NEW DELHI, Oct. 16, 2025

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya arrived in New Delhi on Thursday for her first official visit to India, where she met with officials at NITI Aayog to explore ways to strengthen collaboration between the two countries. The discussions focused on key sectors such as infrastructure, education, tourism, skill development, and artificial intelligence, reflecting a shared vision for regional growth and innovation.

During the meeting, Dr. Amarasuriya praised NITI Aayog’s work as India’s leading policy think tank and its ability to connect long-term policy goals with real-world implementation. She expressed a strong interest in learning how NITI Aayog works with central ministries and state governments to ensure policies are guided by data, research, and citizen feedback. She also highlighted Sri Lanka’s own ongoing reforms, saying that both nations could benefit from institutions that promote continuity and stability in governance beyond changing political terms.

The session, chaired by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery, offered the Sri Lankan delegation an in-depth look at some of India’s major developmental initiatives. Among the key highlights were PM Gati Shakti, a national master plan for multimodal infrastructure, and the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to make learning more inclusive and skill-oriented. Officials also discussed possible areas of cooperation in the fields of cultural exchange, tourism, and frontier technologies like artificial intelligence and digital governance.

Detailed presentations were shared with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister and her team, covering India–Sri Lanka economic relations under the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), which promotes trade and investment between the two countries. The talks also examined how India’s multimodal logistics planning model, used under PM Gati Shakti, could be adapted to enhance connectivity and urban infrastructure in cities like Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The meeting further explored opportunities in education, particularly in adopting technology-driven learning frameworks inspired by India’s NEP 2020. Both sides expressed interest in strengthening cooperation in heritage, eco, and wellness tourism, emphasizing the shared cultural and historical links between the two countries.

Dr. Amarasuriya emphasized the need for collaboration in areas that drive long-term development and social progress. She stated that Sri Lanka aims to learn from India’s experience in aligning policy design with implementation through institutions like NITI Aayog. She also expressed optimism that such exchanges would help strengthen people-to-people ties and create new pathways for innovation and sustainable development in the region.

Officials from multiple NITI Aayog divisions participated in the discussions, underscoring India’s commitment to promoting regional cooperation through knowledge-sharing and policy partnerships. The visit marks an important step in India–Sri Lanka relations, highlighting both countries’ willingness to work closely on issues of mutual growth, economic resilience, and technological advancement.

Dr. Amarasuriya’s visit to NITI Aayog reaffirmed the spirit of collaboration between the two neighbors, setting the stage for deeper engagement across sectors that can contribute to a more connected, prosperous, and forward-looking South Asia.

 Sri Lankan Prime Minister Visits NITI Aayog to Boost Bilateral Ties

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya met officials at NITI Aayog in New Delhi during her first official visit to India. The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation in areas like infrastructure, education, tourism, skill development, and artificial intelligence. Dr. Amarasuriya praised NITI Aayog’s role in policy innovation and expressed interest in learning from India’s development models. Both sides discussed new opportunities for collaboration, including digital governance and cultural exchange, reaffirming their shared goal of regional growth and closer India–Sri Lanka relations.