Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha hosted a group of senior Sri Lankan business leaders at the Indian High Commission for talks on trade, investment and what he called the “growing depth” of the bilateral economic partnership.

The group included Standard Chartered Bank Sri Lanka CEO Bingumal Thewarathanthri and John Keells Holdings Chairperson-CEO Krishan Balendra. Jha said the discussion produced “a useful exchange of views on trade, investment and commercial cooperation, reflecting the growing depth of our economic partnership.”

The envoy separately met Dhammika Perera, co-chairman of Hayleys Plc and chairman of Vallibel One Plc. “Pleasure to meet Dhammika Perera, Chairman Vallibel One PLC for a conversation on economy, business, entrepreneurship & the India-Sri Lanka partnership,” Jha posted on social media.

The week’s meetings followed an earlier call between Jha and Central Bank of Sri Lanka Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe focused on investment flows and what the envoy described as the “strong potential” of the rupee-to-rupee commercial corridor — the bilateral payments framework allowing trade to be settled in local currencies rather than US dollars.

The corporate roster spans India’s most active investment corridors into Sri Lanka. John Keells is the local partner in Colombo West International Terminal, the Adani Ports-backed deepwater facility that crossed 1 million TEUs in its first year. Hayleys’ Fentons subsidiary is part of the JSL-Fentons consortium awarded a Rs. 2.27 billion cabinet contract earlier this year to build the Mannar–Mullikulam transmission line. Standard Chartered Sri Lanka is in the final stages of being absorbed by DFCC Bank by July 31 after its consumer banking exit.

Jha’s outreach follows his twin June 10 calls with Foreign Minister Ali Sabry and Industry Minister Sunil Handunnetti, part of a sustained push by New Delhi to expand its commercial footprint as several other Indian investors, including Adani Green Energy’s wind projects in Mannar and Pooneryn, have walked away over tariff disputes.

Source: Indian diplomat meets Sri Lanka’s business leaders for economic talks — EconomyNext, June 20.