Sri Lanka has been awarded the ‘partner country’ status in the forthcoming Industrial India Trade Fair, which is taking place for the 26th time in Kolkata. The trade fair, which is considered the only large scale international trade-related event in North Eastern India, is attended by 12 countries including Japan.

A delegation led by Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Senior Vice President Dibyendu Basu is currently in Sri Lanka and this was communicated when they met with Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, recently.

“Visiting Senior VP Basu is currently on an eight-day long, indepth trade mission to Colombo. Senior VP Basu’s Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BNCCI) is India’s oldest and first-ever indigenous chamber,” a statement issued by Bathiudeen’s ministry said.

“We are impressed with Sri Lanka’s improvement in its new stage. Though we know Sri Lanka well, we believe it is time that Sri Lanka be well-known in Eastern and Far Eastern Asia too. Your industrial, tourism and even Ayurveda potentials should be made known to the Eastern parts of the world.

In this light, we invite Sri Lanka to the 2013 ‘Industrial India Trade Fair’ series in Kolkata to be held in coming December,”Basu said.