Finland envoy Kimmo Lahdevirta meets CM Patel

Gandhinagar

Kimmo Lahdevirta, met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel in Gandhinagar on Tuesday during his visit with a delegation. The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation between Finland and Gujarat in areas such as education, sustainability, renewable energy, and startups.

A Finnish Consulate Office has recently been opened in Ahmedabad, with Kulin Lalbhai appointed as the Honorary Consul. This move is expected to promote collaboration between Finnish companies and Gujarat-based industries and investors.

During the meeting, CM Patel showed keen interest in learning from Finland’s success in education and the Happiness Index. He highlighted Gujarat’s leadership in startups and education under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance and expressed the state’s willingness to collaborate with Finland in skill development and startup growth.

Ambassador Lahdevirta appreciated Gujarat’s achievements in renewable energy, green transition, and infrastructure. He mentioned that around 10 Finnish companies are already operating in the state and more are interested in exploring opportunities.

Calling the visit historic, he said the opening of the consulate marks a new chapter in Finland-Gujarat ties. Both sides discussed potential cooperation in energy storage, green technology, education, skilling, and startup innovation.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary to the CM M.K. Das, Industries Principal Secretary Mamta Verma, and Industries Commissioner P. Swaroop.