A quiet maritime strategic diplomacy has emerged as the key theme of this year’s Union budget of India, as the Modi government has allocated large sums of money — hitherto meant for key neighbouring countries. 

Beneficiaries of the Budget are Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Maldives — all island nations in the strategic Indian Ocean region, where India is competing against China for influence.

A careful perusal of the Budget allocation for India’s Ministry of External Affairs reveals that for Sri Lanka, the Modi government has allocated Indian Rupees (INR) 150 crore (over 3.6 billion Sri Lankan rupees), double of last year.

India is moving for the reconstruction of Sri Lanka’s Kankesanthurai Port. These moves come even as Chinese firms have expanded their footprint in the Indian Ocean region with the Hambantota port project, near Colombo, and the under-construction Gwadar Port in Pakistan.

The lion’s share of the MEA’s budget has gone to Bhutan — INR 2,650 crore while Nepal, which has witnessed political turmoil, has been allocated INR 650 crore for projects, almost 75 per cent more than last year.

Seychelles has been given INR 300 crore, up from INR 200 crore, which was the revised estimate for the current fiscal. The 50 per cent jump is in lieu with the government’s plans to develop the infrastructure of Assumption island, one of the 115 islands of the country.

Delhi has also been looking at strategic maritime opportunities in other overseas markets, committing a $500-million investment in the management and operation of two dedicated berths at the Chabahar port in Iran, and assisting Myanmar in infrastructure improvement projects at the Sittwe and Paletwa ports.

For Maldives, Delhi has allocated INR 125 crore — same amount as last year. However, there are no active projects in the island country, since there has been a strain in the relationship between India and Maldives.

Source: The Indian Express

-Agencies