Detroit Regional Economic Partnership Trade Mission to India Breaks New Ground in Economic Development

DETROIT, Feb. 8, 2006 -- A groundbreaking trade mission to India led by the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership will set the stage for expanded economic contacts between businesses in Southeast Michigan and their counterparts in the world's largest democracy.

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During the eight-day mission, the 11-member Detroit delegation met with 150 representatives of Indian businesses interested in a U.S. presence and explained why the Detroit Region should be their first choice, said Richard E. Blouse Jr., CCE, president and CEO of the Detroit Regional Chamber.

"India's economy is expanding rapidly, and many businesses there are setting up offices in the United States or seriously looking into the possibility of doing so," Blouse said. "Our mission was the first critical step in a long-term process that will ultimately lead to new economic opportunities and job growth in our region."

In cities across India, the response to the mission was overwhelming, added John W. Carroll Jr., senior vice president of business development at the Detroit Regional Chamber and executive director of the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership, the Chamber's economic-development arm.

"Interest in our mission was even greater than we had anticipated," Carroll said. "Our trip was particularly significant because we were the first local economic-development group from the United States to arrange a mission of this kind, and the word had traveled extensively about our visit before we even arrived."

In addition to the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership and the Detroit Regional Chamber, the delegation included representatives from Comerica Bank, Doshi Associates, Doshi Prettl Inc., Global Services Resources, Lawrence Technological University, Miller Canfield, Stonebridge Business Partners and TI Automotive. (Representatives are listed at the end of this release.)

From Jan. 18-26, delegates visited the cities of Delhi, Chennai, and Mumbai (Bombay). Formal seminars were conducted in each city with the assistance of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Each seminar included presentations on the region and the Detroit companies attending, a luncheon and two hours of one-on-one meetings.

"Our goal was to help the Indian companies gain a greater understanding of the importance of the Detroit Region as the site for their business headquarters in the United States. We also provided them with direct contacts with companies in the Detroit Region who can help them establish a presence in Southeast Michigan," said Carroll.

Additional group meetings were held in Chennai with the TVS Group (comprised of eight companies) and in Mumbai, hosted by Rungta Consulting Services (comprised of 10 automotive companies in the city of Pune). In all, the group met with 150 representatives of 70 to 80 companies, mostly related to the automotive industry.

"One person traveled 10 hours overnight by train to attend the seminar in Chennai, and another took a day off vacation to travel by plane to the same seminar," Carroll said. "Most companies we met with were looking for partners

to do business together, either in Detroit or in India, and a number of companies were looking at making strategic acquisitions in the United States."

Key outcomes of the trade mission:

* Delegates gained a much greater understanding of the business culture, practices and impediments to doing business in India.

* Delegates developed valuable contacts with decision-influencers at FICCI, the Automotive Components Manufacturers Association and at several private companies. These contacts will be extremely useful in developing future leads and in organizing future missions to India.

In formal presentations to Indian business leaders, the delegation emphasized these points about the 10-county Detroit Region:

* 16 Indian companies have facilities in the Detroit Region, and Detroit's traditional "Big Three" auto companies -- General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler -- have major production facilities in the Indian cities of Halol, Pune and Chennai.

* The Detroit Region is the "Brain Center" of the automotive industry with more than 135 automotive R&D centers employing more than 200,000 automotive designers.

* The Detroit Region has more engineers per capita than any other region in the United States. More than 10,000 engineers and technicians graduate from our colleges and universities each year.

* The Detroit Region produces more automobiles than any other region -- or entire state -- in the United States, and 71 of the top OEM suppliers are headquartered in the Detroit Region.

  Members of the delegation:
  Richard E. Blouse Jr., president and CEO, Detroit Regional Chamber
  John W. Carroll Jr., executive director, Detroit Regional Economic
   Partnership
  Charles M. Chambers, president and CEO, Lawrence Technological University
  Shailesh N. Doshi, CEO, Doshi Associates Inc.
  Dave Ford, director of fuel delivery systems, TI Automotive
  Ralph Heid, vice president and international division head, Comerica Bank
  Don Katz, associate at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone PLC
  Chris Quick, director of fuel delivery systems, TI Automotive
  Peter Schrennen, vice president, Doshi Prettl Inc.
  Atul Sheth, president, Global Services Resources LLC
  Rex R. Struble, managing partner, Stonebridge Business Partners

With more than 22,000 members, the Detroit Regional Chamber is the largest chamber of commerce in the country. The Chamber's mission is carried out through business attraction efforts, public policy advocacy, strategic partnerships and quality products and services for members. Since its founding in 1997, the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership has helped bring more than $1 billion in new investment and more than 5,000 new jobs into the 10-county Detroit Region.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos are available by electronic transmission. Attention editors -- Suggestions for sidebars to this article: * Spotlight on the expanding number of Indian companies with a business presence in Southeast Michigan. * Interviews with Dick Blouse, John Carroll or other delegates (listed above) on the historic significance and potential long-term impact of this trade mission. * Stonebridge Business Partners, a member of the delegation, opens an office in the Indian city of Pune through a partnership with Rungta Consulting Services.