Colombo, February 12 (newsin.asia): At a function here on February 10 organized by the India Sri Lanka Society (ISLS) to mark Sri Lanka’s 71st Independence Day and India’s 70th Republic Day, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe pointed out that India would be the world’s third largest economy by 2030.
In that context, the Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu urged Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to take advantage of India’s burgeoning growth and be part of it.
Wickremesinghe highlighted the historical and cultural ties between the two “great” nations. Looking ahead, the Prime Minister said that by 2030, India would be the third largest economy in the world, and that the South Asian-South East Asian region which includes some of the most dynamic economies in the world had the potential to be part of a vast global growth network.
Wickremesinghe said that India and Sri Lanka could be examples for South Asia by growing together and faster.
In his address, the High Commissioner of India Taranjit Singh Sandhu noted that the recent discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos revealed that the Global CEOs’ confidence in India had gone up despite a dramatic dip in the world’s major economies.
“India was billed as the largest transformation of 21st century and the world’s best were betting on India,” Sandhu recalled.
“India wants Sri Lanka to be part of this story and urged Sri Lanka to utilize the huge opportunities that are arising from India’s dramatic economic growth,” the envoy added.
The High Commissioner emphasized that India is committed to people-oriented developmental projects in Sri Lanka and had constructed 47000 houses for the people of Sri Lanka for free and another 16000 are in the pipeline.
India had also completed 70 developmental grant projects in almost all sectors across the island.
Nettipattam -a traditional elephant ornament representing peace and prosperity was presented to Prime Minister Wickremesinghe by the SLIS.
A new edition of the “Maithree” magazine was also unveiled at the event.
Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe, Minister of Power, Energy and Business Development Hon. Ravi Karunanayake, State Minister of Finance Hon. Eran Wickramaratne, President of SLIS Mr T.S. Prakash, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries were among the distinguished audience..
The SLIS which is the oldest and largest friendship society in Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1949, soon after the independence of India and Sri Lanka.
(The featured image at the top shows Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with Indian envoy Taranjit Singh Sandhu)
