Relevance of Investment in India-Sri Lanka Comprehensive Economic Partnership

India and Sri Lanka launched a bilateral FTA in 1998 which became operational in 2000. Encouraged by the good experience with FTA in expanding the mutual trade in an equitable and balanced manner, the two governments decided to expand the scope of economic cooperation to cover investment and services in the framework of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). A Joint Study Group (JSG) was set up to prepare a blue print of CECA. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs requested RIS to prepare a study on investment for discussions at the Joint Group Meeting. Accordingly, RIS prepared a study on Investment Relations between India-Sri Lanka: Some Analyses and Policy Recommendations and submitted it to the Ministry of External Affairs in July 2003. Subsequently RIS was requested to prepare an integrated draft of the Indian and Sri Lankan inputs for incorporation in the Report of JSG. The JSG concluded its work and finalized its Report at its Meeting held in Candy, Sri Lanka in October 2003.

Research Team: Dr. Ram Upendra Das and Mr. Jaya Prakash Pradhan