Dr Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, has been conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star. She is the first Indian woman to have received the Imperial honour since its commencement for foreign nationals in 1981. She received the prestigious award from the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Shinzo Abe, in the presence of His Majesty, The Emperor at The Imperial Palace on November 7 2019.
The Order of the Rising Sun was instituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in the year 1875 and awarded for exceptional services in civil and military fields.
The award is in recognition of Dr Suri’s contribution to strengthening strategic ties between India and Japan in economic and tourism sectors.
As the Co-Chair of FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians Council, she has been actively involved in the activities of the India-Japan Parliamentarians Forum. Her initiatives led to the resurrection of the India-Japan forum with the Parliamentarians visiting Japan in 2017, after a gap of 6 years.
Dr Suri has been the Chairperson of FICCI Tourism Committee since 2006 and instrumental in organising the India Tourism Conference held in Tokyo in 2007. She also took a lead in pushing the Japanese tourism companies’ participation in the Great Indian Travel Bazaar being held annually. Dr Suri’s persistence helped realise the first India-Japan Tourism Meet in 2016. Subsequently, this meet has been held three times so far. Due to Dr Suri’s continuous efforts to promote India-Japan tourism relations, the number of Indian people visiting Japan is increasing every year.
Dr Suri has been instrumental in strengthening the people-to-people connect between Japan and India. The India-Japan friendship forum, of which she is an Executive Committee member, was launched in January 2019 by the Foreign Minister of Japan and the Commerce Minister of India. The objective of the forum is to promote and increase cultural exchange between the two countries.
Dr Suri’s engagement with Japan goes back almost 35 years as promoter director of Subros Limited. Established in 1985, Subros Limited, a joint venture between the Suris, Denso Corporation Japan and Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan, is a leader of thermal products for automotive and other applications manufactured in India.