Part 1: The 35 India–Sri Lanka Agreements under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (Dec 2024 – Apr 2025)
A Landmark Shift in Bilateral Engagement or a Rapid Path to Strategic Overreach? Within just five months of assuming office, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake embarked on a historic recalibration of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy — marked by an unprecedented volume and speed of bilateral agreements with India. Spanning critical sectors such as defence, energy, digital infrastructure, public administration, and cross-border connectivity, these 35 officially signed or announced initiatives represent the most rapid deepening of India–Sri Lanka ties in recent history.
This part outlines, in chronological order, all agreements, memoranda of understanding (MoUs), and high-level initiatives signed or publicly committed to by the Dissanayake administration and the Modi government between December 2024 and April 2025. The scope and strategic depth of these engagements mark a major departure from the historical pattern of Sri Lankan foreign policy — especially in areas traditionally guarded by concerns over sovereignty and neutrality.
The overview below is divided into:
- December 2024 – During President Dissanayake’s first overseas visit to India.
- April 2025 – During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s return visit to Sri Lanka.
This section also categorizes each item as either:
- Signed Agreements (legally binding MoUs),
- Announced Initiatives (public commitments pending formal MoU), or
- Ongoing Discussions (strategic initiatives under negotiation or announced earlier but formalized later).
Part 1 – Overview & Timeline of 35 Agreements
Title: India–Sri Lanka 2024–2025: The 35 Agreements Signed Under Anura Kumara – A Timeline & Breakdown
Introduction: Since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake assumed office in late 2024, his administration has entered into a record number of bilateral agreements with India. These span multiple sectors such as defence, energy, digital infrastructure, civil service reform, education, and health. This part presents a chronological breakdown of the 35 official agreements and initiatives signed or initiated with India from December 2024 to April 2025.
December 2024 Visit to India (15–17 Dec 2024)
- Officially Signed Agreements (1)
- MoU between SLIDA (Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration) and India’s NCGG for training 1,500 civil servants.
- Publicly Announced Initiatives (12)
- India’s co-chair role in Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring.
- USD 20.66 million financial assistance to settle overdue payments.
- Inauguration of High Impact Community Development Projects.
- 5,000 MT warehouse in Dambulla.
- Grant aid for development of religious sites.
- 5,000 solar units to temples across 25 districts.
- Lord Buddha relic exposition during Vesak 2025.
- Capacity-building program for 700 Sri Lankans annually.
- Tourism and connectivity focus.
- Digital transformation and tech sharing.
- Agreement to adopt a humanitarian approach to fisheries issues.
- Ongoing/Under Negotiation (7)
- Electricity grid interconnection.
- Multi-product oil pipeline (India–Sri Lanka–UAE).
- LNG supply.
- Rameshwaram-Talaimannar Ferry Service.
- Defence Cooperation Agreement.
- Hydrography cooperation.
- Dornier aircraft & maritime surveillance centre.
Subtotal for December 2024: 1 (Signed) + 12 (Announced) + 7 (Ongoing) = 20
April 2025 Visit by PM Narendra Modi (4–6 April 2025)
- Signed Agreements (9)
- MOU on Comprehensive Defence Cooperation.
- HVDC undersea power grid interconnection MOU.
- Tripartite MOU for Trincomalee Energy Hub (India–SL–UAE).
- MOU on population-scale digital transformation.
- Health and medicine cooperation MOU.
- Pharmacopoeial standards cooperation.
- Multi-sector grant for Eastern Province (~LKR 2.4B).
- Handover of 128 km upgraded railway line (Maho-Omanthai).
- Launch of signalling system project (Maho-Anuradhapura).
- Ongoing/Unfinalized Items (6)
- Sampur Solar Power expansion.
- LNG supply.
- Rameshwaram-Talaimannar ferry.
- Hydrography cooperation.
- ETCA agreement.
- Bilateral amendatory agreements on debt restructuring.
Subtotal for April 2025: 9 (Signed) + 6 (Ongoing) = 15
Total Agreements/Initiatives (Dec 2024 – Apr 2025): 35
- 10 officially signed agreements.
- 18 officially announced projects.
- 7 ongoing or under negotiation.
