.jpg)
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya concluded her first official visit to India last week, holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and delivering an address at the NDTV World Summit 2025 in New Delhi.
The visit, which ran from 16 to 18 October, marks Amarasuriya’s first overseas engagement since taking office. It comes amid efforts by Colombo to deepen trade, education, and development ties with New Delhi, even as concerns persist among Tamils about India’s silence on accountability for wartime abuses.
Address at NDTV World Summit
On Friday, Amarasuriya addressed the NDTV World Summit under the theme “Edge of the Unknown: Risk. Resolve. Renewal.” Her speech, titled “Steering Change in Uncertain Times,” highlighted the need for regional collaboration, adaptability, and shared responsibility in navigating global challenges.
She praised India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and expressed gratitude for India’s assistance during Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic crisis. “India’s help at our hour of need is deeply valued by our people,” she said, calling it a “lasting reminder” of their solidarity.
Reflecting on her own time as a student in India during the 1990s, Amarasuriya said that speaking in New Delhi felt “like coming full circle.” She outlined her government’s supposed priorities to modernise the Indo–Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, improve maritime connectivity, and position Sri Lanka as a strategic hub in the Indian Ocean.
Talks with Modi
.jpg)
During her meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in education reform, innovation, digital governance, and fishermen’s welfare. Modi stated that the talks covered “a broad range of areas, including education, women’s empowerment, innovation, development cooperation, and the welfare of our fishermen.”
Hundreds of Indian fishermen continue to be arrested or assaulted by the Sri Lankan navy every year, but governments on both sides have done little to address the issue.
Modi also reportedly reaffirmed India’s support for Sri Lanka’s digital governance initiatives, including the Unique Digital ID project, a project that Indian companies are reportedly in the running to win contracts for.
Return to Hindu College
Earlier in the visit, Amarasuriya returned to Hindu College, University of Delhi, where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. The College inaugurated the “Harini Amarasuriya Social & Ethnographic Research Lab” in her honour.
Addressing students and faculty, Amarasuriya reflected on how her education in India had shaped her commitment to social justice, equality, and education reform. “Education is not merely about securing individual futures, but about equipping ourselves to transform the futures of others,” she said.