India to Remain Sri Lanka’s Most Reliable Friend; Offers Modern Defence Equipment

India said on Wednesday that it is and will remain Sri Lanka’s best friend and most reliable partner. It also made it clear that New Delhi is ready to give friendly partner countries like Sri Lanka modern defense weapons.

India’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, spoke at the Second India-Sri Lanka Defense Seminar here. He said that India and Sri Lanka were working together closely on security and defense issues, just like they were in other areas.

“Because of where we live, our safety is linked and tangled.” And when we talk about security, we need to keep in mind that it has a broader meaning now than it did in the past, according to Jha. He also said that after the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of the war between Russia and Ukraine, security has expanded to include energy, health, food, and even economic security.

He said that the many advanced systems and pieces of equipment made in India could also be used by the Sri Lankan military as practical, cost-effective, and up-to-date options.

“We helped Sri Lanka through the Covid pandemic and the economic crisis in the past few years because we felt responsible and obligated to our closest friend and neighbor. As he talked about the more than USD 4 billion in economic help given to the country during its unprecedented economic turmoil, “We stood shoulder to shoulder with our civilizational twin when it was needed most and without any hesitation,” he meant.

“Many of you will agree that India is and will remain Sri Lanka’s most reliable friend and partner,” Jha said. “Our two countries are working together in more and more ways.” It is strengthened by India’s growing national strengths.”

Senior officers from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, including State Minister of Defense Premitha Bandara Tennakoon, Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Shavendra Silva, and the Commanders of the Air Force and Navy, were all there.

The speaker said that India has made a lot of progress in its defense business under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) vision. We have put money into research and development and encouraged the use of new ideas and technologies to make sure that our skills are ready for the future. Jha told them.

He said that the Indian defense industry now makes cutting-edge technologies, state-of-the-art systems, and world-class gear. As examples, he gave fighter jets, helicopters, naval ships, electronic warfare systems, cyber security solutions, small arms, and large calibre precision long-range artillery systems. The High Commissioner said, “We are not only making things for our own country, but we are also willing to make these skills available to friendly partner countries like Sri Lanka.”

India’s defense exports have grown by a factor of ten in the last five years, reaching nearly USD 2.6 billion now. He also said that India sends defense gear and software to more than 85 countries and has more than 100 companies working in this area. Jha also said that India can now give reliable, high-quality, low-cost technology in defense, as well as a supply chain that will be there for long-term support.

As we have done in other areas, we have tried to make sure that our growing skills also help our neighbors, including Sri Lanka. He also said that they were committed to meeting the needs of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. He was also sure that the seminar, which is being held in Sri Lanka for the second time in two years, would focus on working together on security and defense and help the two countries figure out what their top goals are.

Jha said that the event, which would show off the different advanced platforms and weapons, would give the Sri Lankan military a chance to learn about some of the things that India has come up with on its own. He said, “We are sure that these can also become workable, affordable, and up-to-date solutions for the Sri Lankan military.” Earlier, he informed the group of their shared civilizational history, heritage, and strong cultural connection, which has made them naturally friendly and at ease with each other.

Jha also said that because they are close neighbors, they have no choice but to work together, but this isn’t just because they have the choice and the chance to do so. Our policy of putting our neighbors first and our SAGAR vision lead how we deal with Sri Lanka. This means that we should share everything we have with our closest neighbors based on their wants and needs. He also said that our method must stay kind and not demand anything in return.

The government’s main plan to help countries in the Indian Ocean Region is called SAGAR, which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region. A large and varied group of people from India’s defense industry, led by Anurag Bajpai, Additional Secretary, Department of Defence Production, India’s Ministry of Defence, attended the seminar. They included some of the country’s most important public defense companies as well as a wide range of private sector players.