Sri Lankan PM visits NITI Aayog to witness India’s transformative initiatives

New Delhi, Oct 17
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya visited NITI Aayog with a focus on fostering deeper collaboration between the two countries and get insights on India’s transformative initiatives in the sectors of infrastructure, education, tourism, skill development and artificial intelligence, it was announced on Friday.

The visit underscored the shared vision of India and Sri Lanka to deepen strategic partnerships, promote sustainable development, and leverage innovation and skills to address regional challenges and opportunities.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing a knowledge-based, technology-driven, and people-centric partnership under the 'Neighbourhood First' and MAHASAGAR frameworks.

Amarasuriya commended NITI Aayog’s role as a policy think tank and coordination platform, noting its unique ability to bridge long-term policy design with on-ground implementation.

According to an official statement, she expressed interest in understanding how NITI Aayog functions alongside central ministries and states — linking analysis, evidence-based policymaking, and feedback from citizens into effective governance.

She also highlighted Sri Lanka’s own reform journey and the need for institutions that promote policy coherence, evidence-based decisions, and consistency beyond political cycles.

“The discussions, facilitated by Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman K. Bery, provided an overview of India’s ongoing initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti for multimodal infrastructure planning, the National Education Policy 2020 for holistic and inclusive learning, collaborative opportunities in tourism and cultural exchange, and frontier technologies including artificial intelligence and digital governance,” the statement said.

Presentations were also made on India–Sri Lanka bilateral relations, including trade, investment, and the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA); PM Gati Shakti, showcasing integrated infrastructure planning and the potential application of India’s multimodal logistics model to Kandy City; Education Reforms under NEP 2020, focusing on holistic, inclusive, and technology-driven learning systems; Tourism and Cultural Exchange, highlighting cooperation in heritage, eco, and wellness tourism to boost people-to-people ties; and Frontier Technologies and Artificial Intelligence, exploring collaboration in digital innovation and governance.