PF to launch trilateral report on ‘Medium and Long-term Strategy for Economic Transformation of Sri Lanka’ in New Delhi

Pathfinder Foundation, in partnership with two prominent think tanks based in New Delhi, namely, NatStrat and Vivekananda International Foundation, and the Confederation of Indian Industry, will launch its report ‘Medium and Long-term Strategy for Indo-Japanese Collaboration to Support the Economic Transformation of Sri Lanka’ on 10 August 2023 in New Delhi.

The event will take place in a hybrid format and expects to draw around 200 participants both physically and virtually, aiming to create greater awareness of the report, explore potential investment opportunities in Sri Lanka and interact with relevant Indian stakeholders who wish to identify concrete projects and financing modalities on priority sectors as identified in the report.

Pathfinder delegation to the event will be led by Chairman Bernard Goonetilleke, and Executive Director Dr. Dayaratna Silva, while the Board of Investment and Sustainable Energy Authority of Sri Lanka will be represented by Executive Director Prasanjith Wijayatilake and Director General J.M. Athula respectively, together with Perwiplast Industries Ltd Managing Director Lalitha Perera.

The Foundation launched the Report in Colombo in late March in the presence of Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay and Ambassador of Japan Mizukoshi Hideaki.  Later, the report will be presented to President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The report focuses on four priority areas for collaboration with India and Japan.  Namely, Low-carbon power generation, focusing on LNG and grid connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, the Development of Trincomalee as an energy hub using the oil tank complex in Trincomalee as a starting point, logistics and connectivity covering ports, airports, railways and ferry transportation, and people-to-people contacts which covers tourism, education, training and skills development.

The report’s New Delhi launch follows an 18-member high-powered Indian delegation’s visit to the island to look at investment opportunities in the country.  The team visited Jaffna, Mannar, and Trincomalee and ended their tour on 4 August with a visit to the Pathfinder Foundation for a briefing session. The report ‘Medium and Long-term Strategy for Indo-Japanese Collaboration to Support the Economic Transformation of Sri Lanka’ can be read on the web section of https://pathfinderfoundation.org/publications