In this episode of South Asia Geoeconomics Adda, Dr. Harsha de Silva — economist, parliamentarian, and Chair of Sri Lanka’s Committee on Public Finance — joins Dr. Sanjay Kathuria to dissect Sri Lanka’s journey from economic collapse to cautious recovery. They discuss what went wrong after the post-war boom, the 2022 debt default, and the hard lessons from Sri Lanka’s dealings with China, India, and the IMF. Harsha reflects on India’s critical support during the crisis, the burden of bad policy choices, and why trade liberalization remains politically difficult. How can Sri Lanka cope with the high 20 percent additional “reciprocal tariffs” of the current US administration? The conversation probes whether Sri Lanka can rebuild credibility, manage debt that exceeds 100 percent of GDP, and find balance in an increasingly polarized region. A candid look at a nation walking the tightrope between reform and relapse.SAGA is hosted by Dr. Sanjay Kathuria, a pre-eminent thinker and commentator on South Asia, contemporary geoeconomic issues, economic development, and trade and globalization. He is co-founder of the Trade Sentinel and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi. https://www.tradesentinel.org/team The Trade Sentinel aims is to bring trade back into the development spotlight in the region, including by making the Sentinel the go-to space for geoeconomic conversations on issues that affect South Asia. https://www.tradesentinel.org/home Reading: Sanjay Kathuria: As Bangladesh Rises, Sri Lanka Finds India is Not the Only Neighbour With Deep Pockets. The Wire, June 10, 2021. https://bit.ly/3ctLBDSL Sanjay Kathuria: To fix its economy, Lanka must make tough choices. Hindustan Times, January 19, 2023 https://bit.ly/SriLankaEcoAnushka Wijeshinha. Sri Lanka’s New President Commits to Expanding Regional Trade Relationships and Pursuing Trade Reforms. Trade Sentinel, Feb 2025. https://tradesentinel.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/blogs/Sri_Lanka_Budget_Analysis_Feb_2025.html Latest IMF report on Sri Lanka: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798229016360.002, July 2025 World Bank Development Update on Sri Lanka, October 2025: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099154110062538553/pdf/IDU-0573adec-4079-4966-8dff-489e8025668f.pdf South Asia Geoeconomic Adda | Episode 2 In Association with Trade Sentinel SouthAsia. SAGA. SouthAsiaGeoeconomicAdda. Adda. SriLanka. India. China. Modi. Rajapaksa. Tariffs. Trade. Reforms. PublicFinance. China. Mega projects.