India Maldives Business and Cultural Council
About Maldives
The Maldives consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of twenty-seven atolls
situated in the Indian Ocean. Most atolls consist of a large, ring-shaped coral reef supporting
numerous small islands.
The country covers an area approximately 90,000 square kilometres, of which only 298 square
kilometres is dry land. The islands are of average one to two square kilometres in area, and no
individual island is longer than eight kilometres. The Maldives lies between 1-1.5 meters above sea
level, with the highest island situated at 3 meters above sea level.
Maldives is largely flat and has no land features such as hills or rivers, but some islands have
dunes such as that found in Hithadhoo island of Addu Atoll, and wetlands and marshes such as those
found in the Fuvahmulah island of Gnaviyani Atoll.
The Maldives is renowned for its white sandy beaches, pristine turquoise waters and unique
underwater marine life.
In 2011, Baa Atoll, which is home to a globally significant biodiversity among its numerous reefs in
the Indian Ocean, became a designated UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The people of the Maldives islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited
islands. About 164 islands are developed as tourist resorts and the remaining islands are
uninhabited or used for agriculture & other livelihood purposes.
Objectives
Business Council
To promote bilateral trade between India and Maldives To boost businesses of all the sectors, particularly MSMEs, and create business opportunities To promote businesses of all sizes across the two countries Establish business to business and people to people contact Create tie-ups amongst chambers of commerce and have businesspeople as part of this council.
Cultural Council
To promote cultures and exchange ideas and values through this council Facilitate cultural exchanges in the form of music, dance, history, artifacts, exhibitions, expos and even through online mediums Create opportunities for student exchanges, training and courses to promote cultural relations between India and Maldives To promote artists through shows, exhibitions, etc. either in person or through online mediums.
