New Delhi, May 13 (KNN) Raising concerns over the stubborn global slowdown, Engineering Exports Promotion Council  said that slowdown has made Indian engineering exporters more focussed in Middle East.

Faced with challenging times of a severe slowdown in the global markets, the Indian engineering exporters are going all-out for a hard-sell in the Middle East countries by aggressive participation in the high-tech industrial fairs.

In an statement EEPC said that under the aegis of the apex organisation, EEPC India and with the help of the Commerce Ministry, as many as 50 top engineering exporting firms are participating in the Jordan’s flagship ‘ JIMEX 2016’ that brings under one roof about 200 global exhibitors representing more than 550 international trade marks.

While the brand India exercise will take place between May 16 - 19 during JIMEX in Jordan, the EEPC India has already participated in the UAE industrial fair earlier this month, it added.

EEPC India Executive Director & Secretary  Bhaskar Sarkar said  “While the Middle East market including the UAE and Jordan , is key for the Indian engineering exporters, we have witnessed quite a fall in the shipments in line with the falling trend in rest of the world. By some aggressive marketing strategy and with the help of the Government under the Market Access Initiative (MAI), we want to reverse this trend.”

Against the exports of USD 396 million in 2014, engineering exports from India to Jordan fell sharply to USD 105 million under the impact a steep fall in the commodity prices . Likewise, shipments dropped to USD 5.1 billion in 2014 from USD 6.4 billion to the all-important Middle East market of UAE.

Sarkar said a sharp drop in crude oil prices and the likelihood of the softening trend continuing would bring about a structural change in the Middle East economies, a development full of opportunities for Indian engineering sector. “We should also rope in the investors from the Middle East in our Make in India programme for common goals,” he added.

The engineering exports to the region comprise industrial machinery, automation, energy, safety and security and renewable energy. (KNN Bureau)