My dear brothers and sisters from Sri Lanka.
Namaskar. Ayubowan. Vanakkam!
Greetings on the 78m Independence Day of India. India celebrates this Independence Day with resolve and determination to transform into a developed country, a Viksit Bharat. by its centenary in 2047.
Indian economy today is valued at USD 3.9 trillion. having recorded a growth of over 8% last year. It is the fifth-largest economy and is on its way to becoming the third largest within the next five years. Moreover, this economic growth is accompanied by congruent progress on India’s green goals. with India being the fourth largest in the world for renewable energy installed capacity. This staggering rise is spectacular for it is happening within a democratic system of governance. Indian elections were hailed as democracy’s greatest triumph with a record 642 million voters casting their ballot in a free and fair election process leaving no one behind.
As India prospers, it seeks to do so with its closest maritime neighbour and partner. Sri Lanka. Having registered an impressive recovery. Sri Lanka is on the path to reform, resurgence and rejuvenation. In order to realise potential synergies and push the region’s growth bandwagon forward, the India-Sri Lanka partnership has connectivity as its central theme. The focus is on enhancing connectivity in all its dimensions – air, maritime, trade, digital. energy, people-to-people.
Over the last six months or so, the two countries have made significant progress in this regard. The modalities for Inter-grid power connection are nearing finalisation, aimed at fostering energy security for Sri Lanka in the near term, and building
export capacity for clean energy in the long term. Routes and nodes for air and maritime connectivity have been added. The most ambitious venture, the India-Sri Lanka Land Connectivity Corridor, is also making headway with both sides taking steps towards translating this game changing initiative into reality.
While India continues to be the largest trade partner, investor and source of tourists for Sri Lanka, work is underway to further expand these frontiers. Trade negotiations for an Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement are advancing with the last round having been held in Colombo this July. UPI based payment systems were launched early this year, boosting the FinTech sector as well as enhancing ease of travel for Indian tourists in Sri Lanka.
Dear Friends, the projects above are solely in areas where India has domestically proven capabilities. We wish to share our success and growing prosperity with our closest civilizational twin- Sri Lanka. We want to support growth for Sri Lanka without imposing debt burdens. The endeavour is to make India -Sri Lanka friendship a vehicle of growth and progress for all of Sri Lanka and all its people.
They say. a picture speaks louder than a thousand words. As India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took oath for his third term standing next to the President of Sri Lanka, it was a reaffirmation of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and SAGAR vision. A promise for this friendship founded on timeless trust and goodwill to transcend into a shared future of “Prospering Together”.
Jai Hind. Ayubowan. Vanakkam. Dhanyavad.
