JOIN USAntony Lobo, who has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of Spain and Head of Mission in Chennai, by the Embassy of Spain in New Delhi, has roots in Mangaluru.
The consulate of Spain is the official representation of the Spanish government in Chennai.
Through the fields of education, politics, economy, press and public diplomacy, Consul Lobo will work to achieve closer cooperation and relations between India and Spain encouraging and fostering stronger educational, economic, cultural, touristic, humanitarian and bi-lateral trade relationships between both countries.
Recently, a Spanish visa application centre too has been opened in Chennai facilitating quicker processing of visas to Spain. Earlier, visa applications were processed at Mumbai and Delhi only.
Consul Lobo currently also serves as the managing director of AMLO Advisory (P) Ltd, an international advisory firm offering advisory services in International Trade on Imports and Exports to large Corporates and trade Customers.
According to local historian and writer I J Saldanha-Shet, Lobo’s family has roots in Mangaluru and his maternal grandfather Chevalier Gilbert Pais, then a leading advocate, was appointed Vice Consul of Spain in 1953.
He was knighted in 1948 by the then Pope Pius XII, with the Knighthood of St Gregory the Great with the title Chevalier. This was for his exemplary and honorary services to the Church.
In 1969, General Francisco Franco, Spanish head of State, Regent of the kingdom, conferred on Chev Pais the ‘Knighthood of Isabel La Catholica.’ Later due to his ill health, the mantle was handed over to his son-in-law, Consul Antony’s father Chevalier George Lobo in the year 1970. Upon the demise of Chev Lobo, the mantle fell on Consul Antony’s mother, Inez Lobo (daughter of Chev Gilbert Pais) in 1985 with The Vice Consulate being upgraded to a full-fledged consulate.
Inez Lobo was instrumental in continuing the good work very effectively and was honoured in 1997 with the ‘Rociero De Honor’ given by the Cultural Association of Seville, Spain.
In the year 2007, Inez Lobo was awarded the Knighthood of ‘Cruz De Caballero de la order de Merito Civil’ for her honorary and outstanding services as Spanish Consul in South India.
In June 2017, Antony Lobo, the youngest son of George and Inez Lobo, was appointed the Consul of Spain and Head of Mission in Chennai. The Lobo family still continues to reside at the same location for the last 70 years and the Consulate is also situated within its premises which is in San Thome Mylapur whose historicity is rarely prime.
Consul Lobo’s wife is Vinolia is a proprietrix of an interior design firm M/s M & S Inc. Chennai.