A collaborative effort by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and the Hambantota Chamber of Commerce to draw investments into Sri Lanka’s southern hinterland was backed by the Hambantota International Port (HIP). The investor delegation was primarily made up of Japanese business organizations with branch offices in India and Sri Lanka, in keeping with JETRO’s business participation in India.
Because they give investors from the south of the island the chance to conduct business on a regional scale, “HIP is eager to support investment events of this kind.” At this specific point in Sri Lankan history, Japanese businesses operating in India and Sri Lanka have an opportune chance to look to the deep south for industry development.
Wilson Qu, CEO of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG), states that the development of enterprises in the southern hinterland will be greatly aided by the quick development process occurring at our port and the launch of container operations, the final pillar of HIP’s master plan.
The delegates took part in a brief familiarization tour of HIP during their visit, where they interacted with port personnel and looked over the port’s amenities. The port staff gave a thorough presentation on the port’s amenities and prospects during the visit, which demonstrated HIP’s dedication to developing global corporate partnerships.
With an investment of $1.4 billion between 2017 and 2022, the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG), which has been responsible for the port’s recent rapid expansion, was acknowledged as a top FDI contributor at the BOI’s 45th Anniversary Awards. Kaoru Shiraishi, Director General of JETRO India, Junki Yamashita, Senior Director of JETRO Chennai, and Toyokazu Nagamune, Senior Director of JETRO New Delhi, were among the delegation’s representatives from JETRO offices in Sri Lanka and India. Shigeki Nogami, Yuno Fukatsu, Lakna Ayeshmanthi, and Hiroki Oi represented JETRO Sri Lanka.
Senior executives from prestigious international organizations accompanied the JETRO officials. Among them were Shotaro Oka, the head of Sojitz India Private Limited’s Chennai branch, and Saito Michiyasu, the managing director of Mitsubishi UFJ’s Chennai branch. Aoyagi Tomohisa, Senior General Manager of Nippon Steel Chemical & Material India; Yoshihito Goto, Sales Adviser at ThreeBond India Pvt. Ltd.; Aida Taiga, General Manager of Yusen Logistics (India) Private Limited; and Tomoko Umeki, Attorney-at-law at Nishimura & Asahi were also in attendance. Shinichiro Yoshimori, top Manager of Global Japan AAP Consulting, and top Sumitomo Corporation personnel Kazumasa Imai, General Manager, India, and Tomotsugu Kiribe, General Manager, Logistics Business, Asia & Oceania, were among the other attendees. The gathering also included Yuzawa Naoko, Consul General of the Japanese Consulate in Chennai.
having representation from Hidetaka Tamura of IM Japan Colombo Office, Kimiyoshi Shimura of One Asia Consulting Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, and Shuichi Nakamoto of UBE Mitsubishi Cement Corporation, the tour also included Japanese organizations having offices in Sri Lanka. In addition, representatives from World Lanka Tours, Kaihatsu Management Consulting Lanka, and the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka, including First Secretary (Financial Attache) Takafumi Nakanishi, Ms. Tsugumi Toyota, and Ms. Duleesha Hettiarachchi, took part. The trip also included Tetsuya Yamada from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Satoshi Iwaki from Nikkei Inc., and Shalini Jayarathne from MUFG Bank Colombo.
Japan’s increasing interest in Sri Lanka’s strategic trade and logistics potential is demonstrated by the visit to HIP, since the port is a key hub for international trade. By interacting with worldwide stakeholders, HIP strengthens its standing as a hub for global investment and commerce, opening doors for partnerships that could lead to growth and development for both parties.