Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment projects near $ 12 billion in 2025
The Morning: Investment projects under the purview of the Board of Investment (BOI) were worth nearly $ 12 billion by the end of 2025, the BOI said in a statement. In 2025, the BOI approved 139 investment projects comprising 63 new projects and 76 expansions, with a total estimated value of $ 1,901 million.
This includes $ 885 million in foreign investment and $ 1,016 million in local investment, primarily concentrated in the manufacturing, infrastructure, utilities, and tourism sectors. Key source countries included India, Singapore, the United States, the UAE, Australia, China, and the United Kingdom, the statement added.
Of these approved projects, the BOI has signed agreements for 103 projects comprising 43 new and 60 expansions valued at $ 1,274 million ($ 618 million foreign, $ 656 million local). These signed investments are focused on manufacturing, infrastructure, apparel, knowledge services, and tourism, with principal source countries including India, Singapore, the United States, Malaysia, and Hong Kong.
Realised Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow for 2025 reached an estimated $ 1,062.8 million, spanning the manufacturing, agricultural, services, and infrastructure sectors, according to the BOI.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka is focused on attracting more foreign businesses/investments to the country to further bolster its ongoing economic expansion. The recording of investment projects worth $ 12 billion last year indicates an increasing level of confidence in Sri Lanka’s growth and business potential among foreign businesses/investors. Sri Lanka’s strategic positioning in the Indian Ocean, the strong trade ties that are being further strengthened and expanded as well as the improving ease of doing business environment in the country have added to the country’s growing image as an emerging business destination in the South Asian region. Given the expanding business/investment opportunities in all key economic sectors in the country and the growth and expansion recorded by the country’s private sector as well as the increasing number of foreign businesses/investors exploring opportunities to engage with Sri Lanka, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the business/investment opportunities in the country while also looking at possibilities of expanding operations in Sri Lanka through local collaborations. Given Sri Lanka’s current status, foreign businesses could also look at setting up bases in the country to engage with other countries in the region using the preferential treatment enjoyed by Sri Lanka with those countries.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20260305/Z_1 |