The Ministry of Investment Promotion recently appointed Sajeev Rajaputhra as the first Country Representative of Sri Lanka to Japan. While Country Representatives had been appointed to India, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Maldives, Qatar and Great Britain as of 1 March 2023, Japan became the latest addition.
Stating that while he is honoured to have received the appointment, Rajaputhra commented on the risk this appointment also carries. “Each country's representative has been carefully chosen because they are some of the most capable entrepreneurs in their respective countries. That also means that each of them has spent decades building a strong foundation and creating a solid reputation for themselves abroad. Their promotions and endorsements, if faulty, will certainly damage their long-built reputations. In that sense, there is a considerable risk involved in accepting this role at this particular time.”
Sajeev has his roots in a diverse range of industries such as automobiles, hospitality, media, advertising, real estate, film productions, restaurants and entertainment. Based in Japan for over 30 years, he hopes to use his position and international influence to support his motherland economically at this time. During the height of the economic crisis, Rajaputhra invested over half a billion rupees in foreign currency into multiple projects in Sri Lanka, including a villa in Kandy and a restaurant in Union Place, named Park Street Warehouse, to be launched in June this year. When asked about his decision to go in when everyone was pulling their investments out, Rajaputhra claimed that he was always one to go against the tide, even if it meant going alone, as long as he believed in it. He also stated that the two things he would always bet on, no matter what, were himself, and the future of his country, because with good leadership, strategies and execution, he believes Sri Lanka can easily be one of the most respected and admired countries in the world.
He is the Chairman of the Rajaputhra Group of Companies and CEO of SAS3 Trading Japan, specialising in automobile exports from Japan to 26 countries world-wide. He is an experienced entrepreneur who has completed two Bachelor's degrees and two Master’s degrees including two in Business Management.
Rajaputhra was handed the letter of appointment by Dilum Amunugama, the State Minister of Investment Promotion of Sri Lanka.
The appointment of Country Representatives has been officially informed to each respective foreign mission and each representative has been tasked with elevating the image of Sri Lanka and attracting foreign direct investments to the country. They will represent Sri Lanka within their respective countries as well as globally while interacting directly with the Board of Investments (BOI) as well as the Sri Lankan Embassy where they are based. State Minister Dilum Amunugama stated that he believes it to be one step in moving closer towards making Sri Lanka a credible destination for investments in the near future.