States » SouthPosted at: Nov 15 2026 8:25PM


India-Sri Lanka joint NCC cycling expedition 'Maitri Setu Yatra 2027' flagged off in Colombo

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 15 (UNI) The first-ever international cycling expedition undertaken by India's National Cadet Corps (NCC), bringing together cadets from India and Sri Lanka, was flagged off from Colombo on Sunday.
Named 'Maitri Setu Yatra 2027', the historic expedition was flagged off at Galle Face by Sri Lankan Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Kumara Gamage in the presence of Lt Gen Virendra Vats, Director General of NCC, India, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Major Gen AKCS De Silva, Director of Sri Lanka NCC.
The expedition will cover approximately 3,500 km from Colombo to New Delhi, traversing Sri Lanka and India, and is scheduled to culminate at the NCC Prime Minister's Rally in New Delhi in January 2027, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally flag in the contingent.
The cycling team will initially travel from Colombo to Jaffna, covering the length of Sri Lanka, before crossing the sea from Trincomalee to Karaikal in India. From Karaikal, the contingent will continue its northward journey towards New Delhi.
Flagging off the expedition, Gamage said the young cadets would carry the friendship between the two countries with them throughout the journey.
Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha said the ride from Colombo to New Delhi would connect the peoples of the two countries, just as history and geography had always linked the neighbouring nations.
The 'Maitri Setu Yatra', meaning 'Journey across the Bridge of Friendship', seeks to celebrate the longstanding bonds between India and Sri Lanka through a joint initiative involving cadets of both countries.
Riding together as a single team, the cadets will carry the respective mottos of their organisations — 'Unity and Discipline' of the Indian NCC and 'Never be Unprepared' of the Sri Lankan NCC — symbolising mutual trust, camaraderie and shared commitment.
The joint contingent is led by Colonel M Arun Karthik of India, while the cycling team is headed by Lieutenant Commander Rahul Das.
The expedition marks a significant milestone in NCC's international outreach and is aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties and fostering friendship among the youth of the two neighbouring countries.
UNI DS
Tags: #India-Sri Lanka joint NCC cycling expedition 'Maitri Setu Yatra 2027' flagged off in Colombo
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