Connect with us

BIZ

FCCISL meets Indian HC officials

Published

on

Officials of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) met with the Deputy High Commissioner of India Vinod K Jacob and the First Secretary Vivek Sharma at the Deputy High Commissioner’s Residence recently.

The newly appointed president of the FCCISL – Keerthi Gunawardane, and the board members Saranga Wijeyarathne, Ruwan de Silva, Abbas Kamurdeen, Dhammika Lokuge and the Acting Deputy Secretary General Tilan Wijesuriya attended the visit.

The Chamber officials had a very fruitful and cordial discussion with the officials of the High Commission on strengthening and improving bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation.

FCCISL and the Indian High Commission have shared a very close relationship over the years. Since Covid 19 has restricted physical meetings, High Commission officials and FCCISL met almost after 2 years to discuss the matters relevant to both countries which can benefit the business and industries. During the discussions FCCISL has pointed out the great potential to further develop tourism which can benefit both the countries in a significant manner. The Indian High Commission officials totally agreed to the proposal and assured the fullest support.  They have mentioned the importance of allowing the use of Indian Rupee (INR) in Sri Lanka and they will consider the use of Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) in India which will have an impact specially on tourism. Further they have pointed out the importance  of allowing the Indian digital payment systems to be used in Sri Lanka. This will reduce the demand for USD which will be a direct benefit especially to Sri Lanka at this juncture. 

The Indian High Commission officials indicated that the UAE, France and Mauritius already allowed Indians to use Indian digital payment systems such as RUPAY. This will allow more spending by Indians which can directly benefit the businesses.

In addition to Tourism both parties discussed how to create benefits to both the countries using the Sri Lanka – India FTA. Food security and Energy security are two important areas of concern to both the countries and the Deputy High Commissioner assured the possibility of sharing the knowledge that India has in these sectors with Sri Lanka.

FCCISL was the focal point during the past for various scholarship programs offered by the Indian Government. They assured to update with the information in the future and create more opportunities for members of the Sri Lanka chamber network.

BIZ

Visit of CII CEOs delegation to Colombo (Pics)

Published

on

By

A CEOs delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), led by Mr. Sanjiv Puri, Immediate Past President, CII and Chairman & Managing Director of ITC Limited, visited Colombo from 29 June to 02 July 2025. 

The visit followed an invitation extended by the President of Sri Lanka during his State Visit to India in December 2024. The delegation comprised over 15 prominent Indian business leaders representing diverse sectors including hospitality, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, textiles, and tourism, among others.

During the visit, the CII delegation also called on the President and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. The leadership briefed the Indian business representatives on the constructive measures undertaken by the government to foster a supportive economic climate, promote investment, and ensure fair and transparent business practices.

In addition, the delegation held wide-ranging discussions with several senior Ministers and officials of the Government of Sri Lanka, including the Minister of Energy; Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development; Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development; Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development; and the Chairman of the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka. These discussions explored avenues for investment-led collaboration and sector-specific partnerships.

A key highlight of the visit was a CEOs’ Roundtable organised by the High Commission of India on 30 June at ITC Ratnadipa, in collaboration with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC). The CCC delegation was led by Mr. Krishan Balendra, Chairman and CEO of John Keells Group. The Roundtable witnessed in-depth deliberations on strengthening bilateral economic cooperation and identifying new opportunities for collaboration. High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Mr. Santosh Jha also participated in the interaction.

To mark the occasion, the High Commissioner hosted a networking reception that brought together prominent business leaders, senior ministers, and political leaders. The event also witnessed the participation of leading trade and industry chambers from across Sri Lanka.

The visit of the CII CEOs delegation successfully identified various areas of mutual interest for forging further economic linkages and trade connections. It also highlighted the commitment of apex Indian chambers of commerce, such as CII, to deepening existing economic ties, promoting investment-led partnerships, and exploring new avenues for collaboration between India and Sri Lanka.

The delegation included : 

  • Dr Nandini Rangaswamy – Chairperson, GRG Educational Institutions & Managing Director, Chandra Group of Companies
  • Dr S Chandrakumar – Founder & Executive Chairman Kauvery Group of Hospitals
  • Mr CK Ranganathan – Chairman & Managing Director CavinKare Pvt Ltd
  • Mr G R Anantapadmanaban – Managing Director GRT Group
  • Mr VKC Razak – Chairman, CII Kerala State Council & Managing Director of VKC Footgear Pvt. Ltd.
  • Mr Dipak Das – Managing Director Lanka IOC PLC
  • Mr Christo George – Convenor CII Kerala Manufacturing MSME & Export Panel, Chairman and Managing Director of Hykon India Limited
  • Mr Sohel Firoz Kazani – Founder and Managing Partner of Interport Impex Private Limited (Bharat Freight Group)
  • Mr Sunin Sunny – CEO of Ecospice Ingredients Pvt Ltd.
  • Mr Ravi Dolli – Member, CII Maharashtra Manufacturing Panel & CEO of Alloy Steels
  • Mr Rahul Nayak – Head of International Business TVS Motor Company
  • Ms Neerja Bhatia – Deputy Director General Confederation of Indian Industry
  • Mr Saikat Roy Chowdhury – Executive Director of International Confederation of Indian Industry
  • Mr Manish Mohan – Senior Director of International Confederation of Indian Industry

Continue Reading

BIZ

Lanka IOC donates Rs. 100 mn. to the President’s Fund

Published

on

By

The Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) has donated Rs. 100 million to the President’s Fund.

Mr. Dipak Das, Managing Director of Lanka Indian Oil Company, handed over the relevant cheque to Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, at the Presidential Secretariat today (July 04).

It is noteworthy that this donation is in addition to the contributions Lanka Indian Oil Company already makes to the education, health and cultural sectors in the country.

Mr. Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and a group of representatives from Lanka Indian Oil Company were also present at the occasion.

Mr. Das was a part of the CEOs delegation of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) who was in Colombo from June 29 – July 02.

Continue Reading

BIZ

CBSL takes action against Nation Lanka Finance PLC

Published

on

By

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) has initiated resolution action against Nation Lanka Finance PLC (NLFP), effective from today (July 04) due to continuous violations of the Finance Business Act No. 42 of 2011 and related regulatory directives. 

The company has been facing a deteriorating financial position marked by capital deficiencies, poor asset quality, ongoing losses, and failure to repay depositors.

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Sri Lanka Mirror. All Rights Reserved