On 7 July 2021 Ms. Sweeya Santipitaks, Consul-General, gave an opening remark at BCCI Webinar on  “Doing Business in Thailand – Gateway to ASEAN” initiated by the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) office in Mumbai. Mr. Nanthapol Sudbanthad, Director of BOI in Mumbai, then gave the presentation on the subject. The webinar was attended by 50 BCCI participants. The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry or BCCI was established in 1853 in Kolkata, West Bengal, but has grown to attract members beyond the Eastern Region, covering many industries. The Chamber is involved in areas like Healthcare, Education, Energy and Environment, Information Technology, Finance and Banking, Corporate Governance, MSME Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Tourism, etc.

In the opening remark, Ms. Santipitaks reassured participants that Thailand’s presence in India, namely Team Thailand comprising of the BOI office in Mumbai, the Thai Trade Center in New Delhi, and the Royal Consulate-General in Kolkata meant Indian businesses can still find opportunities amidst the pandemic and rely on Thailand as their partner. The BOI office in Mumbai had been promoting investments in Thailand for Indian partners since 2013. Its key objective was to assist Indian Businesses in investing in Thailand and also finding Thai business partners for investment in India.  India had various industries that matched Thailand's investment promotion goals ranging from traditional businesses such as auto parts or pharmaceuticals to partnership for the future in the Bio-Circular-Green Economy. Thailand and India must explore the “new normal” of doing business and investment together to overcome future economic challenges lying ahead, post Covid-19.