There is plenty of scope for the business communities in India and Bahrain to work closely together to explore opportunities in a number of lucrative sectors
It was with an eye on the fast-growing market of West Asia that Wipro, the end-to-end IT solutions provider, set up a base in Bahrain six years ago, inking a tie-up with Maskati Commercial Services as its local business partner.
With a clear goal of becoming a regional telecom and IT hub, this was Wipro’s strategy to work more closely with its customers in the region.
Wipro is among the big names in the IT business to have made their mark in Bahrain, one of the most investment-friendly counties in the Gulf. Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Satyam are already working in Bahrain. Besides IT and communications technology, there are a number of other sectors where Indian entrepreneurs and businesses can tap opportunities. Many of these sectors remain unexplored so far. Take solar energy, for instance. The country receives ample sunlight, around nine hours a day on an average. According to some estimates, every square meter of land is capable of generating over 2,000 kilowatt hours of energy a year.
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Why Bahrain?
Bahrain’s economy is highly developed and is welcoming to foreign investors. According to a report by Ernst&Young, “The government recognizes the need to broaden the country’s economic base and welcomes foreign investment considered to be economically beneficial.” Despite the slowdown, the country is doing well on the economic front. “Banks have enough solvency. Financing of projects is carried out by available funds and resort to borrowing is avoided. The economy is booming in Bahrain as an international financial center and is attracting money because we have proper effective regulations and free economy,” says Mohamed Ghassan Shaikho, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
| DARE/doing business | |||
| Ease of…. | 2009 Rank | 2008 Rank | Change in Rank |
| Doing business | 18 | 17 | -1 |
| Starting a business | 49 | 45 | -4 |
| Dealing in construction permits | 14 | 15 | 1 |
| Employing workers | 26 | 30 | 4 |
| Registering property | 18 | 15 | -3 |
| Getting credit | 84 | 79 | -5 |
| Protecting investors | 53 | 49 | -4 |
| Paying taxes | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| Trading across borders | 21 | 20 | -1 |
| Enforcing contracts | 113 | 115 | 2 |
| Closing a business | 25 | 25 | 0 |
| Source: World Bank Doing Business 2009 Report | |||
An archipelago of 36 islands and a history of around 5,000 years, Bahrain is business-friendly. Its industrial economic zones are strategically located close to transportation networks, making it easy for businesses to access markets fast. No wonder some of the world’s most respected companies, including large conglomerates and financial institutions, are based there. The country itself is a gateway to the lucrative markets of the Gulf region. The presence of an educated and highly-skilled workforce is an added advantage to foreign companies operating in Bahrain. Its infrastructure is extremely modern. The telecommunication and Internet facilities are at par with global standards.
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written by cialis generic, February 01, 2011
written by www.locations4business.com, November 22, 2010
written by Udit Chaudhuri, June 18, 2009
First, dust and wind are the enemies of any solar installation. These de-rate the output of any solar equpment - thermal or eletric/photovoltaic. In the Gulf, this calls for a daily inspection and dusting of panels or reflectors. With this cost of (expensive) labour added, you need an size of installation hat will pay for such costs. Plus the reflectors and glass need to be of scratch-proof quality and that also adds to cost. Again this increases the economic size and cost of a domestic residential, corporate or hotel installation.
Next, the sun provides dissipated energy, at about 2 KW per Sq M for 3-4 hrs, which means 6 to 8 KwH per day per Square Metre. Of these, solar heating devices convert about 40-60 % depending upon weather, less wind and dust losses to deliver 2 to 5 KwH of energy per day per sq metre. Solar photovoltaics convert just 10-15%. likewise delivering just 200Wh to 750Wh per Sq Metre per day.
All this makes solar energy installations affordable only for large family residences, hotels and offices, if they have 1 Sq Metre per occupant of shadow-free space for solar-thermal installations and 0.5 Sq Metre for solar electric installations. Terraces of multi-storeys are inadequate, making 100% autonomous solar installations not feasible but only supplementary. This means continued, even if reduced dependence on the grip for power to heat and light houses.
Bahrain, though a good candidate for its negligible oil resources, has plenty of natural gas resources esp. from the Hawar Gas Fields (of BANAGAS?), which makes power from that source very cheap. This means larger payback period and low incentive.
Israel has set an example by way of compulsory solar installations for any building to get a completion certificate. In India we have (reducing instances of) State and Central subsidies for installation in No-Power Zones like Himalayan States, North-East, etc. that the government identifies. Plus, buyers get 100% depreciation which means that a tax-payer practically installs the system at Government's cost. Such exaples need to be emulated by the State of Bahrain too.
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