Mumbai, Amsterdam to Cooperate for Business Opportunities

Mumbai: Mumbai and Amsterdam forged a strategic alliance to create more business opportunities, especially between the ports of the two cities. The alliance was forged at a session, Mumbai-Amsterdam: Smart Metropolitan Service Hubs, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"The two Metropolitan Hubs of Mumbai and Amsterdam have much in common. Both have an airport and a seaport, strong business service industry, a very good creative sector and both are highly competitive in the ICT (information and communications technology) industry. Both are of global significance that reaches well beyond the regional borders and thus have a lot to share and grow mutually," said Eberhand van der Laan, mayor of Amsterdam.

L. Radhakrishnan, Chairman of Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, and captains of logistics companies, talked about how ports in India could become more competitive and efficient like the port of Amsterdam.

"In our case corporatisation would be one of the ways in which we can have more autonomy. We have a lot of productive assets with which we will be able to connect to businesses. Autonomy will help us borrow from the market and increase profitability, just like Port of Amsterdam," said Radhakrishnan.

A memorandum of understanding was also signed between Port of Amsterdam and Samsara Group, an India-based shipping agency, to explore opportunities that will benefit both the cities.