High Commission of India organized a road-show in Colombo on January 29, 2015 to invite Sri Lankan businesses to participate in the 'Make in India Week', to be held in Mumbai from February 13-18, 2016. The High Commission's social media portal on 'India-Sri Lanka Business Forum' was also launched on the occasion.

Minister of State for Home (Rural), Public Health, Agriculture and Horticulture, Marketing and Tourism of Maharashtra, Hon'ble Ram Shinde and the High Commissioner of India, H.E. Mr. Y. K. Sinha, graced the occasion. More than 150 high level representatives from the Sri Lankan business community representing various industries including garments, shipping, auto, manufacturing, health, construction and financial services participated in the road-show.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of State, Hon'ble Ram Shinde, highlighted the investment opportunities available in Maharashtra and called for enthusiastic participation from Sri Lanka in the 'Make in India Week'. High Commissioner, H.E. Y.K. Sinha noted the strong and vibrant economic and commercial ties between India and Sri Lanka and highlighted that both Governments were working towards upgrading bilateral and commercial relations. He stated that the 'Make in India Week' initiative was part of the Government of India's renewed focus on invigorating the country's manufacturing sector and the landmark initiative had made a tremendous impact on the investment climate of the country. Noting that prominent Sri Lankan companies such as Brandix and MAS Holdings were already present and 'making in India', High Commissioner called on the Sri Lankan business community to take advantage of their proximity to the fastest growing major economy in the world and appreciated that the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its President, Mr. Vish Govindasamy, was mounting a 14-member delegation to participate in the 'Make in India Week'.

As part of the event, the 'India-Sri Lanka Business Forum' social media portal of the High Commission of India was also inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister of State and High Commissioner.

Brandix, the biggest Sri Lankan investor in India showcased its positive experience in successfully setting up a mega manufacturing facility in India -including ease of doing business, horizontal and vertical integration as well as high productivity of the Indian workers.

The week-long 'Make in India Week,' which will be launched by the Prime Minister of India, would offer access, insights and opportunities to connect and collaborate, to Indian and global industry leaders, academicians, central and state administrations. The flagship event is a medium for reinforcing India's commitment and potential to emerge as a global manufacturing hub and would also display India's potential in design, innovation and sustainability across various manufacturing sectors.

The Make in India Week includes events such as the CNN-Asia Business Forum, a marathon 24-hour Hackathon and many more events such as sessions dedicated to opportunities in various states in India, design conferences, cultural and fashion shows and networking dinners, designed to make the 'Make in India Week' an immersive and enriching experience for all the participants.

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January 29, 2016