Sheila Sudhakaran, former Assistant Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), has more than three decades of experience promoting and strengthening India-Africa business and economic relations.
She has played a key role in identifying new areas of cooperation between India and Africa, working closely with governments, corporations, business organisations and development agencies across the two regions.
As the chief architect of FICCI’s Africa strategy, Sheila helped develop extensive business linkages across the African continent and was instrumental in establishing partnerships with organisations and institutions across Africa.
Her experience includes working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, African Union, African Development Bank and World Bank in areas related to business promotion and policy advocacy.
Sheila has also been actively involved in high-level political and business engagements, including Head of State interactions, CEO delegations, India-Africa business summits and sector-specific initiatives.
She has organised and participated in several major India-Africa programmes, including:
Widely travelled across Africa, Sheila has developed an in-depth understanding of the continent’s economic, geopolitical and business priorities through extensive engagement with governments, institutions and business leaders.
She regularly chairs, moderates and speaks at business conferences and forums in India and Africa.
As Partner and Editor of Africa4U and Trends’n’Africa, Sheila continues to be closely involved in bringing Africa’s business and economic opportunities to the attention of a global audience.
