Good evening, Namaskar, As Salam Walekum,

At the outset, let me welcome His Excellency Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Baowain, Minister of Labour, Hon’ble Minister of Labour, Sultanate of Oman to the event.

We are grateful to Hon’ble Minister for taking time from his busy schedule and gracing the occasion today.

I also extend a warm welcome to other distinguished senior officials, Director Generals and so many of our Omani friends who are tied to India by the loving bond of the ITEC experience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Indian culture and tradition, acquisition and practice of knowledge is considered a noble vocation, equal in status to meditation on the Almighty and higher than the ideals of pursuing wealth and pleasure.

More importantly though, Indian culture has traditionally also emphasized that sharing of knowledge is equally important.

This thought is beautifully expressed in one of our ancient texts as:

The repository of knowledge is like no other.

It shrinks if collected, but grows when shared.

The ITEC program that we are celebrating today is a manifestation of this ancient philosophy of India, which emphasizes not just acquisition but sharing of knowledge on the same footing.

Under the ITEC programme, India shares its knowledge and know-how for capacity building of other developing countries.  It is however, not a one-way or a top-down process. It is a collaborative process in which India also gains by the two-way exchange of knowledge and experience that this process facilitates.

As a result of India’s own rapid strides in development in the context of a large democracy, and due to the interactions fostered by ITEC, today there is a visible and growing awareness in the world about competence of India in providing technical know-how, training, skill development, consultancy services, etc.  

ITEC programme was launched in 1964 and has now emerged as an important component of India’s development cooperation.

Since its inception more than 200,000 professionals from more than 160 countries have been benefited from it.

Today, India provides over 14,000 scholarships for short and medium term courses in more than 100 premier institutions of India.

Over the years, ITEC Programme has received a good response in the Sultanate and hundreds of Omani Officials have taken part in ITEC courses.

The ITEC programme has also contributed to encouraging people to people relationships and inter-cultural exchanges between India and Oman.  

We have offered 125 slots to Oman this year and I am sure the training programs in the post-pandemic phase will prove relevant and useful for the participants

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The event today is taking place in the immediate aftermath of the landmark visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to India for his maiden State visit. It was a privilege to welcome His Majesty and his delegation to India.

The in-depth discussions and substantive outcomes during the visit especially the India-Oman Joint Vision document will no doubt herald a new chapter in our bilateral relationship, bringing the Indian and Omani people even closer together.

Friends,

His Majesty Sultan Haitham’s Oman’s Vision 2040 provides an excellent roadmap and platform to enhance economic competitiveness and social well-being, stimulate growth, and build a new Oman for its citizens.

Oman’s journey towards achieving the goals set under Vision 2040 is impressive.

It is our conviction that India can be a reliable partner of Oman in achieving these goals.

Skill upgradation, specialized training, human resource development are key priorities of the Oman Government in its journey for Vision 2040, and these can be usefully facilitated by India’s ITEC program.

I urge the training departments and officials in various Ministries and establishments of Omani Government to take maximum advantage of the ITEC courses and partner with India for growth and development.

I also wish to take a moment to thank the ITEC alumni for being here with us today.  We hope that the training courses that you attended in India have been useful in your professions.

More importantly, I hope the experience that you had in India will connect you as a lifelong friend of India and that you will contribute with your thoughts and efforts towards strengthening India-Oman relations.  

This celebration is also an effort to bring all of you together. I invite you to interact with us and your fellow ITEC alumni during this event and keep in touch even after this event.

On behalf of Embassy of India, Muscat, I once again thank the Hon’ble Minister of Labour Dr. Mahad for his kind patronage to this event and other Ministries and Organizations for their support in implementation of the ITEC Programme in Oman.  

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the evening.

Namaskar.

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