Vijay Kalantri, an eminent and versatile business leader, is the first generation entrepreneur who has made remarkable contributions to Industry & Trade Promotion, Infrastructure Development, Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector, Financial Services and Globalization of Indian Business. His work with the central and state governments of India to promote trade and commerce is only matched by his contributions to leading International business organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), UN International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNIDO-India Industries Council.
Mr. Kalantri is the pioneering spirit behind the Balaji Group of Industries, which owns businesses in the Textiles, Leasing Finance and Infrastructure Development sectors. He is presently the Chairman of MVIRDC, World Trade Center (WTC) Mumbai, and a member of the Board of Directors of the World Trade Centers Association (WTCA) in New York. He is the President of All India Association of Industries (AIAI), Promoter of Dighi Port Ltd., Maharashtra’s first private sector port and port-based Special Economic Zone (SEZ), the Indian Council of Foreign Trade and the Indo-Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He also serves as a member on several committees of the Reserve Bank of India, such as the Standing Committee for Small Scale Industries, the Exchange Control Committee, and the All India Export Advisory Committee.
Throughout his long career, Mr. Kalantri has been at the forefront to promote social welfare and won a number of laurels from private institutions and government bodies alike.
In 2005, the Government of Poland awarded him the “Commander Cross of the Order of Merit,” its highest civilian award. The Russian Federation has also commended his outstanding work awarding him the “Pushkin Award” in 2014.