India to build small arms manufacturing unit in Sri Lanka; defence collaboration

  • Industry News
  • May 17,24
Sri Lanka could benefit from studying the Indian model and expressed interest in exploring Sri Lanka's own manufacturing capabilities in the defense sector, echoing the sentiment of drawing lessons from India's experience.
India to build small arms manufacturing unit in Sri Lanka; defence collaboration

Sri Lanka has announced ongoing negotiations with India regarding the establishment of a small arms manufacturing facility, signaling a broader scope of defense collaboration between the two nations. State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon confirmed these talks, suggesting the potential for knowledge exchange and learning from India's expertise in defence production. This announcement aligns with India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha, expressing New Delhi's readiness to provide modern defence equipment to friendly partner nations like Sri Lanka, as highlighted in his remarks at a defence seminar in Sri Lanka over a month ago.

Jha mentioned that there is close cooperation between India and Sri Lanka in security and defence affairs; highlighting India's capability in producing cutting-edge defense systems and advanced technologies. He noted that many domestically developed platforms and equipment in India could serve as practical and cost-effective solutions for the Sri Lankan military, indicating the potential for mutually beneficial collaboration in the defence sector.

Tennakoon, reflecting on a recent meeting where he was present, clarified that Sri Lanka is currently not pursuing any purchases and described such presentations as routine occurrences. He highlighted the strong connectivity between India and Sri Lanka in military-to-military interactions but clarified that this connectivity does not imply immediate procurement intentions from either side.

Speaking at the Presidential Media Centre on the theme of ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’, Tennakoon commented on the significant growth of the Indian defence manufacturing sector over the past two decades. He suggested that Sri Lanka could benefit from studying the Indian model and expressed interest in exploring Sri Lanka's own manufacturing capabilities in the defence sector, echoing the sentiment of drawing lessons from India's experience.

Tennakoon confirmed Sri Lanka's engagement in talks with India to establish a small arms ammunition manufacturing unit, indicating a desire to enhance the scale of operations in the Sri Lankan military's weapons manufacturing expertise. Notably, key figures such as Sri Lanka’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen Shavendra Silva, along with other senior officials from the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, attended the April 10 event where these discussions took place.

During the conference, a significant delegation from the Indian defence industry, accompanied by representatives from Sri Lankan businesses, participated. India highlighted initiatives like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) as part of its strategic approach to fostering security and prosperity in the Indian Ocean Region, further mentioning the depth of bilateral ties between the two countries.
(Source: Myind.net)

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