MP Explores Logistics, Tourism Deals with Sri Lanka's John Keells at Davos

The Madhya Pradesh government met with Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss potential investments. Discussions focused on opportunities in logistics, hospitality, food processing, and tourism, highlighting the state's heritage destinations and connectivity. John Keells expressed interest and plans to send a team for further assessment. This meeting is part of MP's broader strategy to engage with leading South Asian conglomerates to drive investment and growth.

Key Points: MP Govt, John Keells Discuss Investment in Logistics & Tourism

  • Logistics & hospitality opportunities
  • Food processing potential
  • Connectivity advantages discussed
  • Follow-up team planned
  • Part of broader South Asia outreach
2 min read

MP Government discusses opportunities in logistics, hospitality, tourism with Sri Lanka's John Keells Holdings

Madhya Pradesh meets Sri Lanka's John Keells Holdings at WEF Davos to explore investments in logistics, hospitality, food processing, and tourism sectors.

"India, particularly Madhya Pradesh, is emerging as a highly attractive destination for Japanese investors - Hashiyama Shigeto"

Davos, January 20

Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday met Sri Lankan conglomerate Krishan Balendra, Chairman of John Keells Holdings PLC, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

As per a release from the MP Government, the discussions covered possible opportunities in Madhya Pradesh in the logistics, hospitality, food processing, and tourism sectors, and shared the incentives available under the policy.

During the meeting, John Keells also shared their linkages with Indian companies and their current presence via tie-ups in India, the release said

"Madhya Pradesh highlighted its rich heritage destinations for hospitality-led investments, strong logistics potential, and its position as one of India's fastest-growing agri states, making food processing an attractive growth area. Connectivity advantages, including feeder services from Bhopal to major hubs such as Mumbai and Delhi and international connectivity via Indore airport, were also discussed," it added.

John Keells expressed interest in exploring opportunities in Madhya Pradesh and indicated that a team would engage further to assess potential collaborations.

The engagement reinforces Madhya Pradesh's focus on building partnerships with leading regional conglomerates across South Asia to drive investment, trade, and tourism-led growth, the release said.

John Keells Group is home to numerous brands spread across many industry verticals, including transportation, consumer foods, retail, leisure, property, IT and financial services.

Notably, on Monday, the Madhya Pradesh government met Hashiyama Shigeto, representative director and Executive Managing Director of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).

The discussions covered projects where JBIC is already supporting in Madhya Pradesh, as well as areas such as policies for manufacturing and other sectors, yen borrowings, tie-ups through collaborations, and renewable energy, including solar power.

While speaking with ANI, Hashiyama Shigeto said, "India, particularly Madhya Pradesh, is emerging as a highly attractive destination for Japanese investors, driven by strong opportunities in renewable energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing."

The Government of Madhya Pradesh had also held discussions with Jay Galla, Co-founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of the Amara Raja Group; Herve Couraye, Advisor to TouchLab; and Jasmin Hume, CEO and Founder of Shiru, among others, to explore multiple possibilities.

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held from January 19 to 23, 2026, at Davos-Klosters, which is set to welcome nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including a record number of world leaders, CEOs, innovators and policymakers, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue."

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As someone who works in supply chain, the focus on logistics and connectivity from Bhopal and Indore is spot on. MP is right in the heart of India. If they improve feeder services, it could become a major distribution hub.
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Priya S
Good to see our government actively seeking partnerships. But I hope these discussions translate into actual projects on the ground. We've heard many announcements before. The proof will be in the implementation.
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Rohit P
Food processing is the key! MP is the 'soybean state' and produces so much wheat and pulses. Value addition here will help our farmers directly. John Keells has experience in consumer foods, so this could be a perfect match.
M
Meera T
Strengthening ties with our South Asian neighbors like Sri Lanka is always positive. It's not just about business; it builds cultural and people-to-people connections. Tourism between India and Sri Lanka can get a big boost from this.
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David E
The article mentions meetings with Japanese and other international groups too. MP seems to be on a serious investor outreach mission at Davos. A focused, sector-specific approach like this often yields better results than generic roadshows.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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