NEW DELHI, November 25, 2013. Catalonia is an entrepreneurial, industrial state with an open and diversified economy, said Mr. Artur Mas, Regional President of Catalonia, Spain, at an interactive meeting organized by FICCI here today.

Mr. Mas was accompanied by a Catalonian delegation representing the automotive, biopharma, tourism and IT sectors. Catalonia and its capital, Barcelona, is a hub of high value added industries. The automotive sector is leading one of the major clusters in Europe. Barcelona, the proud title holder of the �Mobile World Capital� until 2018, is now the world�s centre for mobility innovations in all fields.

Catalonia has state of the art infrastructure, which is developed scientifically. It was also appointed as the Union for the Mediterranean for 43 countries. This platform was created for the not-so-friendly Mediterranean nations to engage in meaningful and positive discussions, he explained. 

Speaking about bilateral trade between India and Spain, Mr. Mas said, 25% of Spain�s exports to India comprise goods of Catalonian origin and 37% of India�s exports are destined for Catalonia. In 2012, Catalonia became the leading region to attract foreign investments in continental Europe.

Mr. Gustavo de Aristegui, Ambassador of Spain in India, said Catalonia is a hub of high technology and hi-tech industry. It is one of the most prosperous regions of Spain, having an robust economy. The interactive meeting was a sign of confidence and trust between India and Catalonia, he added.

Mr. Sidharth Birla, President-elect, FICCI, said that India and Catalonia share much in common. Both respect diversity and have a society that is tolerant towards plurality of views. The task ahead is to further cultivate and nurture these threads of commonality leading to multi-pronged cooperation between the two.

He said that the ensuing business interactions would prove crucial in bringing about a better understanding of the business opportunities that exist in India and Catalonia. This would certainly translate into refurbished Indo-Spanish trade and investment ties in the days ahead.

Dr. A Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said, India is well aware of the progress of Catalonia. Indian companies would like to partner with Barcelona in the field of urban infrastructure and can further engage in the arena of real estate.