London: In yet another example of growing trade relations between Northern Ireland and India, a designer and manufacturer of washing and screening machinery has formed a joint venture company with Torsa Machines of Kolkata.

CDE Ireland, the Cookstown-based company, has formed the joint venture called CDE Asia Ltd with Torsa machines. The development has been welcomed by Invest NI, the official body promoting trade and business relations in Northern Ireland.

Tony Convery , CDE Ireland's managing director, said, "CDE Asia's manufacturing facilities will exclusively serve the very dynamic markets in India and the surrounding area, and will strive to replicate the exceptional quality standards that CDE has achieved in its machinery developed for UK, Irish and other European customers.

"All production for the European, UK and Irish markets will continue to be sourced locally, and full support is being given to this new venture by CDE Ireland's local suppliers.
 
"The joint venture is a very exciting development for us and is the logical extension of a partnership that we signed with Torsa in June 2005. This initiative gave us a foothold in the marketplace and led to significant initial sales.

"As a result, we are convinced that there is a substantial market opportunity for our innovative washing technologies, particularly in the sand and iron ore industries. India is a mineral-rich nation in which mining and processing companies are exceptionally keen on the experience, expertise and bespoke engineering services that we offer.

Leslie Morrison, chief executive of Invest NI, said, "This is an immensely encouraging development for this ambitious company. Encouraging companies to harness the business potential of fast growing international markets is an Invest NI focus."

"The route to success in international markets for all Northern Ireland companies is to add value to their business by strategic investment in innovative products, such as the sand-washing system that CDE has developed, and on a greater engagement in markets outside Northern Ireland .

"This joint venture gives CDE a strong position in India and other parts of the Indian sub-continent, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka , regions rich in mineral resources such as coal and iron ore, where a huge investment in infrastructure development provides exciting opportunities for machinery required by the construction and mining industries," he added.

Established in 1991, CDE Ireland currently employs 70 people in the bespoke design and manufacturing of machinery for sand and dust washing, recycling and for water treatment and filtration. It currently sells more than 80 per cent of its machinery outside Northern Ireland to customers in India, the Arabian Gulf, and Pakistan, as well as Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Several Indian companies have opened offices in Northern Ireland, including IT major HCL, which operated a large Belfast-based call centre servicing European clients.