The Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ILCCI) recently convened its 15th Annual General Meeting with the Patron of the Council High Commissioner of India His Excellency Gopal Baglay gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest.
The outgoing President of the Council Mr. Romesh David – CEO, South Asia Gateway Terminals (Pvt) Ltd., noted that recent interactions between the leadership from both India and Sri Lanka have set the stage for elevating bilateral engagement across various sectors. The impending Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was underscored as a priority, offering the potential to amplify trade and stimulate economic growth for both countries.
Highlighting the synergy between India’s thriving IT industry and Sri Lanka’s tech-savvy workforce, Mr. David advocated for enhanced collaboration to meet the burgeoning demand for IT-enabled services. He also drew attention to the significant investment potential in the renewable energy sector, particularly onshore wind power, solar power, and offshore wind power, which would contribute to energy security and enable the production and export of zero carbon emission fuels, thereby aligning with the countries’ mutual commitment to achieving the 2050 zero-emission target.
He also acknowledged the role played by India in aiding Sri Lanka’s recovery from the significant economic, social, and political challenges faced over the past year and a half.
High Commissioner Baglay reiterated Mr. David’s sentiments, and endorsed the call for enhanced collaboration, echoing Mr. David’s sentiments relating to the IT sector which he hailed as the pivotal contributing factor toward’s India’s transformation, through facilitating more efficient business processes, as well as the delivery of citizen-centric services and enhanced transparency.
The Committee of the ILCCI for the year 2023/24 is as follows: President – Mr. Muthukumaraswamy Raghuraman- Consultant, Brandix Apparel Ltd., Vice Presidents – Mr. Ashish Dubey – Chief Executive Officer, TATA Communications Lanka Ltd. and Mr. Krishna Selvanathan – Director, Carson Cumberbatch PLC, Committee Members – Mr. Jude Fernando – Managing Director – Hemas Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd., Mr. P Mohan Doss – CEO, Indian Bank, Mr. Zafir Hashim – President – Transportation Group, John Keells Holdings PLC, Mr. Dipak Das – Managing Director – Lanka IOC PLC, Mr. Andre Fernando – Chairman/ Managing Director – MAC Holdings (Pvt) Limited, Mr. Sanjay Anand Jain – Executive Director / COO, PGP Glass Ceylon PLC, Mr. Vish Govindasamy – Group Managing Director, Sunshine Holdings PLC, Mr. Samrat Datta – Area Director – Taj Sri Lanka and Maldives, and Mr. Romesh David serving as the Immediate Past President.
