Visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to NITI Aayog

Visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of Sri Lanka to NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog hosted the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya, in New Delhi on 16th October 2025. The visit focused on fostering deeper collaboration between the two countries and sharing insights on India’s transformative initiatives in the sectors of infrastructure, education, tourism, skill development, and artificial intelligence.

In her opening remarks, the Hon’ble Prime Minister of Sri Lanka commended NITI Aayog’s role as a policy think tank and coordination platform, noting its unique ability to bridge long-term policy design with on-ground implementation. She expressed interest in understanding how NITI Aayog functions alongside central ministries and states—linking analysis, evidence-based policymaking, and feedback from citizens into effective governance. She also highlighted Sri Lanka’s own reform journey and the need for institutions that promote policy coherence, evidence-based decisions, and consistency beyond political cycles.

The discussions, facilitated by the Hon’ble Vice Chairman Shri Suman K. Bery in the presence of Hon’ble Members, provided an overview of India’s ongoing initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti for multimodal infrastructure planning, the National Education Policy 2020 for holistic and inclusive learning, collaborative opportunities in tourism and cultural exchange, and frontier technologies including artificial intelligence and digital governance.

Presentations were made on India–Sri Lanka Bilateral Relations, including trade, investment, and the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA); PM Gati Shakti, showcasing integrated infrastructure planning and the potential application of India’s multimodal logistics model to Kandy City; Education Reforms under NEP 2020, focusing on holistic, inclusive, and technology-driven learning systems; Tourism and Cultural Exchange, highlighting cooperation in heritage, eco, and wellness tourism to boost people-to-people ties; and Frontier Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, exploring collaboration in digital innovation and governance.

Representatives from various divisions of NITI Aayog participated in the meeting, reflecting India’s commitment to knowledge-sharing and collaborative engagement.

The visit underscored the shared vision of India and Sri Lanka to deepen strategic partnerships, promote sustainable development, and leverage innovation and skills to address regional challenges and opportunities. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a knowledge-based, technology-driven, and people-centric partnership under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR frameworks.