SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Institutions: NITI Aayog | Ministry of External Affairs
Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya, visited NITI Aayog in New Delhi on 16 October 2025. The dialogue focused on deepening cooperation in areas such as infrastructure planning (via PM Gati Shakti), education reform (NEP 2020), tourism, skill development, and artificial intelligence / digital governance. The Sri Lankan leader expressed interest in understanding how NITI Aayog bridges long-term policy design with state and central implementation cycles. Presentations highlighted bilateral collaboration in trade & technology (ETCA), urban and transport infrastructure, and frontier tech.
This visit signals India’s growing role as a policy export and capacity-builder for regional neighbors. It positions NITI Aayog not only as a domestic think tank but as a regional institution facilitator, enhancing India’s soft power in governance models. For Sri Lanka, engaging with PM Gati Shakti’s infrastructure integration and India’s NEP-driven education reforms offers a template for reform roadmap. Coordinating institutional arrangements (like cross-border logistics, regulatory standard alignment) could deepen South Asia’s policy integration under Neighbourhood First / MAHASAGAR frameworks.
What is NITI Aayog? → India’s National Institution for Transforming India, a policy think tank and coordination body that works with ministries and states to guide long-term strategic plans and monitor implementation.
What is ETCA? → The Economic & Technology Cooperation Agreement between India and Sri Lanka is an FT(A)-style agreement facilitating trade in goods, services, investment, and tech collaboration.
What is the “Neighbourhood First”? → Neighbourhood First is India’s foreign-policy approach prioritising close political, economic, and developmental ties with South Asian neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Maldives. It focuses on connectivity, trade, people-to-people linkages, and regional stability.
What is the “MAHASAGAR” Framework?→ MAHASAGAR (Maritime and Heritage Connectivity and SAGAR Synergies) is an emerging framework aligning India’s SAGAR vision (Security and Growth for All in the Region) with cooperative development across the Indian Ocean. It emphasises digital, infrastructure, and capacity-building partnerships with littoral and island nations, linking India’s domestic reforms with regional integration efforts.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
Can India institutionalise policy “twinning” with smaller neighbors, enabling governance partnerships in infrastructure, education, and digital frameworks rather than transactional project diplomacy?
Follow the full news here: Sri Lankan PM Visits NITI Aayog