Adding another glory to her kitty, Jyotsna Suri was recently conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star by the Japanese government. She is the Chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat Hotels Limited that runs The Lalit Group Hotels. With this rare honour, Jyotsna Suri becomes the first Indian woman to have received the Japanese Imperial honour.
The Embassy of Japan facilitated Jyotsna Suri in the presence of India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; the current Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal; and the Ambassador of Japan to India, Suzuki Satoshi on January 17, 2020 in New Delhi. Her remarkable achievement in strengthening international relations is celebrated by Indian as well as the Japanese community.
In her acceptance speech, Jyotsna Suri expressed her gratitude to the Government of Japan, adding that she feels a great responsibility with this award. The Order of the Rising Sun has a rich history and was instituted in 1875 by Japanese Emperor Meiji. Dr. Jyotsna Suri received the honour in recognition of her contribution to strengthening strategic ties between India and Japan in economic and tourism sectors. Her initiatives have been instrumental in reinforcing the relationship between the two nations.
The former President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Jyotsna Suri has also been the Chairperson of FICCI Tourism Committee since 2006. Her efforts in organising the 2007 India Tourism Conference in Tokyo were widely recognized in media. She also took a lead in pushing the Japanese tourism companies’ participation in the Great Indian Travel Bazaar being held annually.
Dr. Suri’s association with Japanese businesses is older than 35 years. She served as the promoter director of Subros Limited, which was established in 1985. Subros is the leader of thermal products for automotive and other applications manufactured in India. The company is a joint venture between the Suris, Denso Corporation Japan and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan.
The first India-Japan Tourism Meet in 2016 was successful due to Jyotsna Suri’s efforts. She has also promoted India-Japan tourism relations, evident by the continuous increase in the number of Indian people visiting Japan every year. Her role in strengthening the people-to-people connect between Japan and India is highly appreciable.