By Ukraine Rebuild News Staff
Indian businesses should find roles in the reconstruction of Ukraine as early as possible to gain “first-mover advantage,” Ukrainian MP Yulia Klymenkotold a gathering of businesses and trade associations in New Delhi, the Times of India reported.
“Right now we have 23% of our railways damaged, 7,000 km of roads damaged, and around 30-40% of our airports have been destroyed to various degrees,” said Klymenko, who is also first deputy head of transport and infrastructure committee in the Parliament of Ukraine.
“Irrigation systems, thousands of schools, social infrastructure, healthcare, all have to be repaired and rebuilt. Indian businesses can play a big role in these areas. The sooner the better because they will have first-mover advantage,” she said, speakingon a video chat from Kyiv.
The report didn’t further describe what Klymenko considers a “first-mover advantage.”
Also at the event, Armi Channa, president of the Indo-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce & Industry, said India’s wealth of skilled labor can help the reconstruction of Ukraine greatly.
“India has 63 million small and medium enterprises, and Ukraine has around 200,000. We aim to help Indian companies set up their operations in Ukraine with immense opportunities in areas such as agro-processing and storage,” Channa said. “Also, post-war Ukraine is going to face a huge shortage of skilled labour for reconstruction and allied services. That is one category where India has ample to share.”
