Sri Lanka's capital Colombo will host a five-day India Trade Fair this October in an effort to boost bilateral trade, officials said Monday.

The fair will be held from October 13-17.

India is one of the largest exporters of raw materials and finished products to Sri Lanka.

Official figures show that Sri Lanka's bilateral trade with India has been growing since a 1998 Free Trade Agreement.

Indian exports to Sri Lanka were over $1 billion last year, up from $831 million in 2002.

Last year, a similar Indian fair featured 100 stalls with about 25 business delegations from India.

This year, organisers estimate around 200 exhibitors from all over India will participate.

Approximately 50 business delegations from various sectors such as agriculture, food, education, service, infrastructure, IT, electronics, tourism and machinery will also take part in the fair, they said.