Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently concluded a highly successful visit to Sri Lanka, during which he was conferred the country’s highest civilian honor. On April 7, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited announced that it had commenced operations at the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT). Following this development, several left-leaning and communist social media users have alleged that the terminal project was initiated due to Prime Minister Modi’s influence. They claim that during his visit, Modi pressured the Sri Lankan government into awarding the project to the Adani Group, suggesting that he leveraged his diplomatic influence to secure the deal for the Indian conglomerate.
Mini Nair claimed, ‘Modi visits Sri Lanka and Adani ports begins operations!!!’
Modi visits srilanka and adani ports begins operations!!!
— Mini Nair (@minicnair) April 7, 2025
Quick, alle!!! pic.twitter.com/uVLmFHH1Il
Tanmoy stated, ‘Modi’s State Visit To Sri Lanka Successful.’
Modi's State Visit To Sri Lanka Successful #Modi #StockMarketIndia #LPGCylinder #PetrolDieselPrice pic.twitter.com/BnwkXJlzww
— তন্ময় l T͞anmoy l (@tanmoyofc) April 7, 2025
Raju Parulekar shared, “A day after Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka, the Adani Group opened a port in Sri Lanka.”
मोदी की यात्रा के एक दिन बाद श्रीलंका में खुला अदाणी टर्मिनल https://t.co/5XCBFsLrOq pic.twitter.com/3LjdKIdc7R
— Raju Parulekar (@rajuparulekar) April 8, 2025
Khurshid Ansari, Indian angle and Kalluri also shared a similar claim.
Also Read: Adani Group Did Not Receive Malabar Hill Land at Discount Due to BJP Influence
Fact Check
We began our fact-checking process by examining three key aspects:
First, does the Adani Group solely own the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), as is being implied by claims that Prime Minister Modi helped finalize the deal during his visit to Sri Lanka?
Second, when was the project awarded to the Adani Group, and does it have any connection to the Prime Minister’s recent visit?
Third, did PM Modi’s bilateral meeting with the Sri Lankan leadership have anything to do with the Adani Group commencing operations at CWIT?
In this article, we will address each of these concerns one by one.
1- Does Adani Solely Own CWIT
Fact: No. The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) is not solely owned by the Adani Group. It is a joint venture between three entities: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ), the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), and Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings. According to The Hindu, Adani Ports holds a majority stake of 51%, while John Keells holds 34% and SLPA owns the remaining 15%. This ownership structure is also confirmed on the official CWIT website.
We further examined the shareholders involved in the project. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority is a government department responsible for providing and maintaining cargo-handling infrastructure, pilotage services, and port operations. John Keells Holdings, on the other hand, is a 150-year-old Colombo-based conglomerate. According to its official website, it is the largest conglomerate listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange and plays a crucial role in the Sri Lankan economy. The company operates across seven industry sectors, employs over 14,000 people, and emphasizes values such as integrity, trust, and innovation.
This clearly establishes that while Adani Group holds the largest share in CWIT, it is by no means the sole stakeholder. The Sri Lanka Ports Authority and John Keells Holdings—both deeply rooted in Sri Lanka’s governance and economy—are vital partners in the project.
Therefore, the claim made by social media users that Prime Minister Modi used his recent visit to Sri Lanka to pressure the government into awarding the deal to the Adani Group is baseless. The commencement of the CWIT project is not only in Adani’s interest but also significantly benefits the Sri Lankan stakeholders and the country’s economy as a whole.
2- When Was the Project Awarded to the Adani Group, and Is It Linked to the Prime Minister’s Recent Visit?
Fact: The project has no connection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Sri Lanka. The Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), led by Adani Ports, has been in the spotlight for over four years. The agreement for the project was signed in September 2021, during the tenure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
According to the Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd website, CWIT is being developed under a landmark public–private partnership. It is operated by a consortium comprising Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd (India’s largest port operator), Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings PLC, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, under a 35-year Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreement.
Construction began in early 2022 and has made significant progress since then. With the installation of state-of-the-art infrastructure nearing completion, CWIT is set to establish new benchmarks in operational efficiency and reliability in regional maritime logistics.
According to the article published by Ship and Technology in November 2022. The article said, ‘Indian multinational conglomerate Adani Group has started construction on the Colombo West International Terminal in Sri Lanka, marking its foray into the island nation’s port industry. The project, valued at around $789m, will enable Colombo Port to expand its capacity by an additional three million twenty-foot equivalent units’
Therefore, Prime Minister Modi’s April 4 visit to Sri Lanka has no bearing on the commencement or progress of the CWIT project, which was awarded in 2021, commenced construction in 2022, and was completed in April 2025.
3- Did PM Modi’s Bilateral Meeting with Sri Lankan PM Influence the Adani Group’s Operations at CWIT?
Fact: As explained earlier, the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) serves Sri Lanka’s strategic and economic interests far more than it benefits the Adani Group. Therefore, claims that Prime Minister Modi influenced Sri Lanka to commence operations at CWIT are baseless.
An article published by Business Standard on November 15, 2023, quoted Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd’s CEO Karan Adani as saying that the first phase of CWIT was expected to be operational by December 2024. He also stated that the project was a joint venture, with Adani Ports holding 51% stake, while John Keells Holdings (JKH) and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) share the remaining 49%.
The article also mentioned that the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) had committed USD 553 million in financing for the project. However, due to delays in disbursement, Adani Ports decided to withdraw the loan request and instead fund the project through internal sources.
Further confirming the timeline, Sea News published on February 11, 2025, reported that CWIT was scheduled to commence operations in March 2025 with a capacity of 1.6 million TEUs. The report also noted that while CWIT, under a public-private partnership, was on track, the SLPA-managed East Container Terminal (ECT) faced delays.
Similarly, India Sea Trade News on January 28, 2025, also reported that CWIT was set to become operational in March, reinforcing the narrative that the project had been nearing completion well before the Prime Minister’s visit.
In summary, the CWIT project was always slated for operational rollout by early 2025. The commencement was delayed slightly due to financial hiccups, but Adani Ports proceeded by self-financing the remaining work. Multiple media reports indicated that the first phase would be completed by March 2025, which is why operations began in the first week of April.
Thus, any claim linking Prime Minister Modi’s April 4 bilateral visit to Sri Lanka with the commencement of CWIT operations is factually incorrect. The project’s timeline and execution were driven entirely by Sri Lanka’s logistics needs and prior commitments.
Conclusion:
There is no link between Prime Minister Modi’s April 4 visit to Sri Lanka and the commencement of the Adani-led Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT). The project was awarded back in September 2021, during President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s term, and construction began in early 2022. The project is a joint venture between Adani Ports, Sri Lanka’s John Keells Holdings, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority.
CWIT is being developed mainly to serve Sri Lanka’s trade and port capacity needs, not India’s. The decision to start operations had already been made, and delays were only due to financing issues. Adani Ports later chose to self-fund the project rather than wait for a U.S. loan. Multiple news reports from late 2023 to early 2025 clearly stated that CWIT’s first phase would be operational by the year 2024 end or early 2025, and that’s exactly what happened. So, the claim that PM Modi influenced or pushed for the project’s launch is completely false.
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