Sri Lanka Consulate in Mumbai holds briefing session on ‘Boat Show and Boating Festival 2018’

A briefing session on the Sri Lanka ‘Boat Show and Boating Festival 2018’ was held at the Sri Lanka Consulate in Mumbai on 5 October to create awareness among the Indian business community on the Boat Show and Boating Festival being held at the Yacht Marina of the Port of Galle from 26-28 October.

Importers of boats and representatives of the shipping industry, representatives of shipping associations in India, representatives of Trade Chambers in Mumbai and media attended the event.

India is a key export market for Sri Lanka’s boat building industry which accounted for $ 11.71 m for the year 2017. Under the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, boats and ships can be imported to India with zero percent basic customs duty.

While inviting the business community to explore the investment opportunities in Sri Lanka the Consul General highlighted that Sri Lanka has a robust boat and ship building industry and that the upcoming marine festival will showcase the country’s capabilities in recreational boating, yachting, marine tourism, boat building and related services for exports and local market. Consul (Commercial) of the Consulate made a presentation on Boat and Ship Building Industry in Sri Lanka.Boat Building Sector has been identified as a priority sector under the National Export Strategy of Sri Lanka with a view to promoting investment for infrastructure development in the boating industry.

The event was followed by a joint awareness program launched by the Consulates of Sri Lanka and Norway, focusing the Norwegian Maritime Companies based in Maharashtra State.