High Commission of India
Colombo

PRESS RELEASE

Visit of Mr. Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna to India

Mr. Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna visited India under Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ (ICCR) Distinguished Visitors Programme from 5-12 February 2026. He was accompanied by Members of Parliament Hon. Kitnan Selvaraj, Hon. Ilankumaran Karunanathan, JVP’s Central Committee Member Mr. Janaka Adhikari, JVP’s Media Unit Head Hemathilaka Gamage and Member of JVP’s International Relations Department Kalpana Madhubhashini. During the visit, the delegation visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram. This was Tilvin Silva’s first visit to India.

2.         As part of the official interactions in New Delhi, JVP General Secretary and the delegation met External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Mr. Pavan Kapoor. The Indian side affirmed that India will always remain a true and trusted partner for Sri Lanka, in accordance with its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and Vision ‘MAHASAGAR’. The discussions focused on growth opportunities for the mutual benefit of both countries and social welfare initiatives. The delegation was briefed on the wide-ranging cultural activities and various scholarships offered by ICCR to the Sri Lankan students.

3.         The delegation visited the Unique Digital Identity Authority of India, National Disaster Management Authority, Gati Shakthi and Indian Agricultural Research Institute. The New Delhi leg gave an overall exposure of India’s technical soundness in digital & physical infrastructure, disaster preparedness & response, infrastructural push and sustainable agricultural practices. The delegation also visited the Grand International Exposition of Sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha reaffirming the centuries-old civilizational connect.

4.         In Ahmedabad, the delegation met the Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi separately. The two sides deliberated on Gujarat’s inclusive development model across sectors including dairy, infrastructure, cooperative sector, FinTech, tourism, innovation and entrepreneurship. During the visit, the delegation visited AMUL, Tribhuvan Sahkari University, Gujarat International Finance Tec-City and International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (i-Create). The delegation paid homage at Mahatma Gandhiji's Sabarmati Ashram.
   
   
5.         During the visit to Thiruvananthapuram, Tilvin Silva and the delegation met Chief Minister of Kerala Shri Pinarayi Vijayan. They visited Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre gaining exposure to India’s advancements in Space Science & Technology and India’s first deep-water container transhipment port at Vizhinjam, which was developed under a Public Private Partnership model.
   
   
6.     The visit of the JVP delegation led by its General Secretary Tilvin Silva is part of India’s constant engagement with political leaders across party lines in Sri Lanka.

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Colombo
12 February 2026