euro 1.3 billion for car production. We have also been hosting the Formula One, Grand Prix and several other world championships in the country.”
Earlier, Mr. James Paul Daniel, Professor, VIT Business School, in his presentation, gave an overview of Tamil Nadu and its auto sector, focusing predominantly on Chennai, its strategic positioning and advantages.
Catalonia with a strong and dynamic industrial power and an open economy accounts for more than a quarter of imports and exports of Spain. With a population of over 7.5 million people it has 380 companies related to automobiles, employing 40,000 people in it.