China's first ever India Week will be staged in Beijing and Shanghai from October 13 to 19.

Highlights of the event include an exhibition in Beijing featuring over 100 Indian companies from diverse sectors such as auto components, textiles, tourism, information technology, engineering and chemicals.

An India-China high-tech show to be held in Beijing will see the presence of over 50 top-notch Indian and Chinese companies in the areas of information and communications technology, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

High-level bilateral seminars and conferences will offer participants opportunities to exchange ideas on Sino-Indian co-operation in a variety of domains such as tourism, banking and financial services, healthcare and information technology.

An Indian fashion show and Indian cuisine festival will be staged.

Piyush Bahl, senior director and head of the East Asia representative office of the Confederation of Indian Industry, said: "The fact that more and more Indian companies are looking at investing in China will go a long way in further enhancing Sino-Indian co-operation in spheres beyond trade and investment.''

With over 4,800 direct corporate members, the confederation is organizing the event in partnership with India's embassy in Beijing and its consulate-general in Shanghai.

B. Vanlalvawna, the consul in Shanghai, said: "The major purpose of the event is to explore areas where we can work together on a complementary pattern.''

There are currently about 50 Indian companies operating in China, mostly in areas such as auto components, pharmaceuticals and information technology, involving total investment of around US$300 million.

On average, at least three Indian companies enter China every week, according to Bahl.

The confederation said it expects the total investment of Indian firms in China to grow to US$1 billion by the end of 2008 and to US$3 billion by the end of 2010.

Bilateral trade between the two countries is also growing robustly.

The latest official Chinese statistics indicate that the volume of Sino-Indian trade exceeded US$4.08 billion during the first seven months of this year, a growth rate of 62 per cent on a yearly basis.

India's exports to China during this time hit US$2.33 billion, more than double the amount in the same period of last year. India's imports from China grew by 29 per cent year on year to reach US$1.76 billion.

Analysts said the total trade volume between China and India may exceed US$7 billion this year, compared with last year's US$5 billion. An annual bilateral trade volume of US$10 billion could be attained by the end of next year, they said.

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