On May 16th, Sri Lanka announced its ongoing negotiations with India to establish a small arms manufacturing facility, as part of the broader scope of defense collaboration between the two nations. State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon confirmed the talks, stating that Sri Lanka is engaged with Indian counterparts on this matter, highlighting the potential for knowledge exchange and learning from India's expertise in defense production. 

Tennakoon's statement about ongoing discussions for a joint venture in the military industry coincides with India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, expressing New Delhi's willingness to provide modern defense equipment to friendly partner nations like Sri Lanka. This development emerges just over a month after Jha made these remarks at a defense seminar in Sri Lanka. 

Jha emphasized the close cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in security and defense affairs, stating that India's defense industry now produces cutting-edge systems, advanced technologies, and world-class equipment. He highlighted that several advanced platforms and equipment developed domestically in India could serve as practical, cost-effective, and modern solutions for the Sri Lankan military. This underscores the potential for mutually beneficial collaboration between the two countries in the defense sector. 

Tennakoon, reflecting on the April 10 meeting where he was present, clarified that Sri Lanka is currently not pursuing any purchases and noted that such presentations are routine occurrences. He emphasised the strong connectivity between India and Sri Lanka, particularly in military-to-military interactions, which he described as robust. However, he underscored that this connectivity doesn't necessarily imply immediate procurement intentions from either party. 

Addressing the theme of "Collective Path to a Stable Country" at the Presidential Media Centre, Tennakoon highlighted the significant growth of the Indian defense manufacturing sector over the past two decades. He emphasised that Sri Lanka could benefit from studying the Indian model and learning from it. Tennakoon expressed the opinion that there's merit in Sri Lanka exploring its own manufacturing capabilities in the defense sector, echoing the sentiment that there's value in drawing lessons from India's experience. 

The minister highlighted that while the Sri Lankan military possesses expertise in weapons manufacturing, it currently operates below the desired scale. Confirming this, he stated that Sri Lanka is engaged in talks with India to establish a small arms ammunition manufacturing unit. Notably, during the April 10 event, key figures such as Sri Lanka’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen Shavendra Silva, along with the Commanders of the Air Force and Navy, as well as senior officials from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, were in attendance. 

A significant and varied delegation from the Indian defense industry, accompanied by representatives from Sri Lankan businesses, participated in the conference, led by a senior official from India’s Ministry of Defence. India emphasised its commitment to Sri Lanka through its neighborhood-first policy, highlighting the SAGAR initiative (Security and Growth for All in the Region) as a flagship government endeavour aimed at assisting Indian Ocean Region neighbours. This underlines India's strategic approach to fostering security and prosperity in the region. 

Image Source: cnbctv18