Johannesburg: Multinational assurance, tax and advisory services company PricewaterhouseCoopers will launch an India-Africa desk here Thursday in an effort to stimulate two-way foreign investments and joint ventures.

Project leader Troopti Naik said the international desk was being launched to facilitate business linkages and joint ventures between entities in India, South Africa and the rest of Africa, and vice-versa.

Naik said a comprehensive survey report on business between India and South Africa, to be released later this month, would feature interviews with the leaders of companies from both countries. It will also look at the business trends and assess the psyche of Indian companies wishing to do business with Africa.

Chief guests at the launch of the India-Africa Desk will be Indian High Commissioner Rajeev Bhatia and Durban's Deputy Mayor Logie Naidoo, who has been recognised for pioneering Durban's trade route to Chennai over the past 14 years.

Chief executive officers of leading brands, such as Tata Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Dunlop Apollo, SA Breweries, McDonald Steel, Sasol, Didata, and the J&J Group are also expected to attend.

Deepak Kapoor, Managing Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers in India, will share his experience of technology, infocomm, entertainment and media practice in India.

Stanley Subramoney, PwC's Deputy Chief Executive Officer, who is piloting this ground-breaking public-private sector initiative, said: "At PricewaterhouseCoopers, we are very excited about the India Desk initiative and at growing its relevance and profile within the business community, both in South Africa and abroad.

"To ensure that it enjoys prominence in future, our intention is to associate the India Desk with significant, high-profile individuals so that this forward-looking project becomes viable, sustainable and serves to raise the bar on our economic and trade relations with one of the fastest growing world economies."