A webinar on “India - Sri Lanka Current Business Environment and Opportunities for Joint Collaborations for Agri and Processed Food Sector”, to promote Sri Lanka’s Agri products and Processed Foods will be held on 29^th September 2020 (Tuesday) from 11.30a.m. to 1.00 p.m.

The webinar is jointly organized by the Sri Lanka Consulate General in Mumbai in association with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce [CCC] and IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Mumbai. “This will be the very first webinar targeting to expand and diversify Sri Lanka’s Agri products and Processed Foods to Indian market which are also identified as new sector for enhancing and diversifying exports under the Export Policy of the Government”, Sri Lanka Consul General in Mumbai, Chamari Rodrigo said.

The IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry,  established in 1907 in Mumbai, is representing interests of Indian trade, commerce, and industry with over 3,000 members, comprising a cross section of the business community. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce entered into a partnership agreement with IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2018 to further enhance trade, investment and tourism between Sri Lanka and India.

According to International Food Policy Research Institute USA, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of Sri Lanka like anywhere else in the world will be complex to predict in terms of magnitude, but directions are predictable. Being a trade dependent island nation, Sri Lanka would likely suffer from the expected recession in addition to the disruptions in global and domestic supply chains. Notwithstanding these effects, the overall impacts on agri-food supply chains in Sri Lanka may not be the slayer that one would expect it to be, barring the prolonged disruptions and adverse policy stances in other countries. Every crisis invariably nests an opportunity.  As the rebuilding and revival of the economy eventuates, the revival of the Sri Lankan economy post COVID-19 i.e. after the storm, needs to strengthen by way of joint collaborations especially with neighbouring countries such as India.

The Webinar is opened for participants not only from Sri Lanka but also from India. Interested parties could register online from https://chamber.lk. An eminent panel of Resource Persons from India and Sri Lanka will be highlighting the opportunities for joint collaborations. The Webinar will be followed by a Question and Answer Session. Based on the matching collaborations of participants from both countries, the Ceylon Chamber is planning to organise Virtual B2B Meetings in due course under the guidance of the Consulate General in Mumbai, India.