India–Sri Lanka Economic Ties Take Centre Stage at Colombo Port City’s Inaugural Investor Forum in Chennai

Port City Colombo held its first investor forum in India on 4 November 2026, drawing more than 200 business leaders, investors, policymakers and industry representatives from India and Sri Lanka, according to Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commission in Chennai. The mission organised the forum with Port City Colombo at the Hyatt Regency Chennai.

The programme focused on investment and business partnerships in real estate, financial services, logistics and technology. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran, Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner for Southern India, opened the forum with remarks on bilateral trade and investment. Harsha Amarasekera, chairman of the Colombo Port City Economic Commission, outlined the zone’s regulatory framework and made the case for Indian companies considering regional expansion.

Thulci Aluwihare, deputy managing director of CHEC Port City Colombo, presented the project’s investment terms. He told attendees that the special economic zone offers a single point for approvals, permits full foreign ownership and allows transactions in 16 designated foreign currencies, including the Indian rupee.

Amarasekera and Aluwihare also took part in a panel with Madhu Raghunath, chief executive of TVS Vehicle Mobility Solutions, and Robin S, a senior director at JLL. The discussion covered investment opportunities by sector, how businesses could navigate regulatory approvals and prospects for partnerships between Indian and Sri Lankan companies.

The Chennai event brought together representatives of the commission responsible for the zone and the company developing it. Their presentations covered both the regulatory arrangements for prospective investors and the project’s pitch to Indian businesses looking to reach other markets from Sri Lanka.