The programme was organised to familiarise CREDAI Chennai members with Port City Colombo, provide exposure to its master-planned development and explain its development framework. The interaction enabled developers and industry professionals to obtain information directly from the project representatives and independently assess opportunities relevant to their respective business interests.
Chennai’s geographical proximity to Colombo, combined with longstanding commercial and cultural ties between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, made the interaction particularly relevant to the participating members. The engagement provided Chennai-based developers and professionals an opportunity to understand a nearby regional market and explore potential areas of engagement in real estate development, construction, design and allied services.
Members also interacted directly with the Port City Colombo representatives, sought relevant information and assessed the development and its potential opportunities according to their individual business priorities.
Mr. Thiru A.R. Rahul Nadh, IAS, Member Secretary, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), attended the programme as the distinguished guest and delivered a special address. CREDAI Chennai office bearers, member developers, industry representatives and representatives of Port City Colombo also participated in the event.
Speaking on behalf of CREDAI Chennai, Mr. Mehul H. Doshi, President, CREDAI Chennai, said, “Our objective was to showcase Port City Colombo to our members and government officials. It has a great master plan and since the Tamil Nadu government is considering establishing an AI city, this can serve as a good model for the same. The interaction enabled members to obtain relevant information directly and independently assess whether any of the opportunities align with their respective business interests. Chennai and Colombo share longstanding geographical and commercial ties, and such interactions can contribute to greater professional engagement between the two cities.”
Highlighting the significance of the engagement, Mr. Thulci Aluwihare, Deputy Managing Director, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd., said, “Chennai is a natural starting point for this conversation, given its proximity to Colombo and strong real estate ecosystem. India, and South India in particular, is an important market for Port City Colombo. This interaction with CREDAI Chennai provided an opportunity for the Indian real estate community to understand the Port City development and further strengthen cross border investment ties. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and exploring areas of mutual interest.”
Port City Colombo is a modern, master-planned city development envisioned as an international business and lifestyle hub in South Asia. Spanning 269 hectares along the main East–West maritime route, it is Sri Lanka’s first foreign currency-designated multi-services Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the country’s largest public–private partnership development project.
The development is governed by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and operates under a dedicated regulatory framework offering internationally benchmarked standards, investor protection, ease of doing business, and competitive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.
Designed to attract high-value foreign direct investment (FDI), Port City Colombo facilitates sectors including financial services, IT and digital services, global trading, maritime and logistics, professional services, and regional headquarters operations. Upon completion, the estimated US$15 billion development is expected to generate significant employment, knowledge transfer and long-term economic growth for Sri Lanka.
The interaction between CREDAI Chennai and Port City Colombo provided a platform for direct engagement between the two markets, enabling Indian real estate professionals to understand the project’s development framework and independently evaluate potential areas of mutual interest.
For more information, visit www.portcitycolombo.lk.
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