BHUBANESWAR: Odia entrepreneur and technocrat Bobby Mohanty has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Maldives in Mumbai. The appointment has been recognised by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and his tenure will continue till November 14, 2023.
His appointment is significant as it comes at a time when the India-Maldives relationship is on an upswing under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is now working closely with Maldives for realisation of the island nation’s developmental priorities, especially in areas of infrastructure, health-hygiene, connectivity, disaster management and human resources.
Speaking on his appointment, Mohanty said, he will strive to enhance trade, investment and diplomatic ties between the two countries. “I will work to foster bilateral ties and investment in areas such as core infrastructure, travel and tourism, maritime, marine, medical tourism, education, healthcare, defence, technology and emerging businesses. I shall also strive to be the bridge to enhance business and social ties between Delhi, Mumbai, Odisha and the Maldives,” he said.
An alumnus of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Mohanty has a master’s degree in science and technology. He has been the chairman-promoter of four companies in the field of consulting, trading and marketing in heavy engineering equipment, spares and services. He is also an investor in start-ups and cutting-edge technologies in India, Indonesia and Singapore.
A philanthropist, Mohanty has founded the Bobby Mohanty Foundation (BMFT) which is working at the grassroot-level in various blocks of Cuttack district to improve the life and livelihood of the poor and rural masses. The BMFT works in key areas like education, skill development, livelihood generation, health, women’s empowerment and sports development.