CHENNAI: Japanese Consul-General Seji Baba on Tuesday presented Narayanan Kumar, president, Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IJCCI), Chennai, with the Japanese foreign minister’s commendation for fiscal year 2016- 2017 at his residence.
Seji Baba acknowledged Kumar’s contribution towards strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations on the economic front over the years. Since its inception in 1989, the IJCCI served as a Japan-Indo centre and has been conducting business seminars and exchange programmes. It has also sensitised India to Japan through Japanese language classes, film screenings and cultural events.
The Japanese diplomat lauded the chamber’s recent initiatives under Kumar such as the ‘Gateway Newsletter’, ‘Centre for Japanese Studies’ and Japanese language club, which look beyond business cooperation.
Kumar, a former president of Confederation of Indian Industry, said, “This commendation is a great honour which I will cherish for the many years to come.”
The foreign minister’s commendations are awarded to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in promoting friendly relations with Japan. This year, 187 individuals and 45 groups around the world will receive the foreign minister’s commendation.