COLOMBO : A 31-member business delegation led by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), India’s apex export promotion organisation, visited Sri Lanka from 8–10 July 2026 to explore new opportunities for enhancing bilateral trade and business partnerships. The delegation comprised companies from diverse sectors, including pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, apparel and textiles, food and agricultural products, and infrastructure.
- During the visit, the delegation interacted with H.E. Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, who shared insights on Sri Lanka’s evolving economy, the growing India–Sri Lanka economic partnership and the vast opportunities for expanding bilateral trade and investment. Companies from the food commodities and agriculture sectors also held discussions with officials of the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development on sector-specific issues and opportunities for collaboration. The delegation further interacted with members of the Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ILCCI), representatives of the Access Group, and members of the various Market Associations coordinated by GOPIO, to explore business opportunities, establish new commercial linkages and identify avenues for expanding bilateral trade.
- As part of its continued efforts to promote bilateral trade and business-to-business engagement, the High Commission of India organised an interaction titled “India–Sri Lanka Trade Connect: Interaction with FIEO Delegation” on 09 July 2026 at Taj Samudra, Colombo. The event brought together members of the visiting Indian delegation with representatives of leading Sri Lankan companies and prominent business organisations, including the Indian CEO Forum (ICF), National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), Indo-Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ILCCI) and the Ceylon Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs (COYLE). The event served as a platform for productive B2B interactions aimed at fostering new business partnerships and strengthening bilateral trade.
- In his address, the High Commissioner highlighted the expanding India–Sri Lanka economic partnership and noted that India continues to be Sri Lanka’s principal trading partner, the largest source of foreign investment, and the leading source of tourist arrivals. He observed that, according to the Department of Commerce, Government of India, bilateral merchandise trade had reached approximately USD 7.2 billion during 2025–26 and that Sri Lanka’s exports to India had grown by nearly 160% over the last five years, significantly outpacing the growth in India’s exports to Sri Lanka. High Commissioner also highlighted the complementary strengths of the two economies and India’s role as a reliable supplier of essential commodities such as refined petroleum, medicines and staple food. He underscored the immense potential to further deepen trade and strengthen business-to-business partnerships.
- The formal exchange of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) and the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), which had been signed virtually on 19 August 2025, also took place during the event. The MoU seeks to strengthen institutional cooperation through information sharing, promotion of trade and investment, business networking and identification of new opportunities for collaboration.
- The visit of the FIEO delegation reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Sri Lanka to further strengthen bilateral trade, deepen business-to-business linkages and expand economic cooperation.
