The event brought together business leaders, MSMEs, exporters, industry representatives and stakeholders to discuss collaboration opportunities between the two countries. Sectors covered during the discussions included logistics, tourism, renewable energy, infrastructure, technology and manufacturing.
H.E. Priyanga Wickramasinghe said, “We are witnessing growing interest among Sri Lankan businesses to expand partnerships and engagement with Indian industry across diverse sectors. We are accompanied today by representatives from 17 leading Sri Lankan enterprises, reflecting the strong interest in strengthening business collaboration with Indian industry across sectors such as logistics, tourism, renewable energy, infrastructure, technology, and manufacturing. Sri Lanka continues to serve as an important logistics and commercial gateway in the region, and we are placing renewed emphasis on strengthening connectivity and economic cooperation with India.”
She added, “India remains one of Sri Lanka’s largest trading partners, with bilateral trade continuing to grow steadily under the India–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. Tourism and connectivity are playing an important role in strengthening ties between our two countries, with India emerging as the leading source of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. We look forward to greater participation from Indian businesses at the Sri Lanka Economic and Investment Summit in October 2026, as there is immense potential to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment cooperation.”
Sangeeta Jain said, “India and Sri Lanka share deep-rooted historical, cultural, and economic ties, and there is tremendous potential to further strengthen bilateral cooperation across sectors such as trade, logistics, tourism, technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, and services. With bilateral trade between the two countries at around USD 6 billion, the economic partnership between our two countries continues to grow stronger.”
She added, “There is immense scope for Indian and Sri Lankan businesses to collaborate through trade, investment, joint ventures, technology partnerships, and MSME cooperation. We also see strong opportunities in areas such as maritime connectivity, regional supply chains, tourism, and sustainable development, which can further deepen economic engagement and long-term partnership between our two countries.”
Krishan Balendra said, “Sri Lanka today is on a strong recovery and reform trajectory, with improved macroeconomic stability and a growing investor- friendly environment. Sri Lanka’s strategic location and proximity to India position it as a natural partner in regional trade, logistics, tourism, and supply chains. The Port of Colombo has evolved into one of South Asia’s leading transshipment hubs, handling over 8 million containers last year, with a significant share linked to Indian cargo movement. This presents strong opportunities for collaboration in ports, logistics, infrastructure, tourism, and related support services.”
He added, “This is the first time that the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai are engaging in this format, and we see it as a very important milestone. We look forward to building a strong, structured, and forward-looking partnership between our institutions to deepen business linkages and create tangible outcomes for both our economies.”
The meeting concluded with discussions and networking between Indian and Sri Lankan businesses, focusing on trade, investment, tourism, connectivity and economic cooperation.