DAKSHIN

Sri Lanka

India and Sri Lanka have a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction and the relationship between two countries is more than 2500 years old. Trade and investment have grown and there is cooperation in the fields of development, education, culture and defence. Both countries share a broad understanding on major issues of international interest. In recent years, significant progress in implementation of developmental assistance projects for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and disadvantaged sections of the population in Sri Lanka has helped further cement the bonds of friendship.

Prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Scholarships 2016-17 were awarded to 150 SL students by Indian High Commissioner and SL Ministers of Education.

High Commission celebrates skills-partnership with SL on Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation ITEC Day. VC Uni of Colombo Prof. Chandrika Wijeyaratne was the Chief Guest. lka alumni who pursued various courses in India, attended the event & shared the experiences.

India-Srilanka Partnership for countriwide Emergency Ambulance Service

Indian housing project- plantation area, in Srilanka funded by Govt. of India-1

ITEC participants on successful completion of their training programmes.

High Commissioner and Hon. Minister Jeevan Thondaman exchanged diplomatic letters, paving way for a 3-fold increase in Indian support to Phase-3 of the flagship Indian Housing Programme in plantation sectors of lka.

India in Sri Lanka signed separate agreements with NHDA Sri Lanka and State Engineering Corporation to enable early commencement of the construction of 10,000 houses in plantation areas of 🇱🇰 under the flagship Indian Housing Project.These houses cover 11 Districts, spread across 6 Provinces.

Cooperation to tackle the challenge of COVID-19 Pandemic

Government of India has donated 500,000 covishield vaccine doses to Sri Lanka in January 2021. Government of India has also supplied 500,000 vaccine doses commercially and 264,000 doses under Covax scheme.

Capacity Building & Other Exchanges

India offers about 710 scholarship slots annually to Sri Lankan students.
In addition, under the ITEC Program, India offers 402 fully-funded slots every year to officials in various Ministries of Government of Sri Lanka and also to other eligible citizens for short term training programs in a wide variety of technical and professional disciplines to enhance skill set, and around 200 slots under different schemes of ICCR every year to pursue higher studies in India.
Dr. Saman Kelegama (Posthumously) was conferred ICCR Distinguished Alumni Award - 2017 in New Delhi (13 April 2018).
Professor at Department of Geography, University of Kelaniya, Dr. RK Lal Mervin Dharmasiri was conferred ICCR Distinguished Alumni Award - 2020 in Colombo (27 March 2023).
ICCR is administrating a Chair of Hindi at Samaragamuwa University, Srilanka. MoU valid till January, 2028.

Development Cooperation (Grants/ LoCs/ Assistance)

With grants alone amounting to around USD 570 million, the overall commitment by GOI is to the tune of more than USD 3.5 billion.
The Indian Housing Project, with an initial commitment to build 50,000 houses in war affected areas and estate workers in the plantation areas, is Government of India (GoI)’s flagship grant project in Sri Lanka. Overall commitment of INR 1372 crores makes it also one of the largest projects undertaken by GoI abroad. There are also four smaller housing programmes for constructing 2400 houses across Sri Lanka. Overall, India has so far committed to construct close to 62,500 houses in Sri Lanka.
The country-wide 1990 Emergency Ambulance Service is another flagship project. The Service which was initially launched in July 2016 in Western and Southern Provinces of Sri Lanka was later expanded to all the provinces in the next phase. At a total cost of more than USD 22.5 million, close to 300 ambulances were provided by GOI under this project.
Some of other notable grant projects which have been completed are the 150-bed Dickoya hospital, livelihood assistance to nearly 70,000 people from fishing and farming community in Hambantota, supply of medical equipment to Vavuniya Hospital and 150 Boats and Fishing gear for Mullaithivu fishermen. A modern 1500 - seat auditorium named after Rabindranath Tagore in Ruhuna University, Matara, is the largest in any University in Sri Lanka.
There are another 20 ongoing grant projects across diverse spheres. This includes the iconic Jaffna Cultural Center, construction of 153 houses and infrastructure facilities in Shobitha Thero Village in Anuradhapura; Upgradation of Saraswathy Central College in Pusselawa, Kandy; Construction of 600 houses under Model Village Housing Project in 25 districts of Sri Lanka; 5000 MT temperature-controlled warehouse in Dambulla; Kandian Dancing School at Pallekelle/Dalada Maligawa Cultural Heritage project, Kandy; 144 transit housing units in Madhu Shrine, Mannar etc.
11 Lines of credit (LOC) have been extended to Sri Lanka by the Export Import Bank of India in the last 15 years. Important sectors in which Projects have been executed/ are under execution, under these LOCs include: Railway, transport, connectivity, defence, solar. Some important Projects completed are: supply of defence equipments; upgradation of railway line from Colombo to Matara; track laying by IRCON on Omanthai-Pallai sector, Madhu Church-Tallaimannar, Madawachchiya-Madhu Railway line; reconstruction of the Pallai-Kankesanthurai Railway line; signalling and telecommunication system; supply of engine kits for buses, diesel locomotives railways, DMUs, Carrier and fuel tank wagons etc.
A US$ 100 million LoC for undertaking solar projects in Sri Lanka has been signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and EXIM Bank on June 16, 2021. Projects under this LOC will include- rooftop solar units for Government buildings, rooftop solar units for low income families and a floating solar power plant.