Indian Ambassador Advocates for Increased Business with Asturias

India aims to expand its business engagements with companies in Asturias, as stated by Dinesh Patnaik, the Indian Ambassador to Spain, during his visit to the Club Prensa Asturiana of LA NUEVA ESPAÑA. This visit marks the first official trip to the region by a representative of the Asian giant.

“To source talent globally, India is indispensable. In the next twenty years, we will be in a privileged position. We believe in teamwork, and Spain serves as a gateway to Europe and Latin America, hence our desire to enhance cooperation,” emphasized the ambassador. He was introduced by Manuel Ruiz de Bucesta, Director of the Instituto de Estudios Históricos Bances y Valdés, and Alfredo Leonard, the Institutional Relations Advisor for the Nobility Corps of Asturias.

“I am delighted to be in one of the most beautiful regions of Spain. More importantly, I want to highlight our intent to increase business here,” stated the ambassador, who identified four key sectors of interest in Asturias: defense, renewable energy, agriculture, and livestock. These sectors, according to the diplomat, are where India sees the most potential for cooperation. His previous postings include the Court of Saint James in the United Kingdom.

“We are major consumers of milk but have a production deficit,” highlighted Patnaik, addressing one of India’s most evident realities, where the consumption of food products increases exponentially every year.

The ambassador also advocated for greater cultural cooperation in Asturias, similar to efforts in neighboring communities like Castilla y León, where there is an established Casa de la India. Dinesh Patnaik has held his position since January 2022. “During this time, I have discovered that Spain is a place where India should be capable of doing much more. Fortunately, we have very good relations with Spain, but these relationships can improve further, as there are still many people in Spain who are unaware of our country’s potential,” he noted.

“Our goal is to build bridges so that both businesses and people from Spain and India can better understand each other,” stressed the representative of a country that gained independence from the British Empire in 1947 and today maintains privileged relations with the United Kingdom.