The 41st Board Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation, held in New Delhi, approved 13 development projects spanning education, culture, agriculture, and science and technology, reflecting growing public interest in bilateral engagement between the two nations.

The India-Sri Lanka Foundation's Board of Directors convened in New Delhi under the joint leadership of Sri Lanka's High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne and India's High Commissioner Santosh Jha. The meeting reviewed progress on existing initiatives and evaluated new project proposals, with 13 ventures ultimately receiving approval for a combined budget of approximately LKR 21 million.

From over 500 proposals submitted to the Colombo Secretariat, only 137 advanced through the vetting process, with 20 ultimately presented to the Board for consideration. The approved projects span multiple sectors including education, culture, agriculture, and science and technology. Notably, India's New Delhi Secretariat received 149 separate proposals from Indian nationals, an unexpected volume given that no formal call for proposals had been issued beforehand due to budgetary constraints.

The Board highlighted the substantial surge in interest from individuals and institutions across both countries, interpreting this as evidence of sustained public commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and expanding people-to-people connectivity. Founded in 1998 through an agreement between the governments, the Foundation has operated for nearly three decades as a mechanism for fostering cooperation through academic exchanges, cultural initiatives, and collaborative projects. The Board emphasized that enhanced financial resources would enable the Foundation to address the growing demand for such engagement and support more worthwhile initiatives in both nations.