In the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as crowds of Ukrainian women and children and hapless foreigners streamed across the international border into neighbouring Poland, there were large numbers of Indian students among them. The Indian mission in Poland sought help from the Indian community in the country who rallied and came forward to provide food, accommodation, transport and other forms of aid to the young Indians. Leading the effort was AMIT KAILASH CHANDRA LATH, CEO of the Sharda Group. His work during the humanitarian crisis was recognised by the Indian government but, while doing business in Poland for nearly a quarter-century,
he has also contributed immensely to bilateral ties. At the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he was conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award for business / community welfare. Excerpts from an interview by PRAVASI INDIANS:
Besides being CEO, Sharda Group, you are among the leading Indian faces and businessmen in Poland for almost a quartercentury.
What prompted you to opt for Poland?
Twenty-five years ago events in Poland triggered changes that swept Central and Eastern Europe, resulting in massive economic and political transformations. So venturing into Poland was challenging and I enjoy taking risks. Further, Poland is strategically located in the heart of Europe, which makes it a perfect investment location for companies wishing to export their products to both the East and West. It is also considered one of the most economically stable and fastest-developing countries in the world. Poland will come out on top. Companies investing in Poland can also count on governmental support and a stable political climate.
How do you feel after being felicitated with the highest award for an NRI/OCI given by the Indian government?
It is a great honour and privilege not only for our family but for the entire Indian diaspora in Poland and in Europe because the Poland-India relationship is at a different level as of now and getting this award is like making India-Poland relations much closer and stronger.
You played a leading role in the execution of the Government of India’s Operation Ganga to rescue Indian students from Ukraine and help them reach home via Poland…
Operation Ganga was a great initiative by the Government of India. As you know, on February 24, 2022, when it all started, the Indian government decided to evacuate Indian students and the Indian embassy approached me to look at where we could accommodate the students and after two or three days we realised that we as the Indian diaspora needed to get into this together. So we worked to make it a success.
Of more than 35 million Indians living across the globe, Poland accounts for about 45,000 Indians who contribute substantially to economic growth. India-Poland business stands at about $2.36 billion which shows a seven-fold growth.
The Indian diaspora has emerged as one of the largest and most visible immigrant groups in Poland, especially in several big cities. Although most of its members concentrate solely on economic activities and the private sphere, there are several individuals and organisations that actively engage in strengthening relationships between Poland and India, especially in two dimensions: economic and cultural. The dynamism and prosperity of this new diasporic community bring great potential and new impetus to official Polish-Indian relations.
The Indian diaspora is an important source of capital for India’s development, in the form of both remittances and foreign direct investment (FDI). India is today the largest recipient of private money transfers in the world and is most likely to retain this position in the future.
Not known just in European markets but across the globe, the Sharda Group, according to Poland’s Ministry of Economy, today ranks first in the textile sector and is among the top 10 companies in India-Poland trade. It’s the biggest textile player in the Central Eastern European market and supplies to more than 60 countries worldwide. What is your eventual plan for the textile sector?
The Sharda Group has invested in the group’s subsidiary, Sharda Europe Co. Ltd, based in Poland for servicing international markets closely under my leadership for the past 15 years. Sharda Europe ranked among the top in the textile sector for five consecutive years from 2007 to 2011 and received the Excellence Award from Adam Szejnfield, Secretary of State, Poland Ministry of Economy, in the presence of President of India
Pratibha Patil during her visit to Warsaw on April 24, 2009. Among other prestigious achievements, we were ranked the 37th fastest growing company according to Gazeta Prawna in 2007. We also got the most prestigious award, Gazelle Biznesu, on January 26, 2010 in Poland.
Sharda Europe is now on Poland’s Forbes list at no. 301 and at no. 13 in Lodzkie state. We are the only Indian group in the Forbes ranking to date in Poland. It makes us proud to receive such prestigious awards which show commitment and hard work.
Ranked 301 in Poland and 13 in Lodzkie state, Sharda is the first Indian company in Poland to be nominated for the Forbes Diamond in 2012.
