Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Sri Lanka from April 4-6, marking his fourth visit since 2014 and the first by a foreign head of government under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leadership.
Key Agendas:
🔹 Infrastructure & Energy – PM Modi will inaugurate railway projects in Anuradhapura, including track upgrades and signaling systems. He will also launch the NTPC Sampur Solar Project, a joint venture between India’s NTPC and Sri Lanka’s CEB.
🔹 Renewable Energy – India is backing solar initiatives across Sri Lanka, including a $17 million project to install rooftop solar panels at 5,000 religious sites.
🔹 Debt Restructuring – India, which provided $4 billion in assistance in 2022, was the first to back Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring plan with the IMF and, in 2024, agreed to a $5.8 billion restructuring deal.
🔹 Power Grid Connectivity – Talks will cover linking India and Sri Lanka’s electricity grids via an HVDC transmission line from Tamil Nadu to Anuradhapura, aiming to reduce Sri Lanka’s reliance on costly thermal power.
🔹 Oil Pipeline Project – Discussions will continue on the India-Sri Lanka oil pipeline, with the UAE playing a key role in the initiative.
🔹 Symbolic Visit & Memorial Tribute – PM Modi will visit the Sri Arulmigu Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram on April 6, coinciding with Ram Navami. He may also pay tribute at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Sri Lanka, honoring Indian soldiers who served between 1987-1990.
Additionally, an announcement on capacity-building programs for Sri Lankan civil servants is expected.
