India-Sri Lanka Relations: How important will India-Sri Lanka’s economic alliance be, culturally, historically, commercially?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his discussions with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe reminded that India was one of the first responders to the economic crisis that ravaged the island nation in 2021, while he said that Colombo should keep India’s national security interest in mind before cooperating with a third power. President Wickremesinghe is understood to have agreed that Sri Lanka would be sensitive to India’s strategic and security concerns. As PM Modi and President Wickremesinghe had a one-on-one discussion for over an hour over lunch. It is not difficult to assume that China would not have been discussed between the two as Beijing is engaging Colombo with the island nation under the Belt Road Initiative (BRI) which is currently burdened with Chinese debt.

It was during the economic crisis of 2021, when the world including China was hesitating, that India came out with full financial, food and oil assistance to get the island nation out of deep political crisis. While PM Modi conveyed that India would persevere in its path of helping Sri Lanka in times of economic crisis, the two leaders decided to take a long-term approach to bilateral ties with a focus on digital, oil, power, road and perhaps rail connectivity in the future.

It was President Wickremesinghe who suggested a land bridge between India and Sri Lanka on the potential 27 km long Rameswaram-Talai Mannar alignment, which was immediately accepted by PM Modi. The sea depth in this particular area of ​​the Palk Strait is also favorable as there is only one to three meters of water and a bridge can easily be built in this area. Both countries have decided to cooperate in the development of ports and logistics infrastructure in Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai with mutual understanding as part of maritime connectivity. Apart from this, agreements were also signed on air connectivity, energy and power connectivity as well as renewable energy. While the land bridge was proposed for the first time, there is a strong possibility of having an oil, gas, electricity pipeline as well as a bridge connecting the two countries. There is also a possibility of building a railroad bridge between the two countries as Rameswaram is also connected by rail, just as Talai Mannar is on the Sri Lankan side.

According to experts based in Colombo and New Delhi, both the countries will have to play carefully to implement the long-term approach on the ground as China has deep inroads in Sri Lankan politics and Beijing will try its best not to allow India to regain its previous position with the island nation.