By Shailesh Yadav
Tehran [Iran], May 1 : In a step aimed at boosting Indo-Iranian trade relations, 57 Indian traders have registered their participation in Iran Expo 2025, signalling growing interest in strengthening bilateral commercial ties despite existing challenges.
"We were invited by the government of Iran," said Satish Kumar, Managing Director of ADSG Group, who attended the exhibition. "India has a very good opportunity to increase its exports to Iran. Indian companies are now very strong in engineering design and executing big projects across the world."
Kumar highlighted the potential for collaboration in Iran's petrochemical sector, noting that Iranian companies possess valuable raw materials and are actively seeking serious buyers. "We get leads and connections in such exhibitions," he explained.
According to Kumar, while India maintains a trade surplus with Iran, US sanctions have created difficulties in financial transactions. "If this problem is solved by our government, then we can get products at very competitive prices. In the next 3-4 years, India-Iran business can grow to USD 25 billion if the transaction issue is resolved," he predicted.
The expo is being organised at a time when India's global business footprint continues to expand, as the country emerges as a rising global power with entrepreneurs increasingly looking abroad to grow their operations.
The recent blast at the Bandar Abbas port has temporarily disrupted trade flows between the two nations.
"It will take time to restore normalcy," Kumar noted. "This disaster may have shifted trade to Chabahar Port, which is developed by India," he added, referring to the strategic port that represents a significant Indian investment in Iranian infrastructure.
Vikash Mahala, Promoter of Boss Export India, who exports granite to Iran and imports marble from the country, reported productive meetings at the expo. "We had several B2B meetings with Iranian companies and traders. They are very keen to export products such as marble, dates, pistachios, saffron, oil products, chemicals, and fertilisers to India," he said.
Mahala identified banking channels as a critical bottleneck in expanding trade. "UCO Bank is the only Indian bank which is authorised as a payment gateway by our government. If the transaction issue is resolved, then business between India and Iran can grow substantially," he emphasised.
The strong Indian presence at Iran Expo 2025 underscores the untapped potential in bilateral trade relations that both nations appear eager to develop, provided that regulatory and financial hurdles can be addressed in the near future.