Colombo: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India and Sri Lanka can transform their ports into “engines of shared economic growth”, highlighting the growing importance of maritime connectivity in the bilateral relationship.
Speaking in Colombo during his three-day Sri Lanka visit, Singh emphasised the potential for deeper cooperation between the two neighbours in ports, connectivity, trade and maritime development.
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Sri Lanka's location along major East-West shipping routes gives its ports significant regional importance, particularly Colombo, which serves as a major transshipment hub for South Asia.
India and Sri Lanka are also working to expand connectivity through projects such as the development of Kankesanthurai Port, where an Indian grant of USD 65 million has been extended and a formal MoU is under discussion. The project is expected to improve passenger and cargo connectivity between India and northern Sri Lanka.
For India, stronger maritime connectivity with Sri Lanka is about more than trade.
Ports, shipping links and maritime infrastructure are increasingly becoming part of India's wider Indian Ocean strategy, strengthening supply-chain resilience while supporting economic growth across the neighbourhood.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, can benefit from greater access to India's rapidly expanding economy and regional connectivity networks.
The port focus adds an important economic dimension to Singh's broader visit, which comes as India seeks to deepen its Neighbourhood First engagement with Sri Lanka.
Greater cooperation in maritime infrastructure can simultaneously support trade, logistics, energy security and regional maritime resilience.
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