News: West Indies rolls out red carpet for India

(BL 24/02/2007) New Delhi - Cricket has long been associated with business. During the forthcoming World Cup, the West Indies would be taking this alliance further to actively promote trade and investment through this route, with India as the prime target.

With an expected arrival of 10,000 Indian cricket lovers, the Caribbean islands are leaving no stone unturned to showcase investment opportunities to Indians.

Around 2,000 visa applications have already been processed for the event.

"We are looking at promoting trade and investment with India through tourist arrivals for the cricket matches. They will be able to get a first-hand look at the investment opportunities here," said Pundit Maniedeo Persad, High Commissioner of Trinidad and Tobago to India, on the sidelines of a CII conference.

The country is taking a host of measures to ensure a smooth visit for Indian tourists.

It is gearing up to assist them in easy visa delivery by hiring VFS, a visa facilitation company.

Special direct charter flights between India and the islands where the Indian team is scheduled to play are also on the cards.

Indian tour operators are being roped in to make the visit a pleasurable experience.

Travel operators are visiting the host country to survey the best possible stay options to provide accurate tips and recommendations to cricket lovers planning their sojourn. On investment sectors, Persad: "We are looking at Indian investment in the downstream energy sector; a few Indian companies have evinced interest."

Trinidad and Tobago is also interested in engaging with the films sector for transfer of skills and manpower movement.

"We have a number of incentives which we want Bollywood to take advantage of," he said, adding that tourism was another area they were looking to develop.

"There is no real tourist travel by Indians into our country. We aim to develop it."