The Forbes Diamond has been awarded since 2009 to reliable and profitable companies that are financially liquid and fast growing in value. The goodwill is calculated by the Swiss method — it combines the property and income method, taking into account potential employees as well as the company’s knowledge and experience in the field of production and technology. The lists of Diamonds include the best companies of the highest value development dynamics. Forbes ranks the largest companies in the world using four metrics: sales, profits, assets, and market value.
Hence, simply being published on the Forbes list is recognised as an exclusive privilege. Secondly, you get an authoritative resource to share with prospective partners, employees, and clients.
You must be on cloud nine to be short-listed by a highlevel committee and be among the 27 Indian persons/ organisations overseas that were awarded for their excellent work in education, social welfare, science and technology, media, arts and culture, industry, business, and so on.
It is the highest award given to overseas Indians for distinguished contribution and achievements abroad. The award brings a more serious responsibility to strengthen the engagement of the Indian diaspora with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots and make philanthropic investments in India and contribute to India’s charitable development.
Having led the Indian diaspora in Poland from the front, what would you rank as your foremost contribution to making India and Indians prouder?
My foremost contribution and something exceptionally close to my heart is the role I played in leading the overall execution of Operation Ganga, a Government of India initiative, to rescue Indian students in Ukraine and help them get home safely via Poland.
Having travelled all over the world and spoken at various business fora, you have extensive know-how about business and your work has put an Indian on the world stage. How does it feel? Any regrets that you could have done better for Indo-Polish ties?
I have no regrets but feel extremely proud of India-Poland business and how it has flourished so far. The European Union stands to benefit richly from the entrepreneurial skills and abilities of the Indian diaspora in Poland from where it will spread across Europe.
To further develop India-Poland trade, you almost singlehandedly developed the Lodzkie region by founding the British International School of the University of Lodz. You are also closely associated with the Central and state governments in Poland for building business relations between India and Poland.
The Indian community has grown from just five people in 1998 to over 2,000. This growing Indian community has managed to establish the British International School in the city of Lodz, with the mayor offering us a building. As part of a connected approach, the city’s universities have been adjusting their curriculum and courses to meet the needs of local businesses as well as multinationals setting up in the region. Over time, Lodz has emerged as Poland’s second most popular city in terms of attracting EU funds after Warsaw. It has many advantages: it is the third largest city in Poland, with a population of over 700,000, it’s centrally located, in the heart of the country, it’s close to the capital, Warsaw, and to its major airport, Okecie.
Being vice-president of the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industry, ambassador to Lodz Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Director, Indo-British Trade Council, what do you see ahead for India-Poland trade?
I see promising Indo-Poland trade and we can all perceive that Poland is looking at increased bilateral trade with India with the launch of a direct flight between Warsaw and Mumbai in May 2022.
In recent years, there has been tremendous growth in visa applications by Indians to visit Poland, which shows increasing partnerships in trade, tourism, film production, services, education, and other areas of cooperation as well as that it is a preferred destination of Bollywood.
Looking at the growth of bilateral business, Poland is India’s largest trade partner and export destination in the Central European region.
Additionally, there is other major trade between India and Poland like in coal. Poland possesses reputed clean coal technologies, and Polish public sector companies have played a substantial role in the development of the mining and power sectors in India. Not leaving out the IT sector—around 13 Indian IT companies, employing more than 10,000 professionals, are currently active in Poland.
However, India has at present a share of only 3.73% overall in Poland’s textile and apparel imports (valued at $400 million). There is, of course, much potential for increase. Given Poland’s strategic location, shortages in healthcare personnel, and 25% growth in the pharma market in the past five years, there are good opportunities for Indian exporters and investors.
Poland also wants greater collaboration in sectors like food processing and smart cities.
Poland possesses world-class food processing, including preservation/storage technologies, and India is one of the largest producers of fruits, and dairy and agro products. So there is lots of potential in the agro and food processing sector.
