Rakesh Ramanlal Shah, Chairman & Managing Director of GSEC Ltd, who was appointed as the Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad by the Sri Lankan government, received his Commission of Appointment on Monday from High Commissioner Kshenuka Senewiratne.

His consular jurisdiction extends over the state of Gujarat.

The creation of this post aims to bolster Sri Lanka's ties with Gujarat, focusing on enhancing trade, investment, and tourism opportunities.

Gujarat is renowned for its significant industries in India, including port development, infrastructure, renewable energy, ICT, chemical and petrochemical sectors, agro-food industries, startups, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.

Congratulating the new Honorary Consul on his appointment, High Commissioner Senewiratne highlighted the importance of elevating Sri Lanka’s engagements with the state of Gujarat in all related sectors.

Considering his business credentials, he is best placed to assist the High Commission in pursuing this objective to fruition, she noted.

Honorary Consul Shah pledged his support in working towards this end, by formulating an action-oriented roadmap to chart out the trajectory for this purpose.

They discussed possible immediate areas of cooperation, especially connectivity-focused, to enhance tourism.

The Indo-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry was identified as a framework to facilitate economic linkages with the state.

Honorary Consul Shah was accompanied by a business delegation representing a spectrum of areas, including automobile, aviation, start-ups, luxury tourism, education, infrastructure development and water supply. He is the first to be appointed by the Government of Sri Lanka in that capacity for the state of Gujarat.

--IANS