Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Kamal Nath has inaugurated the Japan External Trade Organisation’s (JETRO) Business Support Centre in India. He said that the BSCI will help Japanese SMEs by providing them with rental office space, free consultation from experienced advisors and access to appropriate information on industrial structures, market shares and business practices in India. It will provide information on regulations and incentives from central and state governments and on procedural requirements for establishing a business, such as company registration and tax and labour procedures. It will also offer SMEs help in finding a location for office or manufacturing bases using a nationwide network of real estate companies.

The minister expressed the hope that an increasing number of Japanese SMEs would find opportunities in the Indian market and noted areas such as chemicals, textiles, R&D, biotechnology and food processing as key industries.