Sri Lanka’s BOI showcases Eastern province to foreign delegation
The Morning: The Board of Investment (BOI) of Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a 25-member diplomatic delegation on a three-day tour of the Eastern Province, with the aim of showcasing the region’s cultural, economic, investment, and tourism opportunities to Colombo-based foreign missions while fostering new avenues for regional cooperation.
During the visit, the delegation had been taken to the BOI’s 255-acre Punnaikuda Eravurpattu Textile Manufacturing Zone, which was strategically conceived to vertically integrate Sri Lanka’s world-class apparel sector, as it enables localised fabric manufacturing, reducing long-standing reliance on imported materials.
During their visit, diplomats toured the state-of-the-art Jay Jay Mills facility within the zone and shared positive reflections on the initiative. Chargé d’affaires of the Swiss Embassy in Colombo Olivier Praz praised the collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the BOI, noting that seeing major companies like Jay Jay invest heavily in local economic development and high-quality fabric manufacturing sets a valuable example for future investors in the region.
High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka Nayyar Naseer expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to explore the newly emerged industrial zone and highlighted potential bilateral benefits. He noted that targeted visits allow diplomats to communicate concrete investment and tourism opportunities back to their home business communities, strengthening long-standing economic ties.
Ambassador of Vietnam Trinh Thai Tam also remarked on the high-standard processing capabilities observed at the park, such as dyeing and printing, recommending that Vietnamese investors explore the facilities and favourable policies available in Sri Lanka’s industrial zones.
Providing an operational perspective, Jay Jay Textile Limited CEO Deepak Kumar explained that the group has operated in Sri Lanka for over 20 years across various BOI zones. He emphasised that the specialised Eravurpattu processing zone allows the company to target a future capacity of 100 tons per day, positioning it among Asia’s largest plants, supported by BOI duty and tax benefits on advanced, automated machinery.
Built around core principles of sustainability, efficiency, and high-capacity production, the facility features dedicated water treatment plants and high-efficiency boilers, showcasing the long-term industrial potential of the Eastern Province.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province is emerging as a new destination for foreign investment, with opportunities spanning manufacturing, apparel, logistics, tourism, agriculture and other export-oriented industries. The recent visit by a 25-member diplomatic delegation, organised by the BOI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the province’s potential and the Government’s efforts to attract international businesses beyond the traditional investment centres around Colombo. The 255-acre Punnaikuda Eravurpattu Textile Manufacturing Zone is an example of the investment opportunities emerging in the region. Designed to support vertical integration in Sri Lanka’s apparel industry, the zone enables local production of fabrics and other inputs that have traditionally been imported. The presence of major investor Jay Jay Mills demonstrates the potential for large-scale, technology-intensive manufacturing in the province. Beyond textiles, Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province offers business/investment opportunities in port-linked logistics, food and agro-processing, tourism, fisheries, renewable energy, industrial manufacturing and export-oriented businesses. Its coastline, natural resources, tourism assets and proximity to regional markets provide additional advantages for investors seeking new locations within Sri Lanka. The development of industrial zones and investment incentives could enable foreign companies to establish manufacturing facilities, enter joint ventures with Sri Lankan businesses and integrate local production into regional supply chains. For international investors, the Eastern Province therefore represents an opportunity to participate in Sri Lanka’s broader economic expansion while gaining access to a less-developed but strategically important region with significant potential for industrial and tourism-led growth.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20261007Z_4 |