Trade Finance to Strengthen India-Sri Lanka Business Ties, Key Agreement Signed

India-Sri Lanka Trade Gets New Momentum as India Exim Bank and DFCC Bank Sign Agreement

New Chapter in India-Sri Lanka Trade Cooperation as India Exim Bank Partners with DFCC Bank

In a significant move to further strengthen trade relations between India and Sri Lanka, the Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) and Sri Lanka’s DFCC Bank PLC have signed a Master Trade Loan Agreement (MTLA). The agreement has been signed under India Exim Bank’s Trade Assistance Programme (TAP).

The agreement was signed by Shailesh Prasad, General Manager, India Exim Bank, and Timal Perera, Chief Executive Officer, DFCC Bank PLC. The signing took place in Colombo on the sidelines of the 49th Annual Meeting of the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP). Devika Lal, Counsellor (Economic & Commerce), High Commission of India in Sri Lanka, was also present on the occasion.

“This agreement will play an important role in enhancing bilateral trade between India and Sri Lanka while further strengthening the existing economic cooperation between the two countries.”

This is India Exim Bank’s first BAFT MTLA with a Sri Lankan bank. The bank’s Trade Assistance Programme supports commercial banks and financial institutions in enhancing their trade finance capabilities. As of August 31, 2026, the programme had supported more than 3,200 transactions across over 60 countries, facilitating additional exports worth more than US$4.19 billion.