The 68^th Republic Day was celebrated at the Consulate General of India, Shanghai on January 26. At the morning flag hoisting ceremony held at the Consulate premises, more than 100 members of the Indian community in Shanghai joined in despite of the freezing temperatures.  Consul General unfurled the national flag and read out excerpts from Hon’ble President’s address to the nation. A select group of Indian community members rendered patriotic songs on the occasion. Indian Students from Suzhou also travelled to Shanghai to join in the flag hoisting celebrations. An informal gathering over light refreshments at Consulate’s Culture & Exhibition hall followed the event. 

2. Separately, in the evening, the Consulate hosted a reception at the Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel. Representatives of Shanghai Municipal People’s Government led by H.E. Vice Mayor Chen Yin; Venerable Jue Xing, Chief Abbot, Jade Buddha Temple; President of New Development Bank Mr. KV Kamath; Professor Yang Jiemian, Dean Emeritus, SIIS; provincial leaders and Director Generals of Foreign Affairs offices of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, along with Vice Mayor of Huzhou H.E Mr. Li Jianping also attended the reception.

3. In addition, more than 300 guests including members of the diplomatic corps, local dignitaries, renowned academics, members of art fraternity; business persons; media; and prominent Indians from the Eastern China region attended the reception.

4. Consul General in his remarks extended a warm welcome to all and outlined that year 2016 had been a particularly remarkable for the Indian growth story and urged more Chinese investors to consider joining in the Make in India initiative led by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. Prior to the reception, Consul General held a brief meeting with Shanghai Vice Mayor H.E. Chen Yin and discussed plans of deepening cooperation and exchanges between Shanghai and Mumbai, which established sister city relationship in 2014.  Consul General also extended an invitation to Shanghai city leadership to lead a business delegation to visit India later this year.

5. It may be noted that the celebration of the 68^th Republic Day of India was also built around the theme of India@70 – as it was exactly seventy years ago, in 1947 that India became independent. A series of commemorative events to mark the 70^th Anniversary of India’s freedom are being planned for 2017.

Shanghai
26 January 2017