The UAE visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created a groundswell of support and enthusiasm among businesses, both Indians and others.

"Modi's visit was a path-breaking one and provided a wonderful opportunity for Non-Resident Indian businessmen like me to meet and share our thoughts on taking his ideas forward. The UAE is a key commercial partner for India and Mr Modi's 'Make in India' initiative has been a great attraction and soon many of the businesses from the region will establish a strong presence in India," said K.P. Arun, chief executive officer of Future Advertising Technologies and of 7 Days Middle East. He is also on the Advisory Board of Emirati Norwegian Chamber of Commerce and a member of Indian Business Professionals Council, Dubai.

"As a direct result of my meeting with the prime minister we have decided to launch an initiative, anything from India, that will provide a comprehensive platform for global SMEs to establish a presence in India as well as for high-quality Indian SMEs to penetrate global markets. We are also looking at getting leading Norwegian SMEs to establish a presence in India."

Arun said that he would look at opportunities for his clients in the southern states of India which are now increasingly competitive and provide a conducive environment especially for SMEs and tech companies.