The India Commonwealth Trade Council (ICTC) began 2026 by hosting a New Year Diplomatic closed-door conference in New Delhi on 5 January 2026, bringing together representatives from key emerging and developing economies. The conference provided a platform for focused bilateral and multilateral dialogue, emphasizing India’s growing role in global trade and investment cooperation. Delegations from Cuba, Gabon, Lesotho, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ecuador, Chad, and Papua New Guinea attended, reflecting strong interest in deepening engagement with Indian enterprises. The discussions also included participation from business associations from Russia and Australia, Indian business leaders, and trade councils, highlighting opportunities for collaboration across BRICS and allied economies.
During this engagement, ICTC announced the appointment of Mr. Karan Rana as the Honorary Trade Commissioner for Papua New Guinea, aimed at enhancing trade and commercial linkages between India and PNG.
India and Papua New Guinea share a growing economic relationship built on complementary strengths. PNG, with its strategic location in the Pacific, abundant natural resources, and rich biodiversity, presents significant opportunities for Indian businesses. The country’s development agenda closely aligns with India’s expertise in scalable infrastructure, affordable healthcare solutions, digital innovation, and technology-driven growth models, making it a promising destination for long-term enterprise engagement.
The sectors in PNG open to Indian companies range from agriculture and agro-processing, where modern farming and value-added production can play a key role, to mining and energy, leveraging the country’s resource-rich landscape. Opportunities also exist in fisheries, healthcare services, infrastructure development, logistics, tourism, and skill development, offering Indian enterprises avenues for technology transfer, capacity building, and sustainable growth.
In his role, Mr. Karan Rana will focus on attracting Indian and international businesses to PNG, facilitating investor confidence, enabling market entry, and building structured trade and commercial linkages between the two nations. A dynamic entrepreneur, he brings a diversified global business portfolio spanning real estate, data science, travel, shipping, oil and gas exploration, and professional services. As the owner of LJ Hooker Real Estate PNG, he has established a strong presence in the real estate sector. Through ADZGURU Limited, he delivers innovative data science solutions that enhance operational efficiency and growth, while Oceanic Shipping Limited supports cross-border logistics and trade. His experience in strategic innovation, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement positions him well to drive increased business inflows into Papua New Guinea.
Speaking on the appointment, Dr. Asif Iqbal, India Commonwealth Trade Council (ICTC), stated,
“Papua New Guinea represents a strategic and forward-looking partner for India in the Pacific region. The appointment of Mr. Karan Rana reflects ICTC’s commitment to building credible, on-ground leadership that can translate diplomatic intent into tangible trade outcomes. We see strong alignment between India’s enterprise capabilities and Papua New Guinea’s development priorities, and this engagement will create meaningful opportunities for businesses on both sides.”
Through this conference, ICTC reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating bilateral and multilateral trade and economic cooperation, strengthening business delegations, and fostering cross-border partnerships. The dialogue highlighted Papua New Guinea as a high-potential partner for Indian businesses, underlining ICTC’s continued role as a key facilitator of global trade engagement as India’s economic footprint expands.
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