I would say the land connectivity corridor is the most ambitious and also the most impactful initiative in terms of potential. We are now taking the first steps to translate this game-changing initiative into real action on the ground. You must have seen that during the last visit of the President’s Chief of Staff and National Security Advisor of Sri Lanka to India in March 2024, both sides mutually agreed to engage in a quarterly review process on each of our connectivity projects, demonstrating a commitment to ensuring effective progress.


Once built, this connectivity corridor will transform our relations, epitomize our unbreakable partnership, and possibly uplift vast populations that it will connect, into a new era of growth and prosperity. A small business, say for instance a local women’s group manufacturing palmyra baskets- can load the produce in a small lorry, drive down for 30-40 kms and will have access to a market of 1.4 bn people. You will be selling faster than the rate at which you can currently produce! There will be enormous benefits to the tourism sector in terms of its catchment extending beyond Colombo to other parts of Sri Lanka, including in the North and the East.