Colombo/Kathmandu, Jan 25 (PTI) Indian missions in Sri Lanka and Nepal organised vibrant programmes to celebrate India's 74th Republic Day and 75 years of its independence, attended by dignitaries and members of the diaspora.

The Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka organised a rock band concert, 'Rhythm of Harmony' on Tuesday, which was attended by Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and reflected the close links between the two countries in the field of art and culture, a press release by the embassy said.

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A renowned Indian band UDX performed in collaboration with Stigmata, a Sri Lankan band.

Several Sri Lankan ministers, members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, the Indian diaspora and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.

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With Sri Lanka's 75th Independence Day commemorated on February 4 and India's 74th Republic Day celebrated on January 26, the collaborative performance was a fitting tribute to the joint celebrations of the national days of the two countries, the press release said.

In Kathmandu, the Indian Embassy on Tuesday organised an event to celebrate 75 years of India-Nepal diplomatic relations and 75 years of India's independence.

According to a press release by the Indian embassy, the 'India-Nepal Start-up Connect' event was organised to bring together the start-up ecosystems of the two countries.

Governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank, Maha Prasad Adhikari, was the chief guest at the event.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava highlighted India's G-20 Presidency and said that Nepal is a part of its financial track plan under its leadership, the press release said.

He also mentioned the importance of digital public goods in enabling financial inclusion and start-ups.

Adhikari elaborated on the theme of Digital Nepal and called for greater collaboration on fintech between India and Nepal, identifying cross-border payments and QR payments as possible areas of cooperation.

Two discussions also took place during the event. The first focused on the opportunities in India and Nepal in the e-commerce and fintech sectors, and the second focused on funding opportunities for Nepali startups. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)