Siddhartha Anand, Head Research & Investment Facilitation, Invest India said, "Supporting IKEA in creating a bigger supplier base in India is in line with the PM's Make in India campaign. IKEA has a solid foundation in design and sustainable manufacturing and bringing foreign technology and knowhow will speed up the establishment. This will help create massive employment opportunities. IKEA's polish suppliers will also create a big demand for raw materials, enriching the local entrepreneurial eco-system."

Sandeep Sanan, Head, New Business IKEA India said, "Having 20 of IKEA's key Central European suppliers in a room discussing the big possibilities that India offers was fantastic! The average time these suppliers have worked with IKEA was more than 10 years. That's a lot of knowledge and experience."

He added, "To support retail expansion in Middle East, India & China we see an opportunity of opening 35-40 suppliers in India in next 3-5 years. IKEA today has 50 suppliers in India with about 45.000 employees directly involved in the production of IKEA products. Our suppliers are our strategic long term partners, and we share knowledge and technologies to be able to grow together."

Earlier in the year, IKEA has organized Make in India seminars in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. IKEA plans to organize more such seminars in order to find new suppliers for its growth agenda in India.
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