Describing the India–Sri Lanka partnership as being in a “historic sweet spot,” Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha on Thursday said bilateral ties have reached an unprecedented level of trust, goodwill and cooperation, as he summarised key developments during a meeting with journalists in Colombo.
Wrapping up what he called a year of “re-energising and reaffirmation,” Jha said 2025 saw renewed political engagement, deeper economic cooperation and strong people-to-people ties between the two neighbours. He highlighted high-level exchanges, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025 and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s state visit to India in December 2024, which helped set the tone for closer collaboration.
Jha said India’s role as a first responder following the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah was a defining feature of the partnership, noting that New Delhi launched large-scale rescue and relief operations under Operation Sagar Bandhu. Indian naval vessels, air force helicopters and disaster response teams were deployed to assist affected communities across Sri Lanka.
He said India has committed a USD 450 million assistance package to support post-cyclone recovery and rebuilding, comprising USD 350 million in concessional lines of credit and USD 100 million in grants. The support will focus on restoring damaged roads, railways and bridges, rebuilding houses, strengthening health and education facilities, supporting agriculture and improving disaster preparedness.
According to the High Commissioner, Bailey bridges airlifted from India are already being installed to restore critical connectivity, while work on the Northern Railway Line is expected to begin shortly. Plans are also under way to install nearly 200 reverse osmosis water purification plants and provide temporary shelter material for families who lost their homes to the cyclone.
Beyond disaster recovery, Jha said India remains Sri Lanka’s principal development partner, with over USD 7 billion in economic assistance extended to date. He pointed to ongoing housing, renewable energy, railway and port infrastructure projects, as well as expanding cooperation in technology, innovation and capacity building.
He also noted that India continued to be Sri Lanka’s leading partner in trade, tourism and investment, accounting for more than 20 per cent of tourist arrivals in 2025 and a significant share of foreign direct investment.
Concluding his remarks to journalists, Jha said both countries were focused on faster implementation of agreed projects and closer engagement in the year ahead, with a clear emphasis on delivering tangible benefits to the people of India and Sri Lanka. (Newswire)
