Thursday Jul 23, 2026
Thursday Jul 23, 2026
Thursday, 23 July 2026 00:04 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
At the invitation of the Union Minister of Textiles of India, Shri Giriraj Singh, the Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development of Sri Lanka, Sunil Handunneththi, concluded a successful official visit to India from 14 to 18 July 2026, undertaking a series of high-level engagements aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in industry, investment, textiles, agribusiness and technology.
At Bharat Tex 2026 in New Delhi on 14 July, Minister Handunneththi met with the Union Minister of Textiles, Shri Giriraj Singh, and the Minister of State for Textiles and External Affairs, Shri Pabitra Margherita. The discussions focused on enhancing India – Sri Lanka cooperation in the textiles and apparel sector, promoting investment, strengthening value chain linkages, expanding trade and industrial collaboration, and advancing capacity building.
On 15 July, the Minister visited the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) Neemrana Japanese Zone in Rajasthan to gain first-hand insights into India’s successful model of attracting foreign direct investment through dedicated industrial parks. Discussions highlighted industrial infrastructure, investment facilitation, skills development and integration into global manufacturing value chains.
On 16 July, the Minister participated in a business roundtable organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), where he engaged with Indian business leaders on opportunities to expand trade, investment and industrial partnerships between Sri Lanka and India.
The Minister further met in New Delhi, with the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Dr. Mohan Yadav, to explore opportunities for expanding economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and the State of Madhya Pradesh. Recalling the ancient civilisational links between Sanchi and Sri Lanka, the Chief Minister invited Minister Handunneththi to participate in the Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit (GIS) 2027 to be held in Bhopal in January 2027. He also encouraged the exploration of direct air connectivity between Colombo and Bhopal to facilitate tourism, business partnerships and greater people-to-people exchanges.
Recognising the importance of agricultural modernisation and value addition, the Minister visited the Indo – Israel Centre of Excellence for Vegetables in Haryana on 17 July, where he was briefed on advanced technologies in protected cultivation, precision irrigation, nursery management and farmer capacity building. He also toured the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) Mega Food Park in Sonipat to study integrated food processing, cold chain infrastructure and value addition systems that support agricultural productivity, rural development and market connectivity.
The visit underscored the growing momentum in the Sri Lanka – India economic partnership and reflected the shared commitment of both countries to deepen cooperation across manufacturing, investment, innovation, agriculture and food processing, while strengthening capacity building, tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity.
