A business forum held in Milan has revealed encouraging signs that Sri Lanka’s campaign to strengthen commercial ties with Italy is gaining traction, with several Italian business representatives expressing interest in exploring investment opportunities and participating in Sri Lanka Expo 2027.
The event, organised by the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Milan together with the Italian Foreign Trade Association and Club Asia, attracted business leaders, policymakers and institutional representatives through both physical and virtual participation.
Although forums of this nature are common in international trade promotion, the Milan gathering stood out because it combined official policy announcements with first-hand corporate experience from one of Italy’s long-standing investors in Sri Lanka.
Opening the forum, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Italy, Satya Rodrigo, set the tone for discussions that centred on expanding bilateral economic cooperation. Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe followed with a virtual address outlining the Government’s latest initiatives to attract foreign investment.
His remarks focused on reforms intended to improve the investment climate, streamline business procedures and create greater transparency for international companies. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to maintaining investor confidence through policy consistency and long-term support for foreign enterprises.
Supporting presentations by the Export Development Board and the Board of Investment provided participants with detailed information on Sri Lanka’s export strengths, investment incentives and strategic geographical advantages.
However, the forum’s most influential presentation arguably came from Riccardo Romani, Director of Operations at Oniverse, the global apparel group formerly known as Calzedonia.
Drawing on more than two decades of operating in Sri Lanka, Romani highlighted the country’s role as a manufacturing base for some of the company’s most advanced production lines. He praised the professionalism, adaptability and learning ability of Sri Lankan employees while acknowledging the constructive support received from government institutions throughout the company’s expansion.
His observations provided independent validation of many of the Government’s claims regarding Sri Lanka’s competitiveness as a manufacturing destination.
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