It is a real pleasure to be here.
As a High Commissioner, I have attended many ceremonies. Some have ribbons. Some have lamps. Very few have two million containers. Today does!
To put it simply, we are here to celebrate a landmark achievement of excellence.
Phase 2 is commissioned. The two million TEU mark is crossed. And it has happened in record time.
Let us remember what the Colombo West International Terminal is. A flagship deep-water container terminal. Built by a partnership of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, John Keells Holdings, and Adani Ports and SEZ. An investment of approximately 750 million US dollars, it is one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Sri Lanka’s maritime sector in recent years.
But numbers are only half the story. This terminal is a picture of India–Sri Lanka economic cooperation. Sri Lankan expertise. Indian expertise. Sri Lankan capital. Indian capital. One shared vision.
To the three partners: congratulations! It takes vision to start a project like this. It takes real commitment to deliver it. You have shown both.
And the world has noticed. Major global shipping lines have placed their confidence here. Now, shipping lines are not known for sentiment. They go where the efficiency is. They are coming to the Colombo West International Terminal. That tells you everything.
Two million TEUs in record time is not luck. It is excellence.
Then there is the technology. Automated cranes. Electric terminal vehicles. Smart systems running quietly in the background. And a 20-metre deep-water draft, ready for the latest generation of mega container ships. This makes CWIT one of the finest terminals in the region. And, I would say, beyond.
But the real engine is people. Jobs created. Skills built. Technology shared. And I am delighted to see so many skilled women in the CWIT workforce, working at the heart of a high-tech operation. That is the future of ports. And it is a bright one.
CWIT also does not stand alone. It is woven into Sri Lanka’s wider logistics ecosystem. Trucking, warehousing, freight forwarding, services. When a terminal grows, a whole economy grows around it.
Friends, the world today is busy competing. Over tariffs. Over supply chains. Over who goes first. In such times, cooperation is rare. Which is why this project matters. It shows what two neighbours can do when they choose to build together.
Let me say a word about India. We are living a leapfrog moment. Our real GDP grew 7.8 % in the first quarter of this financial year. Investment grew nearly 12 %. Exports grew 12 %. That is strong growth, in a world that is not making growth easy.
And growth means cargo. More manufacturing. More exports. More imports. More containers.
Which brings me to Colombo. India and Sri Lanka are already joined by the sea. A large part of the cargo moving through Colombo has an Indian connection. As the Indian economy grows, that link will only get stronger. We hope Colombo Port will be a key partner in that journey, especially through its wider partnerships with the Indian ecosystem: our ports, our investors, our logistics companies and our exporters.
Two million TEUs is a proud milestone. But I see it as a mile marker, not a finish line. There is more road ahead. And I am glad we are walking it together.
Congratulations once again to the Government of Sri Lanka, the SLPA, John Keells, Adani Ports, and the entire CWIT team.
