Indian business delegation signs two MoUs, holds talks with High Commissioner

A 31-member business delegation led by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), one of India's oldest and leading apex business chambers, visited Sri Lanka from July 28 to 30 to explore opportunities to expand bilateral trade and business partnerships.

The visit, coordinated by the Chamber's Tamil Nadu State Council, brought together companies representing manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, apparel and textiles, food and agricultural products, and infrastructure.

During the visit, the delegation met Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, who shared insights on Sri Lanka's economy and highlighted opportunities to further strengthen the India-Sri Lanka economic partnership through increased trade and investment.

The delegation also held discussions with officials of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development on areas of mutual interest and future collaboration.

In addition, members of the delegation met representatives of the Indo Lanka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ILCCI), the Hayleys Group and the Access Group to explore new business opportunities and expand bilateral trade.

As part of efforts to promote business-to-business engagement, the High Commission of India, together with the Indian CEO Forum, organised a business networking event titled "India Sri Lanka Trade Connect: Interaction with ICC Delegation" at the Taj Samudra, Colombo, on July 28.

The event brought together the visiting Indian delegation with representatives of leading Sri Lankan companies, business organisations and participants from Jaffna, providing a platform to develop new commercial partnerships.

Addressing the gathering, High Commissioner Santosh Jha said there remained significant untapped potential to expand bilateral trade and investment, while stressing the importance of stronger business-to-business partnerships. He also noted that state-level economic engagement has become an important pillar of India's international economic outreach.

During the event, the Indian Chamber of Commerce formally exchanged two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed with the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka and the Chamber of Young Lankan Entrepreneurs.

The MoUs aim to strengthen institutional cooperation through information sharing, promotion of trade and investment, business networking and the identification of new opportunities for collaboration.

The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Sri Lanka to deepen economic engagement through enhanced bilateral trade, increased investment and stronger business-to-business linkages, while encouraging closer state-level and regional partnerships.