Press Releases

India and Sri Lanka reaffirm commitment to enhanced capacity building and skills development at ITEC Day 2025

February 19, 2026

High Commission of India
Colombo

PRESS RELEASE

India and Sri Lanka reaffirm commitment to enhanced capacity building and skills development at ITEC Day 2025

The High Commission of India in Colombo celebrated ITEC Day 2025 on 18 February 2026, reaffirming the strong and longstanding partnership between India and Sri Lanka in the field of capacity building and human resource development under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.

2. The event was graced by His Excellency Santosh Jha, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, and Hon. Nalin Hewage, Deputy Minister of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Vocational Education, as the Chief Guest. Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, Deputy High Commissioner, senior officials of the High Commission of India, Ms. Tharanga Liyanage, Additional Director, Department of External Resources, and Ms. P. S. Sandamali, Director (ICT), Ministry of Education, participated as special guests. The celebration witnessed participation of over 200 ITEC alumni from diverse sectors across Sri Lanka.
3. In his address, Hon. Nalin Hewage appreciated India's continued support to Sri Lanka through the ITEC programme and noted that the Government of Sri Lanka looks forward to expanded opportunities under ITEC and other capacity-building frameworks. Highlighting national priorities, he emphasized the Government's focus on education, research and innovation, and vocational education as key pillars of Sri Lanka's development strategy, and expressed hope for deeper collaboration with India in these critical sectors. The Deputy Minister expressed gratitude to the Government of India and reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening collaboration with Sri Lanka in capacity building.
4. Addressing the gathering, the High Commissioner highlighted that ITEC Day provides an important platform to reconnect with ITEC scholars and alumni and celebrate their achievements. He observed that ITEC alumni form a truly global network and many holds important positions across various sectors, serving as a strong bridge of friendship between India and Sri Lanka. He underlined that many of the advanced training programmes offered under ITEC: including Artificial Intelligence, cyber technologies, digital governance, emerging technologies, finance, banking, public administration, climate change, and scientific domains are on par with high-cost courses offered in several European countries. Through ITEC, India makes such high-quality training accessible on a fully funded basis to partner countries like Sri Lanka. The High Commissioner of India, His Excellency Santosh Jha, further highlighted the announcement made by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, during his visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, under which 700 customized training opportunities are now made available annually for Sri Lankan professionals, reflecting India's ongoing commitment to strengthening Sri Lanka's human resource development and institutional capacity building.
5. At the event, four ITEC alumni shared their professional experiences in India and reflected on how the training enhanced their knowledge, skills, and institutional contributions in Sri Lanka. Their testimonials underscored the practical impact and long- term value of the ITEC programme.
6. ITEC programmes align closely with Sri Lanka's present developmental priorities and contribute meaningfully to strengthening governance systems, institutional efficiency, digital transformation, and economic resilience, particularly in the context of Sri Lanka's efforts to overcome recent economic challenges. Sri Lanka remains one of India's most important ITEC partners, with 402 fully-funded training slots offered annually to Sri Lankan Government officials and professionals.
7. Based on a special request received from the Government of Sri Lanka for the training of its Civil Servants, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) and the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) during the State Visit of the President of Sri Lanka to India in December 2024. The MoU provides for the training and capacity building of 1,500 Sri Lanka Civil Service Officers over a period of five years. Seven batches, consisting of 281 Civil Service Officers, have undergone training under the NCGG-SLIDA MOU, with the programme expected to benefit 321 officials by March 2026.