Fiji’s private sector is moving to strengthen its ties with India as the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) formalised a new Memorandum of Understanding aimed at expanding trade, investment and economic cooperation. The agreement was signed amid Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s visit to India and was announced in a joint statement titled Partnership in the spirit of Veilomani Dosti.
The MoU positions FCEF, Fiji’s premier national private sector umbrella, and CII, India’s leading business association, to boost business-to-business connectivity, facilitate knowledge and technology transfer, and unlock broader economic opportunities between the two nations. CII represents around 9,000 private and public sector members, with indirect access to more than 300,000 enterprises across some 265 national and regional industry bodies. FCEF’s leadership described the agreement as a milestone for Fiji’s business community and a catalyst for deeper South-South collaboration.
We are very excited about the opportunities this MoU creates for B2B linkages and the transfer of knowledge and technology, said Edward Bernard, Chief Executive of FCEF. Fiji has much to learn from India’s position as one of the world’s largest economies, he noted, emphasising that the partnership could yield tangible benefits for Fiji’s private sector and the broader economy.
The MoU with India’s top business association follows a similar track Fiji has pursued in recent months, as FCEF has also signed a bilateral arrangement with the Federation of United Arab Emirates Chambers of Commerce & Industry to establish the UAE-Fiji Joint Business Council (UFJBC). That UAE pact underlined Fiji’s drive to diversify its international partnerships and leverage private-sector networks to spur investment, technology sharing and exchange across industries.
Industry observers say the Fiji-India agreement fits into a broader strategy to attract Indian investment and collaboration in key growth sectors. Investment Fiji has been active of late with missions to India, highlighting opportunities in tourism, technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, agriculture and real estate. Private-sector leaders on both sides anticipate benefits in technology transfer, IT services, telemedicine, sustainable tourism and infrastructure development, which could generate jobs and accelerate knowledge exchange.
The arrangement with India is also seen as a stepping stone to more interconnected frameworks, including the possible establishment of Country-to-Country Business Councils (C2CBCs) and Bilateral Business Partnerships (BBPs) that connect private-sector players across borders. Such mechanisms are expected to streamline investment processes, align regulatory frameworks, and facilitate joint ventures, all of which would advance Fiji’s goal of broadening its international economic partners.
In a broader context, the partnership contributes to Fiji’s ongoing efforts to diversify its trade and investment sources while strengthening its role as a Pacific gateway for regional growth. As bilateral engagement with India—and other partners—intensifies, readers can expect a steady stream of announcements on joint ventures, technology transfers, and targeted investment programs designed to translate commitments into tangible benefits for Fijian communities.
A positive development for readers is the emphasis on practical outcomes: stronger private-sector collaboration, access to larger markets, and enhanced capacity-building across sectors that matter most to Fiji’s development agenda. If executed well, the Fiji-India MoU could help accelerate growth, expand service delivery, and raise living standards through improved access to technology and investment.
Summary: Fiji’s private sector is deepening its engagement with India through a formal MoU between FCEF and CII, aiming to boost B2B connectivity, knowledge transfer, and investment opportunities. The move complements Fiji’s UAE partnership and broader efforts to diversify economic partners, with potential benefits in technology, healthcare, infrastructure, tourism and beyond.
Commentary and value adds:
– The MoU aligns with Fiji’s broader strategy of private-sector-led growth and South-South cooperation, leveraging India’s large, diversified economy.
– Expect concrete initiatives such as joint ventures, technology transfer programs, and country-to-country business councils to emerge in the coming months.
– Watch for regulatory alignment steps and investment-friendly measures that would accelerate private-sector collaborations between Fiji and India, as well as follow-up trade missions and sector-specific programs.
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