Trading of spice through India-ME-Europe EC a priority

Indian spices and spice products, popular in the ME and the Arab world, could be the first commercial products to be traded through the new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which was announced at G20 Summit in New Delhi to augment connectivity and integration among countries in the region. Taking the first steps to promote the Corridor, India’s Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, said the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor is similar to the Spice Route of the historic past. “So, we should be looking up to this new initiative as an appropriate opportunity to celebrate the flavours of India and the versatility of the country in the regions covered by the Corridor. Let Indian spices capture world markets,” the Minister said while addressing the World Spice Congress in Navi Mumbai, just outside India’s commercial hub of Mumbai. Using a clever pun, Goyal exhorted that harnessing the new Corridor, “if we all work together as a team, we can spice up the world of commerce and exports. Let us delight the world with the magic of spices and let us preserve this magic for future generations.” Goyal urged the 35 million-strong people of Indian origin residing across the world, including the GCC to be brand ambassadors “to encourage increased consumption of spices across the world.”