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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh began his three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday, the first by an Indian Defence Minister in nearly four decades, pledging that India would stand firmly with the island nation in times of crisis and work with it for peace, prosperity and development.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Colombo, Singh described India and Sri Lanka as “close friends” bound by shared history, culture and civilisational ties. “India will always stand firmly with Sri Lanka whenever the island nation faces a crisis,” he said.
Singh is the first Indian Defence Minister to visit Sri Lanka for defence-level talks since KC Pant travelled to the island in 1988. His visit comes as New Delhi seeks to further deepen its defence and strategic engagement with its maritime neighbour in the Indian Ocean.
“The relationship between India and Sri Lanka is based on shared history, culture, and faith. We stand with Sri Lanka through thick and thin and are committed to the peace, prosperity, and development of both countries,” Singh said.
The Minister used his interaction with the diaspora to underline India’s economic and strategic transformation over the past decade, highlighting the country’s growth, expanding exports and rising defence-industrial capabilities.
A key focus of his remarks was India’s emergence as a defence manufacturing and export hub. Defence exports, he said, have risen from around Rs 600 crore 12 years ago to an all-time high of approximately Rs 39,000 crore. The defence budget has also expanded from about Rs 2 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 7.25 lakh crore in 2025-26.
Singh said the growth reflected India’s push towards a more self-reliant defence sector under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The Minister’s visit is expected to focus largely on bilateral defence cooperation, including security cooperation and capacity building, as the two sides seek to further strengthen their longstanding strategic partnership.
Team BharatShakti
