IIT Delhi Welcomes Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dr. Harini Nireka Amarasuriya to Strengthen Bilateral Academic Ties

October 17, 2025 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi was honoured to host Her Excellency Harini Nireka Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, during her visit to India on October 17, 2025.

The delegation engaged with IIT Delhi’s leadership, faculty, international students, and start-ups incubated on campus.

The Prime Minister of Sri Lanka expressed keen interest in enhancing bilateral cooperation, stating that the primary objective of the visit was to explore avenues for strengthening collaboration between Sri Lanka and IIT Delhi. Emphasizing the ongoing partnerships with Sri Lankan universities, the Prime Minister highlighted that both nations have set ambitious goals in the education and IT sectors and reaffirmed a commitment to deepening the relationship further.

Prof. Arvind K Nema, Deputy Director (Operations), welcomed the delegation and highlighted mutual opportunities for capacity building and knowledge exchange between the two nations.

On this occasion, Prof. Anil Verma, Dean (International Programmes), presented an overview of IIT Delhi and highlighted the existing academic and research collaborations between IIT Delhi and Sri Lankan universities. He also proposed establishing a Sri Lanka Academic and Research Hub at IIT Delhi to strengthen bilateral cooperation in education, research, and innovation.

IIT Delhi currently enrolls a limited number of students from Sri Lanka and seeks to further expand its collaborative initiatives aimed at capacity building. Sri Lankan students are encouraged to pursue Master’s, Ph.D., and B.Tech. programmes at IIT Delhi and its international campus in Abu Dhabi.

“The establishment of dedicated scholarships funded by the Government of Sri Lanka for postgraduate studies at IIT Delhi is expected to serve as a catalyst for advancing capacity building,” Prof. Nema remarked.

Start-ups incubated at FITT–IIT Delhi showcased their innovations to the visiting dignitaries. CYRAN AI presented its BUDDHI AI DIY Kit for STEM education, while Cluix demonstrated its portable water quality analyser. The Prime Minister also witnessed several other emerging technologies at IIT Delhi’s Research and Innovation Park.

The visit marked a significant step toward deepening Indo–Sri Lankan academic partnerships and fostering regional collaboration in education, research, and innovation.