Sri Lankan PM Harini Amarasuriya arrives on three-day visit

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya began a three-day visit to India on Thursday, arriving in New Delhi after a Beijing stop that included a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Colombo works to balance ties with its two most consequential partners while pushing through an economic recovery.

India’s ministry of external affairs said Amarasuriya’s trip runs from 16 to 18 October and marks her first visit to India since assuming the premiership, with meetings scheduled with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

China framed Amarasuriya’s 14 October call on Xi at the Great Hall of the People on the sidelines of the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women as a bid to “deepen mutually beneficial cooperation” and expand Belt and Road collaboration in ports, agriculture, tourism, and the digital and green economies.

The stop also echoed Xi’s public call at the summit to increase women’s participation in governance.

The sequencing of Beijing first and Delhi next underscores Sri Lanka’s hedging strategy as it seeks fresh investment and trade while managing debt overhang from its 2022 default.

New Delhi has cast the visit under its Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR vision, with officials signaling a focus on education, capacity building and connectivity.

The MAHASAGAR doctrine, or New Delhi’s broadened maritime vision unveiled this year, puts a premium on connectivity, security cooperation and development financing across the wider “Global South.”

In South Asia, that has meant lines of credit, rupee-denominated trade options, and targeted projects in energy, transport and health.

Translating that into near-term wins with Sri Lanka will likely center on education and skills tie-ups aligned with Amarasuriya’s portfolio, incremental steps on energy and grid connectivity, and steadying trade flows as the island rebuilds.

India was Sri Lanka’s first responder during the 2022 crisis with roughly $4 billion in emergency support via swaps, credit lines and aid, and remains central to the island’s debt workout and trade.

In May, Colombo and New Delhi agreed to restructure nearly $931 million in Indian credit lines, part of a broader effort that has also involved official creditor talks and separate negotiations with Chinese lenders.

Modi’s April trip to Sri Lanka advanced energy and connectivity projects, including an India-UAE plan for an energy hub in Trincomalee and progress on grid links and digital cooperation.

On Thursday, Amarasuriya met external affairs minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi to discuss cooperation in education and capacity building.

She also visited her alma mater, Hindu College at Delhi University, and addressed students.

The Sri Lankan PM is expected to deliver a keynote at the NDTV World Summit on 17–18 October, co-hosted with the Chintan Research Foundation.