In a recent development, India has announced a series of specialized capacity-building training courses for Sri Lankan officers at premier defense institutions across India, following a request from Sri Lanka. These institutions include the Central Detective Training Institutes and the National Security Guard.
According to The Diplomat and writer Ratheendra Kuruvita, India is funding these programs, making them free for the Sri Lankan Police. The training covers a broad spectrum of topics such as crime scene investigation, the use of artificial intelligence to combat cybercrime, and VIP security.
In 2024 alone, over 130 Sri Lankan police officers, ranging from junior to senior ranks, are expected to benefit from this training. Recently, a group of 23 senior officers arrived in New Delhi for a two-week program focused on counter-terrorism techniques, internal security threats, and religious extremism.
These courses are offered under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and the “Aid to Sri Lanka” program.
In another significant move to strengthen defense ties, the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Sachet arrived in Colombo to deliver spare parts for the Sri Lanka Coast Guard ship Suraksha. These spare parts, valued at $1.2 million, were provided by the Indian government as a grant. A formal handover ceremony was held to mark the occasion, attended by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, Sri Lanka’s Defense Secretary, Kamal Gunaratne, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, and senior officers from both countries.
This initiative follows India’s 2023 assurance to Sri Lanka of additional military funding, further cementing the defense cooperation between the two nations.
