Krishan Balendra, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and the John Keells Group, described Colombo as “a port for India” at the Zee Media WION Global Innovation & Leadership Summit in Colombo on Saturday, framing the deepening commercial relationship between the two countries around maritime transshipment.

“Colombo port is the biggest port in South Asia, and it’s really a port for India,” Balendra said. “About 85 percent of volume is transshipment, of which a large bulk is containers in and out of India.” He told the summit there would be “significantly more growth because India will be needing a lot of port capacity, and Colombo is well placed to be a transshipment hub for India and the rest of South Asia.”

Balendra also flagged India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders’ USD 26.8 million acquisition of a 51% stake in Colombo Dockyard PLC as a marker of the maritime convergence, calling it MDL’s first international acquisition under India’s Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.

Speaking later at the same forum, Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha de Silva said India “shouldn’t think of Sri Lanka as a foreign country or foreign land because Lanka is part of the Indian story,” urging “a common approach to partner as opposed to having a mere business relationship.” He cited maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean — referencing the recent IRIS Dena incident — as fields where deeper defence cooperation should now extend beyond conventional concerns about missiles and air superiority.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa told the summit India’s “historic rise in manufacturing, its leaps in digital technology, and its expanding global economic influence” should be embraced “as a gateway for our own future collaboration and progress.” He said Sri Lanka had “weathered the storms” of structural reforms and was “stepping firmly into an era of accelerated, inclusive, and sustainable growth,” reaffirming his support for India’s permanent UN Security Council seat bid.

The summit, hosted by Zee Media and WION, drew business leaders and policymakers from both countries.

Sources: Ada Derana — Balendra; Ada Derana — Harsha; Ada Derana — Sajith.