FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka recently organized a meeting with prominent Sri Lankan business leaders to discuss the current economic trends, new opportunities, and the changing business environment in the country.
Among the attendees were Bingumal Thewarathanthri, the CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka, and Krishan Balendra, the Chairperson and CEO of John Keells Holdings. High Commissioner Santosh Jha commented on the fruitful dialogue regarding trade, investment, and commercial collaboration, emphasizing the strengthening economic ties between India and Sri Lanka.
Additionally, High Commissioner Jha engaged in discussions with Dhammika Perera, Co-chairman of Hayleys Plc. Jha expressed his satisfaction in meeting Perera to talk about the economy, business, entrepreneurship, and bilateral partnerships.
Earlier, Jha had a meeting with Nandalal Weerasinghe, the governor of the central bank, where they explored various topics related to the economy, investments, and the significant prospects of a Rupee-to-Rupee trade corridor between the two nations.
In a related development, the Colombo West International Terminal, supported by India’s Adani Ports and Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, reported that it successfully processed over one million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) within its inaugural year of operation, as stated by the company in March.
Moreover, in March, the Sri Lankan cabinet approved a tender for the construction of a power transmission line from Mannar to Mullikulam, awarded to the JSL & Fentons Joint Venture, which includes Jyoti Structure Limited from India and Hayleys Fentons Limited from Sri Lanka, at a cost of 2,269.18 million rupees (excluding taxes). This decision followed the withdrawal of Adani Green Energy from separate 484 MW wind power projects in Mannar and Pooneryn, which occurred earlier in 2025 due to conflicts over tariff pricing. (Colombo/Jun20/2026)
