 
The Vision Document signed by then Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Wickremesinghe’s visit to New Delhi on July 20-21, 2023, was hailed as a milestone for strengthening bilateral ties. While celebrated by policymakers and the media, the document’s ambitious proposals reveal longstanding challenges that question its viability and practical implementation.
Overview of the Vision Document
The Vision Document outlines key areas of collaboration designed to deepen India-Sri Lanka relations and foster regional connectivity. Its proposals focus on developing ports and logistics infrastructure at Colombo, Trincomalee, and Kankesanthurai to enhance trade and security cooperation. Additional goals include resuming flights between Jaffna and Chennai and exploring expanded air connections to other Sri Lankan destinations, such as Trincomalee and Batticaloa.
The document also emphasizes energy cooperation, with plans to develop Trincomalee as an energy hub, construct a petroleum pipeline linking southern India to Sri Lanka, and pursue offshore hydrocarbon exploration. A proposal for a land bridge between the two nations aims to boost travel and trade, alongside initiatives to accelerate economic and tourism growth through joint projects.
Ambitious Proposals or Overstated Plans?
While the Vision Document seeks to address gaps in bilateral relations, many of its proposals face significant challenges that have stalled similar projects in the past.
Port and logistics infrastructure development, for instance, has been a recurring topic for decades. Despite India’s strategic investments in Colombo and ongoing projects in Trincomalee, progress has often been delayed by logistical and political obstacles.
Efforts to transform Jaffna International Airport into a viable hub underscore the difficulties of resuming air connectivity. Although initiated with a $12 million investment in 2019, the airport has struggled to achieve its intended success, handling just 12,000 passengers by mid-2023. Expanding air services to Trincomalee and Batticaloa may face similar viability concerns, especially given Sri Lanka’s current economic hardships.
Proposals for a land bridge and a petroleum pipeline are among the most ambitious but also the most contentious. The construction of a bridge across the Palk Strait, while symbolically significant, faces prohibitive cost and feasibility issues. Comparisons to Russia's $3.7 billion Crimean Bridge suggest the project could be far more expensive, with uncertain economic returns.
Challenges in Implementation
The practical implementation of the Vision Document faces hurdles in financial resources, technical expertise, and political sensitivities. Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis severely limits its capacity to undertake large-scale infrastructure projects, raising concerns about debt accumulation. Furthermore, cost-sharing mechanisms for ambitious projects, such as the land bridge and energy pipeline, remain undefined.
Technical expertise is another constraint. India and Sri Lanka lack experience with projects of this magnitude. For instance, India’s longest bridge, the Dhola Sadiya Bridge, spans only 9.1 kilometers—far shorter than the envisioned land bridge.
Political considerations further complicate these proposals. Regional dynamics, particularly Tamil Nadu’s stance on increased connectivity with Sri Lanka, could influence India’s political willingness to proceed with such projects.
Economic Drivers and Private Investments
The Vision Document’s success hinges on private sector involvement. During Wickremesinghe’s visit to India, he met with billionaire Gautam Adani, whose investments in projects like Colombo Port’s East Container Terminal align with India’s economic ambitions. Adani’s involvement highlights the role of business interests in driving bilateral initiatives, emphasizing how partnerships between governments and private players shape these projects.
Comparisons to China’s Belt and Road Initiative
India’s Vision Document mirrors elements of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), emphasizing connectivity and energy collaboration. However, unlike the BRI, which has made tangible progress in Sri Lanka, many Indian-led projects remain in the planning stages. This disparity underscores gaps in execution and financing that India must address to realize its vision.
Public Perception vs. Reality
While the Vision Document projects optimism and cooperation, it risks being more symbolic than actionable. Vision statements often serve as diplomatic gestures, projecting progress to the public and media while actual implementation depends on business negotiations and bureaucratic processes. Political analysts argue that without concrete steps, such frameworks may fail to deliver tangible benefits.
Conclusion
The Vision Document stands as a testament to the enduring partnership between India and Sri Lanka. Its ambitious goals reflect mutual interests but also highlight the financial, technical, and political hurdles that must be overcome for these proposals to materialize.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s upcoming visit to India in December presents an opportunity to either reinvigorate these plans or chart a new course based on his vision for self-reliance and local empowerment. The success of these initiatives will depend on a sustained commitment to addressing underlying challenges while fostering collaboration for mutual growth.
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