A governmental delegation, led by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, presented Macedonia's investment opportunities Tuesday in India's city of Pune - the hub of automotive industry.

Many multinational companies have been choosing Macedonia as a door to the European market, considering its geographic location and the free trade agreements with the European Union, PM Gruevski said at the forum 'Emerging Investment and Trade Opportunities in Macedonia', organized by India's Automotive Components Manufacturers' Association (ACMA).

Referring to Macedonia's opportunities for domestic and foreign investors, Gruevski mentioned the low taxes, costs for running a business, reduced bureaucratic and regulatory procedures. He also underlined Macedonia's investment in education, saying that the competitiveness in terms of globalization depends on the labor force skills.

ACMA President and Rico Auto Industries CEO Arvind Kapur expressed satisfaction with the presentation, saying that car manufacturers seek for new locations that offer lower production costs.

He encouraged businessmen from Pune to open representative offices and factories in Macedonia, which, as he said, 'offers rather favorable conditions and may be a logistic base for operating across whole Europe.' Kapur announced that his company was planning to open a representative office in Macedonia, saying that a Rico Auto Industries' delegation will visit the country in April on an invitation of PM Gruevski.

Rajeev Kapoor, managing director of Fiat's India operations, said the presence of Macedonia's PM at the forum was a demonstration of great commitment that instilled trust in India's companies.

At the forum, Deputy PM and Finance Minister Zoran Stavreski referred to Macedonia's macro economy, reform of the Real Estate Cadastre and the stability of banking sector.

Sandeepan Bisht, Sales & Marketing Director at Johnson Matthey India, presented the company's positive experience with its business activities in Macedonia.

Minister for Foreign Investments Bill Pavleski and Directorate for Technological Industrial Development Zones manager Viktor Mizo also addressed the event, attended by numerous representatives of India-based multinational companies, such as Rajiv Gupta - National Manager-New Business Development at General Motors India; 'Anand Automotive' owner Sandeep Balooja; and Santosh Sharma, Senior Manager at Reliance Industries Ltd.