Nikhil Madrasi sworn as 79th SGCCI president
urat: Nikhil Madrasi was sworn in as the 79th president of The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) at a formal oath-taking ceremony held on Friday evening.
The installation of office bearers for the year 2025–26 also saw Ashok Jirawala assume the role of vice-president.
In his address, Madrasi announced Bijal Jariwala as the honorary secretary and Mitish Modi as the honorary treasurer. He also introduced Mayuri Mevawala as the new chairperson of the ladies wing.
Madrasi underlined his commitment to building stronger synergies between industry and government. "SGCCI and the government are like two sides of the same coin when it comes to trade and industrial development," he remarked.
He pledged active participation in government-led initiatives and assured that SGCCI would take responsibility and collaborate wherever possible to ensure seamless progress in the sector.
Laying out his vision for the year ahead, Madrasi said a strong emphasis would be placed on value addition and export-oriented growth in the textile industry—particularly in garments, technical textiles, and high-value products.
He noted that the upcoming PM MITRA Park near Navsari would be a potential game-changer for the sector and promised efforts to fast-track its operationalisation.
He highlighted plans to further strengthen Surat's diamond industry, reinforcing the Chamber's role as a catalyst for industrial innovation and international trade expansion.
Dignitaries who attended the event included Ashishkumar Chauhan, managing director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), Dhaval Patel, Lok Sabha whip and Valsad MP, and Anupam Singh Gahlaut, city police commissioner.
Outgoing president Vijay Mevawala presented a detailed account of the chamber's key achievements during his tenure in 2024–25.
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So when the procession reached Maharaj Gunj, a busy trade centre of the city, Hindu shops that had been closed after the jail incident were broken open and looted,' Bazaz writes. 'Serious rioting followed… Hundreds of Hindu houses and shops were denuded of their contents… Three Hindus were murdered and 163 wounded.' In his book, Ahmad argues that the findings of the Enquiry Commission, set up by the Maharaja, were biased. 'It (the Commission) appeared to be at pains to absolve the men and officers of the government responsible for the killing of unarmed people and throw mud of culpability on the victims. The bias against Muslims freely flowed through the report,' Ahmad writes. 'When Mrs Thakur Das, a Hindu lady, testified through a written statement that 'the sepoys fired without a cause' … her statement was dismissed as a possible outcome of a 'grudge against the government'.'
