Dr. Amit Lath is one of the leading Indian face and businessman based in Poland. The CEO of Sharda Group will be felicitated with 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest Indian award for Non-resident Indian and Overseas Citizen of India on January 10. He played a leading and outstanding role in the overall execution of Operation Ganga, an initiative by Government of India in rescuing the Indian Students from Ukraine and helping them get back home safely via Poland.
There are more than 35 million Indians residing abroad of which the Indian Diaspora in Poland is about 45000 contributing substantially to economic growth. The Bilateral business is valued more than USD 2.36 billion and has grown more than seven fold in the last 10 years. Indian Investment in Poland is valued at over USD 3 billion.
Lath is a prominent figure in the European region for the development of business between nations. He is a co-founder of British International School of University of Lodz (BISUL), and holds various key positions like Vice President of Indo Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IPCCI), Director, Vice Chair Poland-Europe India Chamber of Commerce | Central-East Europe, Advisor, India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (I.I.M.U.N), Co-founder, British International School of University of Lodz (BISUL), Director, Indo-British Trade Council (IBTC), and Mentor, Youth Business Poland (YBP).
New India Abroad interviewed him on his experiences, business and future plans. Excerpts:
How does it feel to receive 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the highest honour conferred on overseas Indian?
It’s truly a humbling moment for The Indian Diaspora in Poland and entire team and every individual who helped and contributed during #OperationGanga to make it a grand success.
How has Operation Ganga changed you as a person?
Participating in this rescue mission has made me very empathetic to suffering humanity and also made me deeply compassionate by experiencing their suffering first hand and not through a second or third party.
What is your expectation from the Indian government towards strengthening India-Poland ties and bilateral business?
High level reciprocal visits from Trade, industry and business will definitely strengthen ties between countries as Poland is already a powerhouse in Central/East Europe as well as one of the largest economies in the European Union.
What is your opinion of India's import policy in textile sector?
Over the years it has become extremely friendly and flexible which has greatly enhanced the growth of the industry.
How do you see future of textile industry in India and the steps that need to be taken to increase exports?
FTA with many countries would help us increase our trade globally. India as a powerhouse in this sector of textiles has pioneered it immensely due to its unique skills and quality of raw materials and finishing.
What are your most ambitious upcoming projects?
Building the India-EU business corridor as Sharda Group also has some major expansions and projects lined up in Europe which will greatly increase India’s presence to grow in Textile & Food sector. The FTA which is under negotiation will also give a different level of boost to prompt companies to be prepared for the next level of operations.
