India-Sri Lanka trade going up with FTA: Consul General Priyanga Wickramasinghe

Mumbai: Tourism and connectivity are playing an important role in strengthening ties between India and Sri Lanka, with India emerging as the leading source of tourist arrivals to the South Asian island nation, Priyanga Wickramasinghe, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

“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,” she said addressing an interactive session hosted by MVIRDC World Trade Center Mumbai in association with the All India Association of Industries which welcomed a delegation from the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

“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,” she said.

“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,” she 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,” pointed out Sangeeta Jain, Senior Director, All India Association of Industries.

““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,” she added.

“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,” added Krishan Balendra, Chairman, The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and CEO, John Keells Holdings PLC.