Sri Lanka is emerging as an increasingly important destination for India’s growing tanker exports, underscoring the deepening maritime and industrial links between the two neighbouring countries.

India’s tanker exports rose more than six-fold to about US$1.36 billion in the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, as Indian shipyards expanded deliveries of high-value maritime assets to markets across Asia, Africa and the Indian Ocean region.

Sri Lanka recorded one of the sharpest increases among India’s established destinations. Tanker shipments to the island rose to US$56.5 million, from US$7.9 million in the corresponding period, according to India’s Department of Commerce under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The increase comes as Indian-built vessels gain a wider international market, with new tanker export destinations emerging in countries including Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mozambique. The diversification suggests that Indian shipyards are beginning to establish a broader presence in regional commercial shipping.

For Sri Lanka, the trend is particularly significant given the country’s position along major Indian Ocean shipping routes and its longstanding maritime links with India.

The development comes against a broader strengthening of commercial ties between the two countries. India’s exports to Sri Lanka have also been rising, reflecting expanding trade under the bilateral free-trade framework, the Department noted.

For India, Sri Lanka offers both a nearby export market and a strategic maritime location. For Sri Lanka, stronger links with Indian shipbuilders could bring new investment, technology and opportunities for its ship-repair and shipbuilding sector, according to experts.

– with Agencies inputs --