West Sumatra - India Discusses Gambier Downstreaming to Strengthening Culture

Padang (ANTARA) - The Governor of West Sumatra (Sumbar), Mahyeldi, together with the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, discussed investments in gambier downstreaming up to cooperation in strengthening culture that can be undertaken by both parties.

“India is the largest market for Sumbar’s gambier. Therefore, we hope that Indian entrepreneurs can invest in the development of the gambier downstreaming industry,” said West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi in Padang City on Wednesday.

According to him, investing in the gambier downstreaming sector will create opportunities for new job openings for the people in Ranah Minang. This will automatically have a positive impact on the welfare of gambier farmers, who are generally located in Pesisir Selatan Regency and Limapuluh Kota Regency.

During the meeting, the former Mayor of Padang also offered the Padang Industrial Park area as a potential investment location for Indian investors.

“India is quite advanced in the health sector, including the development of medicines and medical personnel,” he said.

In the fields of culture and tourism, Sumbar invites collaboration through the Serak Gulo event, which is routinely held in Padang City every year in December.

“We want to collaborate the Serak Gulo culture with Indian culture so that this festival becomes even bigger and more attractive,” he stated.

“You are the world’s largest gambier producer, while India is the largest consumer of catechin produced from gambier,” he added.

In addition to gambier downstreaming, India also opens investment opportunities in the renewable energy and health sectors, including educational cooperation between Andalas University and several universities in India.

“We also offer scholarship and training programmes for West Sumatra Provincial Government officials. There are many cooperation opportunities that have been discussed; now it’s about how to follow them up,” said Sandeep.