Rakesh Ramanlal Shah, Chairman & Managing Director of GSEC Ltd has been appointed as the Honorary Consul for Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad. Commission of Appointment was handed over to him by the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Kshenuka Senewiratne.

Shah's consular jurisdiction includes the State of Gujarat, which is one of the most industrially developed regions in the country. Blended promoted core industries include port development, infrastructure, renewable energy, ICT, chemicals, agro-food, start-ups, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. This becomes a key appointment towards further strengthening the ties between Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat, laid particular emphasis on trade, investment, and tourism ties.

The High Commissioner Senewiratne congratulated Shah, underlining the need to raise Sri Lanka's engagements with Gujarat to a new level. Referring to Shah's extensive business credentials, she observed that he was eminently suited to help the High Commission in these tasks.

Shah offered his commitment to the process of developing an action-oriented roadmap that might go on to ensure collaboration between Sri Lanka and Gujarat. Immediate areas of such cooperation discussed included enhancing tourism connectivity.

What the Indo-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry perhaps offers is one such framework through which these economic linkages can be facilitated. Shah was accompanied by a delegation of businessmen representing industries such as automobiles, aviation, startups, luxury tourism, education, infrastructure development, and water supply. He added, "There is immense potential for multiple engagements in the economy".

This is the first time in the history of the Government of Sri Lanka to appoint an Honorary Consul for the state of Gujarat; therefore, in that sense, a very critical decision was taken to basically strengthen bilateral ties.