Bangalore: India is set to give a major push to "India brand" in China with key initiatives in an attempt to strengthen its foothold in the dragon country as bilateral trade has started moving up in a blistering pace, industry officials said.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is opening its 13th overseas office at Shanghai in China on June 26, while a first ever "Made in India show" and "India-China Hi-tech show" are slated to be held in Beijing from October 16 to 19, CII officials said.

The initiatives are coming at a time when bilateral trade is showing signs of scaling a new high. The Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, accompanied by a high level delegation, is proposed to visit China in the second half of next month, it was noted.

CII's senior director Piyush Bahl said bilateral trade showed stupendous growth in the first three months of the calendar year 2003, clocking a 90 per cent jump at $ 1.7 billion with India's exports to the neighbouring country zooming by 120 per cent.

Incidentally, annual marine exports to China accounts for around $ 150 million, Bahl said.

India, in fact, had a trade surplus of around $ 225 million for January-March 2003 figure, he said. CII officials said fears that Chinese goods would flood the Indian market have turned out to be unfounded.

During the calendar year 2002, bilateral trade grew by 40 per cent to reach $ 5.2 billion, officials said. Bahl, who would be heading the CII's Shanghai office, is confident that the figure would touch USD seven billion this year and $ 10 billion in 2004.

PTI