High Commission of India
Colombo

 PRESS RELEASE

41^st Board Meeting of the India – Sri Lanka Foundation in New Delhi

The 41st Meeting of the Board of Directors of the India – Sri Lanka Foundation (ISLF) was held in New Delhi on 28 August 2026. The session was co-chaired by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, H.E. Mr. Santosh Jha, and the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, H.E. Ms. Mahishini Colonne. The meeting was also attended by the Board Members of the Foundation Amb. Mohan Kumar, Amb. Prasad Kariyawasam and Mr. Ashok Malik.

2. 2. The Board reviewed the progress of ongoing projects and approved several new proposals received by the secretariat across diverse sectors including history and culture, education, health, environment, agriculture, women’s studies and training. Notable approved initiatives include young journalist empowerment programmes; undergraduate exchange programmes; women’s empowerment initiatives in the tea sector and biodegradable sanitary napkin production; book translations and publications; dance training programmes; digital and Artificial Intelligence knowledge enhancement programmes; knowledge exchanges on Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) awareness and prosthetic & orthotic manufacturing; and academic collaborations in maritime management and psychological wellbeing.
   
   
3. 3.     The ISLF was established on 28 December 1998 by a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Governments of India and Sri Lanka, with the objective of fostering bilateral relations through the enhancement of economic, scientific, educational, technical and cultural cooperation as well as the promotion of people-to-people ties between the two countries. Since its inception, the Foundation has extended support for around 600 projects worth over SLR 200 million, with more than 380 projects being implemented in Sri Lanka.

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Colombo
29 August 2026