56 August 2015 www.bahrainthismonth.com india independence Indian Ambassador, HE Alok Kumar Sinha, may only have been in Bahrain a few months but he was already well acquainted with the island thanks to working closely with his predecessor on the new Indian embassy, which he hopes will be open in time for the country’s Republic Day in January 2016. This is Ambassador Sinha’s first posting as ambassador but he is well experienced for the job having been second in command at India’s embassy in Nepal and prior to that at the Permanent Mission of India at the UN in New York. Of his posting to Bahrain, HE says: “Everybody I spoke to told me what a wonderful place Bahrain is, how very hospitable and friendly. And, since I’ve been here, I’ve found that to be true, it truly is a wonderful place. “Being here during Ramadan gave me the opportunity to meet many dignitaries and business leaders in a short space of time and they have all been extremely welcoming and keen to work for building on the already excellent Bahraini/Indian relationship.” He also had the opportunity to meet a wide spectrum of the Indian community when the embassy organised an event for the International Day of Yoga at the end of June. He says: “This was a great opportunity to meet so many members of the community and there are also many organisations doing a lot of good work here so it was a chance to learn about them too.” Ambassador Sinha says his mission and that of the embassy is to protect and promote the interests of the Indian community and to further encourage bilateral relations. Reflecting on the high-level visits which saw both His Majesty King Hamad and the His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman, travelling to India in 2014 and the Indian Minister of External Affairs, HE Sushma Swaraj, visiting Bahrain, HE says: “Automatically, what follows from these visits is the agreements that are signed. Much of the embassy’s work in the coming years is to maintain that momentum and take it to a higher level for economic ties and investment between the two countries. “The current level of trade between India and Bahrain is around USD2 billion per year and there is certainly room for this to grow. “Recently the Skill India programme has been launched which is aimed at ensuring that we have the people with the proper skills to back up investments. The Make in India and Digital India programmes launched earlier would also facilitate investments and ease of doing business with India. “Of course, the actual investment must come from the private sector but, for our part, the embassy is actively encouraging exchange visits and seeking to reactivate mechanisms such as the joint business council. “I see both India and Bahrain emerging as business hubs for setting up manufacturing bases for promoting trade with each other and even beyond.” With busy times ahead, Ambassador Sinha, who is here with his wife Mamta, has little time for hobbies but he says one thing that’s guaranteed to tear him away from his computer is walking his dog, a pet he acquired during his time in Nepal which has travelled the world with him. HE Alok Kumar Sinha BTM speaks with the new man in charge at the Indian Embassy to find out his impressions of Bahrain and plans for the future. Building on Strong Ties
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