Understanding India and Sri Lanka Relation: Issues and Challenges

India’s “Neighborhood First Policy” (NFP), one of the key components of its South Asian Foreign Policy (SAFP), focuses on strengthening ties with neighboring South Asian countries. Trade between India and Sri Lanka grew particularly rapidly after the India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement came into effect in March 2000. Strategic opportunities are often fleeting, and the same applies to India’s efforts to forge a strategic partnership with Sri Lanka.