The virtual conference discussed the significant progress in plastic and polymers trade and analysed the challenges the industry is facing

 DP World, UAE Region and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) collaborated with the All India Plastics Manufacturers’ Association (AIPMA) for the “Enabling India’s Plastic Sector to Go Global” webinar. Held virtually, the conference explored the developments in the international trade of plastics and exchanged ideas on tackling the major roadblocks.

Leading plastics producers, manufacturers and convertors from around the globe shared knowledge about the best practices and latest technologies used in the industry and emphasised on the India-UAE connection in the sector. Raveen Guliani, Head of Business Development, DP World UAE Region shed light on facilitating access to international markets through the company’s pioneering initiative The India-UAE Bridge. Whereas Ebtesam Al Kaabi, Head of Sales, Jafza discussed the significance of Jafza in aiding trade and promoting the regional supply of materials, while also enabling plastic manufacturing.

Tapping the potential

DP World’s flagships, Jebel Ali Port and Jafza create the ideal hub for the Indian plastic sector. Its proximity to raw materials, industrial land for manufacturing, port-centric logistics ecosystem for polymers conversion, connectivity to markets in the Middle East, and services to support polymers plastic value chain, storage & warehousing capabilities, end-to-end logistics and supply chain solutions, and digitally-enabled one-stop-shop makes it the most preferred choice in the region.

Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & Managing Director, DP World, UAE Region and CEO of Jafza said, “As an industrial and logistics hub, Jebel Ali provides multimodal connectivity to international markets and has a dynamic and streamlined global supply chain, supported by DP World’s operations in 40 countries. The Indian plastics industry has shown much promise since its inception. The industry has grown and diversified rapidly over the years. During April 2019-January 2020, India’s plastic export stood at US$ 7.045 billion. India has immense potential and our association with AIPMA enabled us to facilitate communication with our partners in the country. This was a unique opportunity for us to gather relevant insights about the plastics industry. It also helped us underline our contribution to support the sector in India, the MENA region and around the world. We hope our position as a leading provider of innovative and sustainable solutions will encourage the progress of the industry.”

Chandrakant Turakhia, President of AIPMA said: “I believe that the “India-UAE Bridge” project is the need of the hour, which requires immense attention and will work as a trade and development opportunity for the plastic sector. Leveraging DP World’s vast portfolio of ports, inland logistics and industrial zones in both UAE & India and globally, this endeavour will help the plastic sector access new opportunities and markets, and provide seamless supply chain solutions. Most importantly, complement India’s vision of “Make in India to Make for the World” and facilitate profitable investments for Indian businesses.”

To facilitate trade seamlessly, Dubai Trade, Jafza’s single window for trade and logistics in Dubai offers a tax-free business environment with reputable regulatory bodies. The 1,110 plus services are accessible online to over 180,000 registered companies. This outstanding digital model of communication has minimised the need for manual transactions and personal visits and reduced import and export time by 50 per cent.

In 2019, DP World, UAE Region launched the India-UAE Bridge, a major project that aims to attract Indian trade and investments to its flagships, Jebel Ali Port and Jafza. Through this endeavour, DP World offers end-to-end solutions to companies and entrepreneurs and acts as a platform that allows ingenious Indian business minds to share their ideas with the Middle East and the world.