The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development to recognize the “Sri Lanka National Export
Development Plan – 2026–2030” as the official strategic framework for export development and promotion of exports in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board, in collaboration with public and private sector stakeholders connected to the export sector, has formulated the National Export Development Plan 2026–2030 by obtaining technical assistance under the Policy-Based Lending Programme of the Asian Development Bank.

The aforementioned Plan provides a comprehensive strategic framework to guide and monitor Sri Lanka’s export development process, with the target of earning US$ 36 billion in foreign exchange through the export of goods and services by the year 2030

Sri Lanka’s long-discussed electricity grid connection with India is gaining renewed momentum, as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) intensifies efforts to promote cross-border energy integration across the region.

At the ADB Annual Meetings in Samarkand, Senior Director for Energy, Priyantha Wijayatunga, identified the proposed India–Sri Lanka grid interconnection as the most promising avenue to strengthen the island’s power sector. The concept dates back to the 1970s, when Sri Lanka, following the completion of the Mahaweli Development Project, even explored the possibility of exporting electricity. However, rapid economic growth and rising domestic demand shifted the country toward energy imports.

Today, with energy security and cost pressures mounting, the idea has regained urgency. “The time is right,” Wijayatunga said, stressing that political will and financing will be decisive. While undersea transmission cables make the link technically viable, costs remain a major challenge. The ADB, he confirmed, stands ready to support Sri Lanka as a development partner in advancing the project.

Sri Lanka’s prospects are closely tied to a broader regional vision being advanced by the ADB through its Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative (PAGI). The initiative aims to transform how energy is produced, shared, and consumed across Asia and the Pacific by promoting cross-border electricity trade and grid connectivity.

PAGI is designed not merely as a collection of projects, but as a systems-level integration platform that connects national grids into subregional and eventually continent-wide networks. Its core objectives include bridging energy gaps, enhancing energy security, integrating large-scale renewable energy, and strengthening resilience across interconnected systems.

A key pillar of PAGI is leveraging the region’s resource complementarity. Countries in South Asia, for instance, possess uneven but highly complementary energy resources—hydropower in Nepal and Bhutan, and solar and wind potential in India. By linking grids, countries like Sri Lanka could tap into these diverse energy sources, reducing dependence on costly fossil fuel imports while improving reliability.

ADB estimates suggest that deeper regional power trade in South Asia could yield substantial economic benefits, including lower system costs and more efficient energy distribution. The initiative also envisions mobilizing up to $50 billion in investments by 2035, expanding transmission infrastructure, and improving electricity access for millions.

For Sri Lanka, integration into such a regional grid could be transformative. A connection with India would allow the country to import affordable electricity during shortages, stabilize supply, and support its transition toward cleaner energy. It could also open the door to future participation in a wider South Asian power market.

With feasibility studies and policy discussions already underway, and with ADB backing firmly in place, Sri Lanka’s long-envisioned grid connection with India now appears more achievable than ever.

As the Samarkand meetings underscore the urgency of regional cooperation in an increasingly uncertain energy landscape, Sri Lanka stands at the threshold of a new chapter—one where energy security is strengthened not in isolation, but through connection.

by Sanath Nanayakkare in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Sri Lanka this week finds itself at the centre of a deepening global ocean crisis, as leading scientists, policymakers and conservationists gather in Colombo for Sharks International 2026—a high-profile summit unfolding against mounting evidence that the world is rapidly losing control of its marine ecosystems.

The conference, now underway at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, marks the first time the prestigious forum has been hosted in Sri Lanka. But beneath the diplomatic language and scientific exchanges lies a far more urgent reality: the collapse of shark and ray populations is no longer a distant environmental concern—it is an unfolding economic and food security emergency.

More than 100 million sharks and rays are being wiped out globally each year, largely due to overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In Sri Lanka, the situation is particularly acute. Of the 105 species recorded in local waters, nearly 70 are now threatened with extinction, a statistic that scientists warn should set off alarm bells far beyond conservation circles.

Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody did not mince words when addressing the gathering, framing the issue not just as an ecological tragedy but as a looming economic shock.

“This is not just about saving species. It is about protecting the foundation of our fisheries, our food systems, and the livelihoods of thousands of Sri Lankans. If shark and ray populations collapse, the consequences will ripple through the entire marine economy,” he said.

Sharks and rays sit at the top of the ocean food chain. Their disappearance disrupts the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, triggering cascading effects that can decimate commercially valuable fish stocks. For a country like Sri Lanka—where coastal communities depend heavily on fisheries—this is not an abstract threat but a direct challenge to economic stability.

Yet despite years of warnings, critics argue that global action has been dangerously slow, fragmented, and often undermined by competing commercial interests.

By Ifham Nizam