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India International Mega Trade Fair (IIMTF) at the City of Joy

The 18th edition of the India International Mega Trade Fair (IIMTF) was held during December 13-25, 2019, at the Science City Ground, Kolkata. It was jointly organised by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BCC&I) and GS Marketing Associates. The opening ceremony of the India International Mega Trade Fair was held on December 14, 2019, and was inaugurated by Jagdeep Dhankar, Governor of West Bengal.

Speakers present were Upekka Samaratunga, Minister Commerce, First Secretary Commerce, Sri Lanka High Commission, New Delhi, Lyonpo Loknath Sharma, Minister for Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan, Sweeya Santipitaks, Consul General, Royal Thai Consulate General in Kolkata, Toufique Hasan, Deputy High Commissioner of the Peopleʼs Republic of Bangladesh, Mohd. Mansoor Sahak, Commercial Attache, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, B.S. Mishra, Regional Manager, LIC of India, Eastern Zonal Office, and Prakash Shah, Chairman, Trade Promotion &  Business Development Committee, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry. While inaugurating the event, Jagdeep Dhankar stated, “The Bengal Chamber and GS Marketing have been doing it for 18 years and will continue to do so. The trade fair has immense potential as the world is brought together by trade and culture and the city of joy is ideally suited for such interactions. West Bengal is a confluence of cultures. Such economic activities have many dimensions and it contributes to growth of peace and harmony.”

MCCI organised Insurance Forum 2019

The Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) organised a meet for the insurance sector titled ‘Indian Insurance Industry: Navigating the Changing Landscape’ recently in Kolkata. The Forum focused on the ‘Changing Face of Indian Insurance Industry’ and ‘Integrating Technology & Big Data to enhance Customer Experience, Distribution Channel & Marketing Strategy’.

The forum was addressed by K. Ganesh, Member (Life), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI,  and Tajinder Mukherjee, CMD, National Insurance Co. Ltd. Ashish Kumar Srivastava, MD and CEO, PNB MetLife India Insurance Co. Ltd, Rushabh Gandhi, Dy. CEO, IndiaFirst Life Insurance Co. Ltd, Jayashree Ranade, DGM, General Insurance Corporation of India, Sajja Praveen Chowdary, VP, Policybazaar.com, Amit Roy, Director, PwC India were also present. In the welcome address, Vishal Jhajharia, President, MCCI said, “The future looks promising for the Indian insurance industry with several changes in the regulatory framework which can lead to further changes in the way the insurance industry conducts its business and engages with its customers. The overall insurance industry is expected to reach $280 billion by 2020.”