In a bid to strengthen educational and research linkages between Sri Lanka and India, Prime Minister Dr Harini Nireka Amarasuriya visited the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi on October 17 where she explored avenues for collaboration in innovation, technology, and higher education.

During her visit, Dr Amarasuriya met Prof Arvind Nema, Deputy Director (Operations), and Prof Anil Verma, Dean of International Programmes, along with faculty members, international students, and startup founders at the institute. She also toured research facilities and innovation labs housed within IIT Delhi’s Research and Innovation Park.

Two IIT Delhi-incubated startups — CYRAN AI and Cluix — showcased their innovations before the visiting Prime Minister. CYRAN AI demonstrated BUDDHI, an AI-based DIY STEM education kit that helps learners build artificial intelligence applications, while Cluix presented its portable water quality analyzer technology designed to enhance environmental monitoring.

Expressing admiration for the institute, Dr Amarasuriya said, “IIT Delhi is a prestigious engineering and research institute in our neighbourhood. There is significant potential for academic and research collaboration between our institutions and IIT Delhi. We are already collaborating with IIT Madras and look forward to building new partnerships with IIT Delhi as well.”

Prof Arvind Nema, Deputy Director (Operations), welcomed the Prime Minister’s visit and underlined IIT Delhi’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Sri Lankan universities. “We already have a few students from Sri Lanka. We look forward to strengthening collaborative efforts for capacity building. Sri Lankan students are welcome to pursue master’s and PhD programmes at IIT Delhi and B.Tech degrees at our Abu Dhabi campus. Scholarships from the Sri Lankan government could further enrich this partnership,” he said.

Highlighting IIT Delhi’s expanding global outreach, Prof Anil Verma proposed the creation of a ‘Sri Lanka Academic and Research Hub’ at the institute to facilitate partnerships in research, innovation, and skill development between institutions in both nations.

He also briefed the Sri Lankan Prime Minister on IIT Delhi’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, research achievements, and rising performance in global academic rankings, underscoring the institute’s growing role as a bridge for international collaboration in science and technology.