We present to your attention a consolidated version of the founding document of the Federation of European Business in India (FEBI) with the aim of maximally popularizing the document among interested companies and organizing a meeting with at least 40-50 companies in February 2023. The goal remains that FEBI be founded in the first half of 2023 and hold its first general meeting by then. The Task Force will continue to work in two directions, namely to complete the registration procedures under Indian law and to identify suitable candidates for the position of Secretary General of FEBI.

The long-term objectives of this federation are to facilitate and guide two-way commercial traffic between India and the EU for decades and centuries to come.

Proposed Vision:

• To be the unified, independent, and influential voice of European Business in India
• To be an organisation that in alignment with the affiliated national chambers of commerce across India supports EU companies across all industries and services, delivering value to its members

Proposed Mission Statement:

As a member-based organisation, the Federation of European Business in India seeks to:

1. Promote ease of doing business in India for EU-based companies and their subsidiaries/controlled ventures in India, within the guardrails agreed between EU Members States Missions and EU Delegation, providing an opportunity for EU companies to speak with a unified voice in India

The specific areas that deserve attention under the banner of ‘ease of doing business’ include:

• Taxation and Customs

• Labor Laws

• Protection of intellectual property

• Tariff setting mechanisms for infrastructural projects

• (Central) banking rules and regulations affecting the cross-border transfer of funds

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• Transparency with regards to norms for tendering for projects involving large capital

expenditures

• Alignment of local standards to global standards across domains such as food standards,

health standards, material norms, construction standards, educational qualifications, etc.

2. Act as a responsible discussion partner for senior public sector officials of the European Union as well as the Government of India, highlighting to them the perspective of businesses as it pertains to policies and legislation

3. Enable specific industry and service sectors to conduct fair and equitable business through policy advocacy and engagement on sectoral policy frameworks while highlighting those regulatory frameworks that unnecessarily impede the smooth conduct of business.

Industries that come to mind include

• machinery

• aerospace & defense

• transportation and logistics

• chemicals, pharmaceuticals, med-tech

• health and life sciences

• renewable energy

• ICT and digital products

• finance and insurance

• retail

• education

4. Identify areas in which European and India companies could collaborate for mutual benefit, from a sectoral perspective but also from a geographic perspective, to further free trade and a conducive regulatory framework.

5. Organise and structure an active exchange of information among members and stakeholders on regulatory and policy issues that hinder the ease of doing business

6. Bring specific information on ease of doing business in India to the attention of its members

7. Update its members on economic trends and (impending) legislation in India

Attached is the full version of the document.