India is set to give a major push to 'Brand India' in China in an attempt to strengthen its foothold in the country, even as bilateral trade rises at a blistering pace, industry officials said.

The Confederation of Indian Industry will open its 13^th overseas office in Shanghai in China on June 26. Also the first ever 'Made in India Show' and the 'India-China Hi-tech Show' will be held in Beijing from October 16 to 19, CII officials said.

The CII is organising the October events in association with the Embassy of India, Beijing and supported by China's ministry of commerce.

The initiatives come at a time when bilateral trade is showing signs of scaling a new high. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, accompanied by a high level delegation, will visit China in the second half of next month, it was noted.

CII's senior director Piyush Bahl said in Bangalore on Friday that bilateral trade had showed stupendous growth in the first three months of the calendar year 2003, clocking a 90 per cent jump at $1.7 billion, with India's exports to the neighbouring country zooming by 120 per cent.

Annual marine exports to China account for around $150 million, Bahl said.

India had a trade surplus of around $225 million during the January-March 2003 period, he said. CII officials said fears that Chinese goods would flood the Indian market have turned out to be unfounded.

During the calendar year 2002, bilateral trade grew by 40 per cent to reach $5.2 billion, officials said. Bahl, who would be heading the CII's Shanghai office, is confident that the figure would touch $7 billion this year and $10 billion in 2004.

Bahl, meanwhile, sounded a word of caution. China, he said, is expanding its steel capacity rapidly. Unless India matched its pace and expanded its exports basket to the dragon country, trade figures could drop, he warned.

CII's Shanghai office will discharge the role of a facilitator. In addition, the India Club in China has given an opportunity to Indian companies, who do not have full-fledged operations in China, to explore business opportunities there, he said.

'Made in India Show' will offer Indian exporters, manufacturers and service providers a chance to showcase their potential and explore business opportunities, while the concurrently held 'Hi-tech Show', which has a theme 'complementing competencies,' will help bring together leading Indian and Chinese companies on a common platform.

Bahl said China has recently accorded 'Approved Destination' status to India and tourism would be one of the focus areas of the 'Made in India Show'. The two events would accompanied by the 'India Fashion Show', the 'India Food Festival' and 'India Cultural Extravaganza.'