Ayurveda 2009, the International Ayurveda Exhibition and Symposium organised by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) was held at the BMICH from May 23-25, with many Sri Lankan and international participants.
The exhibition was ceremonially declared open by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on May 23, in the presence of local and foreign dignitaries. The Prime Minister mentioned that developing local industries such as Ayurveda is a priority of the government; he would extend his fullest support to make Ayurveda a key contributor to the GDP.
Chairman of Ayurveda 2009, Mr. Asoka Hettigoda mentioned that NCCSL was extremely proud to hold the Ayurveda 2009 as the First International Exhibition since the liberation of Sri Lanka from the menace of terrorism. He expressed his gratitude to President Rajapaksa for restoring peace to Sri Lanka.
He also mentioned that the Ayurveda sector can play a vital role in the development of the North and the East. The President was committed to meeting the challenge of popularising the concept of Ayurveda health services, the growing of Ayurvedic herbs, etc., which would also help in the generation of revenue. The President of NCCSL, Mr. Lal De Alwis, mentioned that NCCSL initiated the promotion of the Ayurveda industry by first organising Ayurveda 2007 and, in its efforts to further strengthen the industry, has organised Ayurveda 2009.
» Read more: Ayurveda to assist increased revenue generation in Sri Lanka
