What happened:
On December 23, 2025, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, visiting Sri Lanka as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy, said India would extend an assistance package worth $450 million to help Sri Lanka recover from Cyclone Ditwah. Speaking alongside Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Jaishankar said the package includes $350 million in concessional lines of credit and $100 million in grants. He also delivered a letter from PM Modi to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and highlighted India’s ongoing relief efforts under Operation Sagar Bandhu, including naval, air force, and disaster response deployments.
Why it matters to India:
The move reinforces India’s role as a first responder in the Indian Ocean region, strengthens strategic and humanitarian ties with Sri Lanka, and underlines New Delhi’s commitment to regional stability, disaster cooperation, and neighbourhood-first diplomacy.